The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-10-30
MAKES 4 CONFESSION.
THE TRAIN ROBBED BY sEARcRY
AND MORGANFIELD.
Hidden Plumber Dug Up--Express Off
Gals Refuse to Say How Much-Buried
Near Calverton Station

AuA0C lug OPE4PLSS OuH
Gals Refuse to Say How Much--Buried
Near Calverton Station
washington PostO
Charles J. Searcey is a train robber.
His own words entitle him to this DIS
tinction, he having made a full con
fession yesterday to Capt. Robert A.
Plnkerton and the other officers who
accompanied him on the long and
tedious drive through Virginia.
Late yesterday evening Searcey
piloted the officers to a lonely spot in
the woods near C%alverton, Va, where
he and Morganfield had buried a guam
tlty of their stolen money and bonds.
In this party was MI. Pinkerton, Com
monwealth's Attorney White, of Stat
ford county, and City Sergeant Edring-
ton, of fredericksburg.
Yesterdays Post stated that Detec
tive Pinkerton and party spent Mon
day night in the shanty of the bridge
tender at the Aqua Creek drawbridge,
but this was wrong. 1t was the original
Intention to carry out this programme,
but at the last moment Mr.. Pinkerton
changed his plans and instead of driv-
ing to the bridge tenders shanty halted
at the residence of Mr.. Hugh Adiee,
ex sheriff of Stafford county. Mr..
Adieeis a wealthy farmer, and it was at
his handsome country home that Scar
cey, heavily chained, spent the night,
closely guarded by Detective Pinker-
ton and his Winchester rifle.
HIS STORY OF THE CRIME
Searcey's confession is now in the
hands of the authorities, and will be
made public in detail when he is tried,
nhNIr% E0V1n ~-0@I-- E~~~o %IS~ I-A@
Searcey claimed in / confession
that he had eve before been arrested
and had certainly never robbed a train.
He said he had known Morganfield for
some time in the South and West and
met him in this city before b erobbery.
Morganfield, he says, suggested the
robbery, and it was some time before
Searcey would agree to it. He finally
consented and they went south to
fredericksburg. There we're but two
men concerned in the robbery-Mor
garfield and Searcey. They hung
around fredericksburg for several
days, sta. ing most of the time in the
woods down toward Bernard's farm,
several times going into Fredericks-
burg. On Friday afternoon they left
fredericksburg and walked up the
railroad to Brook station. At Brook
they waited for the train and hid be-
hind a a that was standing near Alart
& McGuire's pickle factory.
BOARDED THE TRAIN AT BROOK
When the train stopped at Brook
they jumped behind the tender and so
rode over to the scene of the robbery.
After the fireman and engineer had
been put on the embankment Morgan
field fixed the dynamite to the a
door. He used half a stick of dyna
mite with a cap and a fuse in the end
of it, Morgantield alone went into the
car, while Searcey remained outside
and terrorized the trainmen and pas
sengers. They got off the engine at
Arkindale crossing and came up that
road until they reached a road that
led down to Aqua creek at Horizons
landing.
Here finding the creek in front Of
them, they retraced their steps to the
main road and started across the coun-
try to CalvertOn. Near CalvertOn they
buried in the woods some of the booty
they had taken from the express car
SEARCH FOR THE HIDDEN TREASURE.
Searcey told where they had buried
the stolden goods, and agreed to go
with the officers and show the place,
which he felt certain he could identify.
It is not often that one has the pleas
ure, if pleasure it may be called, of
riding around the country with anoted
train robb9r, going over the ground
covered in his flight from the scene Of
his crime, and tracing, step by step,
the route taken, Yet this was done
yesterday by a Post reporter.
1t was dark Monday night when the
party halted at ex Sheriff Adiee's resi-
dence. The horses which had hauled
the party all day were completely
tagged out. The heavy chains were
removed from Searcey's feet and hands
and he was escorted into the house.
After being seated in front of Mr..
Adiee's cheerful fire the prisoner was
securely handcuffed to a chair. Scar,
cey ate a hearty supper of fried meat,
coffee, biscuit, butter, raw tomatoes,
and milk, and 81 emed to enj0y it.
After supper he smoked a cigar, and
at 9 o'clock he retired. He was fast
ened in bed with irons ~ fective
Pinkerton, who slept with him. He
noticed and spoke of the old furniture
in the house and noticed the loose plas-
tering, and suggested how it might be
repaired; said once or twice that if he
got out of this scrape he would not
undertake to rob any more trains.
THE START YESTERDAY MORNING.
When the party left ex Sheriff
Adiee's house yesterday morning they
proceeded at once to Horizons landing,
thence on to old Aqua Run. Stafford
Store was then reached by way of the
White Ridge road, the party doubling
back to another rocky road, which
finally brought them to Calverton on
the line of the Virginia Midland Rail
road. The journey was a roundabout
one, and occupied the entire day.
At CalvertOn the horses we're rested,