The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-12-20
HIS FREEDOM WAS BRIEF
ARRESTED FOR ROBBIEG OFFICE
AT MUFREESBORO.
WAKE MOONSHtnERS SENT TO THE PEN
A Number of Others Get Terms in the County
Jail. Two Ring leaders" on Trial
To day. Court viii Run Over
into the Third Week.
into the Third Week.

Joseph Z. Reid alias T. Y. Thomas.
alias Tip" Thomas, alias Macon Tip"
Harry Wright and Charles y. Miller.
for robbery Of the post-officc n -iDer-
deem. y. G.. on April fth, 1S9S-was
called yesterday afternoon in the United
States court. Mr. T. +. DeyereuX ap-
pearcd for the defendants and in &C
cordance with their wishes. entered a
plea of guilty for Reid and Wright. with
the understanding that a mol pros would
he entered as 10 Miller, Who was ac-
cordinely discharged.
Judge PurueIl sentenced Reid and
Wright TO imprisonment al hard labor
in the North Carolina State penitcntlary
for q period OF five years each
As Miller stepped from the Govern
mcnt building 10 the pavement. United
States Deputy Marshal Hammock ar
rested him upon Il warrant charging rob
berry Of the pOSt-Officc at Murfrecsboro.
y. c.. on the night Of April 18th, 1895.
He was immediately taken before United
States Commissioner Nichols and in de
fault of $1,000 bono was committed for
examination on December 23rd.
Joseph +. Reid halls from Macon. Ga.
from whence he derives the designation
Vi 4i1NOA ~ VI i4IH ~ 49,
name he i known anon his friends, al
though his proper name is T. \. Thomas.
Miller and Wright are from New York.
Miller is also known in Chicago and tAr
West. He i about 81 years old, ; feet
i iches high and weighs 40 pounds. He
has black hair. and muStache slightly
hrovniSh: very small dark glittering
eyes. a cut-scar above his left eye. near
" across the forehead, and another cut
scar extending from the left check about
three inches up into his hair. There j.
4 natural. or flcSh--Olored mole on each
cheek. He IS Of rather a desperate.
ferocious appearance. having a violent
temper and looking like a hard drinkcr.
Reid is an old pal Of Joe Jones. alias
Joe Brooks, alias Chas II. Brooks. etc.
''the father Of sa~fc-bIOWcrS1 in this sec.
ton. who. with his pal. during the past
have operated very successfully In \ IL
@inia and North Carolina. Joe Jones.
with two companions. Dan Murphy. alias
Frenchy Smith, alias Henry Johnson.
alias y. st. Clair. etc. and Icunle Cal
Iaway. alias Charlie Jones. alias Edward
Brooks, etc. was convicted last August
in South Carolina for blowing the post
office safe at WilIiston, s. e., on De
ccmber 18th, 1897. They are now Serr-
Ing TERMS III the -NDItA 'tIb4lhA cfdNt
~penitentiary.
An account Of their crimes. and how
they were hunted down and brought to
justice by Postof ice Inspector II. I.
Gregory. appeared IN the News and OBJ
server Of September 18th, 1898.
Joe Jones IS Joe Brooks" at one
time made Raleigh his headquarters,
and with his pals made several raids out
into various portions Of the State, pur-
chasing teams for his trips and selling
them afterwards at Il discount.
The case against the Safc-hlOWcrs Is
an interesting one, showing what slight
clues often result in bringing these bold
maraudcrs to Justice and how they show
their guilt in their appearance and move
ments.
On April 9th. Reid, Wright anl
Miller were seen approaching Winton, y
c., by G. w. Parker. who followed then
through the town to the river. becoming
convinced hat they were crooks. He in
formed DR.. S. :. Daniel. mayor OF Win
ton. who directed s. +. Parker, tow
officer, to procure the necessary assist
ance and bring them to him. Before
this could be done tn" men had diSap
pearcd, but they We're soon found III Il IN
vine further down the river. On bein:
SpAfcnGQ DN II. ~. WV ems. ,JdlltI. d>>l>Jc'
by MessrS. Daniel and Taylor. Il memor
andum book was found on Reid. con
tanning an inventory Of postage stamp
to the amount Of S333.4O, and money
TO the amount Of S2tA.15, all of which
showed a division into three portions. :
pocket map Of North Carolina was ais,
found on Reid. which had tracingS witt
pencil along various railroads in East
crn North Carolina.
The parcels Supposed to have con
tanned necessary Safc-blOWing equiv
mentsD. which they were known to have
had disappeared, as had also i nyStcrI
Gus companion, who had been with then
DIR. Daniel committed the men to jai
and wired Post Office Inspector II. I
Gregory. Mr.. Gregory. upon his "rrira
pronounced the inventory of D0$-"@
stamps to be practically an inventory O
the stamps taken from the posi- offic
at Aberdeen, and a Two dollar bin f1un
upon Wright to be one that WIS in
. closed in one OF the registered letter
stolen from the Aberdeen office.
Miller claimed TO be q brick ml>J
from Memphis. Tenn; Wright a co.
miner from Cunlnock mines. Chatham
county. and Reid 4 pcddler and brio
mason from New Orleans, La. All {
those claims were Of course ascertaine
10 he false.
Inspector Gregory then traced Il
men: found they had camped ne:
Southern Pines on April 23rd and 24tl
were. also in and out of Aberdeen. Pin
hurst and Southern Pines. and, on ii
afternoon Of April 4th, went along II
railroad track from Southern Pines
aberdeen. where they We're seen tn;
night under the water-tank.
After mid night the pOst-office
Aberdeen was broken into and tn sa
blown. The safe was an old-fashIon'
key-lock affair. Three holes were dri