Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-20
FOR TRAIN ROBBERY
Searcey and Morgan on Trial for the
Aqua Greek Crime.
TAKEN TO STAFFORD COURT HOUSE
Story Of a Remarkably Bold A.
fair.
CAPTURING THE CRIMINALS

| STAFFORD COURT HOUSE, Va, Feb
ruary 20.-The trial of Morgan and Searcey,
| the alleged Aqua Creek train robbers,
| began here today. Stafford Court House
IS more like a place where a train might
be. successfully held up than where The
| perpetrators Of one of the most daring
train robberies on record are to be tried.
The court house, the Jail, the clerks
| house, two stores and one other house con-
| stitute the village.
1t is four miles from the railroad, In the
most thinly settled part of the county. and
| has lonely, dreary aspect. Today, how
| ever, 1t is thronged with country peo-
| pie and others Morgan and Scarcey were
| taken by Sheriff Kennedy from the Fred
| ericksburg Jail at early hour this
| morning to the depot to await the arrival
of the train. With them were Superin-
tendents Hinde and Estree of Pinkerton's
| agency, and three other guards. The
| whole party were armed with Winchester
| repeating shotguns, for there have been
| rumors of an attempted rescue.
| The state claims that ii has been def
| nitely ascertained that Morgan is the head
| of band of train robbers and has been
| concerned in several of the most success
| full affairs of this kind in the last few
| years.
| Among those present at the trial are Mr..
| &,
| Adams Express Company at Philadelphia;
| Mr.. w. S. Thomas, attorney for the COM
| pany; Col. Thomas Shay of Shay, Jackson
| & Cogan of Cincinnati, senior counsel Tor
| Morgan; State Senator VIM. H. Little.
| junior counsel for Morgan; Mr.. David Her
| ring assistant superintendent of the
Adams Express Company; Herman White
| of the detective force in Cincinnati, and
| w. Seymour White. commemorative at
| torney for Stafford county. who represent
| ed the state in the extradition of Morgan
| from Ohio, and who is conducting the
prosecution of the train robbers.
| The trip from Brooks to Stafford Court
| House was quickly made. County Judge
| Ashton opened court and then Capt Daniel
| Murray Lee a brother Of Ex-Governor
| Fitzhugh Lee and nephew Of Gen. Robert
E. Lee, was sworn in as deputy sheriff.
| Morgan, who is to be tried first, was then
arraigned He pleaded not guilty and the
work of selecting the jury began.
| The Aqua Creek Robbery.
| The train robbery of which Searcey and
| Morgan, or Morganield as he has also
| been called is accused, was committed on
the night of October IL and created I'M
| bounded excitement, as 1t was the first
| case of the kind In the east. 1t was
train robbery that will ever be memorable
| in the history Of daring crime. 1t was
committed about $3.50 o'clock on the Rlcn-
| mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac rail-
| read thirty miles from this city, near the
| bridge over Aqua creek. The express leav-
| ing Richmond at Z o'clock for the north
| and Fredericksburg at two minutes OF y
| was brought to a stop by two masked men.
| who, after intimidating the trainmen, at
| tackled the Adams express car with dyna-
mite, secured an entrance forced the mes
| senger in charge to open the money safe
and took therefrom and successfully made
| off with money to the amount Of several
| thousands of dollars.
| The robbers then uncoupled the engine
| from the train and after riding on 1t con-
siderable distance got off, let it go ahead
| at full speed, with throttle open, until it
was demolished by running into a switch
| that had been opened at Quantico.
The details of the thrilling affair show
that it was planned with consummate skill
and carried to success with unsurpassed
holiness. The Dalton gang in the west
never accomplished more starting sensa-
ton. All the accomplishments of the APP
proved "hold-up' We're had
Capture of Searcey.
All sorts of theories were advanced as to
who the robbers were and where they had
gone. A popular notion was that they
had escaped across the river into Mary
land. But on October IL news was received
from Cumberland, Md, that a man had
been arrested there on suspicion. Gov.
O'Ferran of Virginia had telegraphed the
chief Of police of Cumberland that two
men who had been acting suspiciouSly at
Front Royal, Va, the day before had pur-
chased tickets for Shenandoah. Junction.
AS an express train was pulling out OF
Cumberland the next morning a man an
swering the description of one of those
mentioned in the telegram was seen to
come from a hotel and run for the cars.
The chief of police and an officer recog-
nized him and captured him. He was
taken to the station and searched. A small
tourists bag which he had carried over
his shoulder was found to contain about
500 in silver coin. ranging from silver
dollars down to pennies, which was stored
away in two wooden sacks.
There were also a bundle OF Honduras
lottery tickets in the original package, and
brokers, and several silver and gold
watches. In the telescope there were found
a pair Of muddy shoes and suit of soiled
clothes; SLOUGH hat and other wearing I
The man gave his name as c. ]. Scar
cey, and claimed to hail from Fort Dodge.
Kan, but said he had been engaged at
work on the Harper's Ferry bridge for
several weeks.
Investigation was then made here. 1t
was ascertained that Searcey pawned jew
elry at two shops here on the 9th of Sep
TENDER. At one place he disposed OF
small lady's gold watch, of Elgin make,
with mans chain attached, giving the
name of Charles T. Arlington. At the other
pawn shop he disposed of plain Masonic
ring, giving his name as c. j. Searcey and
his address Memphis Tenn, saying that
he was in the city temporarily, and inquir-
ing how he could redeem his pledge by
the course of few days Searcey began to
make admissions and finally confessed.
Morgan Taken.
In the meantime Morgan or Morganfeld
was arrested at Cincinnati. He broke his
leg as he was jumping from train and
was confined in a hospital for a long time.
He denied all knowledge Of Searcey. A
photograph was sent here and taken to a
boarding house on Pennsylvania avenue,
where the alleged train robbers stopped
when thex were here. The landlord
promptly recognized the photograph as
likeness Of the man who stopped at his
house and registered as 90. Arlington"
He had previously identified Searcey as the
one who registered as &C. T. Vivian
The pawnbroker at whose place some
things had been pawned shown the
photograph. and he remarked without
moments hesitation, That's Arlington.
Morgan's lawyers made a stubborn fight
to prevent his being taken to Virginia, but
were beaten and he was removed while
still suffering from his broken leg to Stat
ford Court House. Meanwhile Searcey had
piloted the express company officials and
the civil officers to the place where the
greater part of the booty had been buried
after the robbery Morgan and himself