Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-10-23
THE TRAIN ROBBERY.

Charles ]. Searcey, one of the sus'
pected Aqua Creek train robbers, who
was lodged in Jail III Fredericksburg
on Sunday night, was at l o'clock yes
terday driven in closed carriage, with
Mr.. Robert Pinkerton, Sergeant Ed
rington and Commonwealth Attorney
W, Seymour White, to the Stafford
Court House. When the residence OF
Mr.. c. A. Bryan, clerk of the county
court, was reached, Searcey was con-
Quoted into the parlor. Searcey waived
examination, and the necessary papers
were made out turning the prisoner
over to the authorities of Frederlcks-
burg. He will be held there until the
grand Jury assemblies, the third We'd
nesday in November. AtStafford Court
House the party rested for an hour and
then started to go over the route taken
by the robbers when they left the train.
The party reached Aqua creek about
dusk. Here in the bridge tenders
shanty the party spent the night. 1t is
understood that Detective Pinkerton
will take Searcey to the scene of the
robbery and endeavor by Sc
ries of questions to extort confession
from him and secure some of the lost
treasure.
Since Searcey went to Fredericks-
burg Sunday night he has been unotfi-
cially identified by several persons as
the man who was there the day before
the robbery and registered at local
hotel as E. B. Chapman, OF Chicago.
All the morning the Commonwealth's
Attorney of Stafford was busy prepar-
Jog the papers for the requisition OF
Charles a. Morganfeld, the other sus-
pect, who is held at Cincinnati. MIR.
White wired the authorities at Cincin-
natl to hold Morganfield for the Vir-
GINA officers who, with requisition
from Governor O'Ferrall, have gone to
Cincinnati to bring Morganield back to
Stafford.
1t is said that Searcey, during the
severe examinations to which he has
been subjected, has dropped certain re-
marks which connect Morganfeld with
the job beyond any doubt. 1t is also
known that Morganfeld and Searcey
were together in Cumberland, and that
the former, when he left that city, went
to some point in West Virginia, from
there crossing over into Ohio.
A dispatch from Richmond says the
purpose of visiting Stafford courthouse
was to obtain certain papers, the con-
tents of which would not be made
known. The party on leaving there
were supplied with food to last at least
a week, and many theories are aaoat
as to the move taken yesterday. The
express people seem confident they
have their man, and the move is thought
to be due to the fact that Searcy has
made confession and is taking the
party to where money is hidden or
where another suspect is hiding. All
this was strengthened by the fact that
Searcey waived an examination and
yesterday appeared unusually cheerful
and pleasant. Morganfeld is expected
to arrive there Thursday evening OF
Friday morning. 1t is learned from
good authority that the destination of
the party is Calverton, on the Virginia
Midland railroad and the idea was given
that something of Importance would be
disclosed at their journeys end. Later
information received at 1890 last night
leads to the belief that the party will
start early tomorrow for the Virginia
Midland, and that the bonds and other
valuables stolen are the objects of their
trip. A confession, therefore, from
Searcy is more than probable.
For several days it had been whispered
that perhaps one of the Aqua creek train
robbers was in Rappahannock county aud yes,
terday morning there was ripple of excite
ment when it was known that an express
agent located at Roanoke had started with
the sheriff and deputy to arrest William v
Fogg, of Lolita, a small town about eighteen
miles east of Front Royal. Gold rather
plentifully had been scattered about the little
town recently. That, connected with the fact
that Fogg was recently in Cumberland, Nd
from which place he beat his way on freight
train to Shenandoah junction, and that he
had worked on the railroad and had just
arrived in the county. caused the company to
investigate. Fogg gave an account of him.
self on the day of and since the robbery, and
satisfactorily proved to the sheriff and express
man that he vas innocent and was therefore
not arrested.
L