Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-07
ANOTHER "DETECTWE - WRENN.

He Has sixteen Persons Arrested In Mid
diesex and then Disappears
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch.l
HUNTSVILLE, November 5, 1890.
A man from Richmond calling himself
Wrenn, and claiming TO be relative of
the noted Jack, has been in Middlesex
county, and last week, in the neighbor-
hood dof Centre Cross, Essex county, OPP
eratiag as q detective in search of the
parties who some time since locked the
salesman of Mr.. Wyman, who does a
mercantile business just below Faring-
holt's wharf, in Middlesex county, out
near the county line, up in the counting
room and kept him there whilst they
robbed the store Of all such things as
they wanted or could get off with. Last
Sunday this MIR. Wrenn swore out some
sixteen warrants. Justice G.. III. billiard
issued the warrants to Constable Bough-
ton, who arrested all Of the parties and
brought them before the Justice Monday
morning, the Sd. The Court waited from
early in tho morning until late hour in
the Afternoon awaiting the appearance
of Detective Wrenn, who, failing 10 be
on hand, and upon whose evidence alone
the prosecution relied, the Justice re-
leased the accused, some OF whom, De-
tectiye Wrenn stated, we're implicated IN
the burning OF Clarksons store-house
and stock of goods at Centre Cross IN the
early part OF last spring.
A SUSPICIOUS DETECTIVE.
This man Wrenn went over the river
Saturday night or Sunday, or started for
that purpose, but has not been since
heard from, and his actions in
swearing out such big lot of
warrants, and having manifested so
much zeal and interest in ferreting
out the guilty or supposed 10 be guilty
parties. then failing TO appear against
them when arrested and brought before
the iustice-of tho time and place OF
the examination he had full notice
atoupes no little doubt and suspicion
as to tho identity of Mr.. Wrenn as
any such man or officer. Yet he exhibited
his detective badge to Justice billiard,
and gave satisfactory proof OF bus being
Mason in good order and full fellow
ship also gave other proofs of has being
a Jona-fde detective. Be this as 1t may,
his act in swearing out 30 many warrants,
and causing the arrest OF 80 many who
may be entirely innocent parties and
slipping away, and failing to appear
against them, are matters Of consldera-
BILE speculation.
WHERE Is HE?
Whether he has met with foul play
and been forcibly precluded from attend
inc upon the examination or whether he
pursued this course as a blind to his real
purposes and objects are questions OF
discussion and speculation in the COM
munity. One reason given for the sug-
gestion that his work in Essex is only IN
tended as a cover to his real purposes, IS
that he is not or was not as reticent as a
we'll ll-trained detective it would seem
ought to be, or it may be that he Is not
correctly represented. Asto his conver-
sations with and statements made TO such
persons as he came in contact with, GER
tainly there was not much secrecy OBJ
served in the premises generally. De-
tective Wrenn's acts end movements had
a reason springing from his visit-that
white man heretofore sans penr et sans
reprocbe is upon the lists OF those i'm
plicated in the Clarkson fire.