Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-16
A SKETCH or SEVERAL FAMOUS
CRIMES AND coNsPIRACIEs.
MURDER WILL NOT ALWAYs "OUT.'
The Hayes Conspiracy and the Incl
dents Connected Therewith-A safe
burglary That Miscarricd-Tbe
Strange Case of James Annesiey.
(ror the pispatch.)

characters In criminal combination ana
dramatic situations. But 1t Is curious
that, though the motives are stu the
same. the methods Of crime are more
complicated as civiliza ton advances. The
primitive conspiracy was generally as
simple as to kill a king and many with
his brother" or to assassinate Caesar;
but the consequences are what const-
tute the attraction in every case. The
Battle OF Philippi, the rage OF Octavius
against his associate for sighting his |
sister in favor of Cleopatra, the gor-
geous spectacle OF Anthony drawn ih |
golden chariot by four Numidian lions. !
and tho suicide of the infatuated lovers, |
all combined TO make a tremendous
drama before the theme was touched by |
Shakespeare
THE MODERN CoNSPIRAToR.
The modern conspirator begins with
more care and secrecy, for tho shadow
OF the detective has more warning In II
than the royal guards or any ancient
minious OF the law. A recently published
list of murder mysteries was complied
upon a denial OF the maxim that murder
will out. and the writer satisfied himself
that shrewd criminal might play his
game with more than even chances.
Tha most attractive consplracies are
| those that contain a counter plot, as IS
| charged by tho defendants In the Quay
case, at present pending, in which dis
| tinguished parsonage is charged with
combining with others TO use the money
OF a bank unlawfully. while the State
prosecutors are confronted with the
countercharge OF a political conspiracy
| TO defame the statesman and his party.
| xfrfo Wi
matte effect In court that the defendants
| lawyer threatened him with violence In
| order to deter the prosecution, and the
| curtain falls the first act with the
tableau of the statesman sent on for
trial. and tho Imagination of the public
Is left to play stage manager, as II were,
until the next scene opens.
THE HAYES MATTER.
One of the most remarkable OF these
historical plots is what is known as the
Hayes conspiracy" of which politicians
have made such notable use; and yet
but few people knew anything Of the
real inwardness of the transactions at
the time, one chapter of which was
Montgomery Blair's charge that Lamar
and others had, by a conspiracy. COM
passed a sell-out Of the Democratic par
ty. The charge was explicit, but there
were mysterious whispers of a midnight
message and of blood-thirsty southern
| fireeaters, and the next issue OF Blair 5
paper contained an equally explicit re-
traction of the charge. Dom Piatt, the
editor of the sensational, but able, Sun
day Capital and whose name his enc
mics paraphrased into On Pirate"
wrote a lurid article somewhat TO the
effect that II there was a spark Of. the
spirit of liberty left, such a President
| could not live to complete his inaugural
ride from the Capitol to the White House,
and for that Dom was promptly consign-
ed to his dungeon cell, and thought al
first that he would play martyr even II
nobody else would be William Tell 10 the
, tyrant The third night of his retirement
however. as he humorously told 1t after
, wards a piratical rodent stole his ban
duet OF cold bread and water, and then
? after fitfu maps and frightful dreams, hC
? was startled from his penltential couch
of straw by the bell of ST. Eloyslus Cattle
dral tolllng the hour, and through hi,
, | own chattering teeth an intonemeut oil
the farewell OF the unfortunate Caste
, lar:
"Hark, the deep tolllng of the prison
r bell,
= Queen OF my heart, a long, last farewell
Though doomed to die where none shall
D weep for me,
t Still my last prayer on earth shall be fo
D thee"
j 81 had just in my dream" said Dom
| Substituted my country for the roya
Il mistress OF the condemned, but it made
4 my hair stand that cold March night
I lying on a damp floor, and / made hast
I to summon the warder OF the castle ant
n stop the dangerous case OF mistaken
: identity with a meek recantation befor
g the executioner was whetted up for tn
( occasion; and you may wager that
T didn't chirp about William Tell afte
that. The bet would be as safe as on
I on four kings and an ace, when yo
: know that your opponent is too much o
d a gentleman TO carry an extra ace u
> his sleeve"
y THAT SAFE BURGLARY.
: The secret Of the famous safe burglar
4 case that happened about the same tim
) was never known above whisper b.
n cause of the power OF the District Rims
"a that ran the whole concern for speculs
a ton when Boss Shepherd was Governo
i, and which had to be abrogated on accouI
n of the crooked ways Of what the kepul
% Hcan party meant 70 be political moo
y farm to illustrate the cOlored brother
le capability in free government. Perhaps
,r was regard for the arch-enchanter WI
r. had made the modern Washington out
} an extensive and scattered town OF I'll
D. edidces and bad streets. An investing
le ton Of the ring was pending before
10 congressional committee, and the prime
* nal witness was Columbus Aiexande
re- who held the papers ana they were In Il
Re safe I'm the City Hall. Whether the co
l. spirators in this affair were only volu
In teer friends Of the chiefs was new
D. known. but the job elucidated itself
IN ito own circumstances and coincidence
A. A professional craftsman from New 10
to vvas directed by cipher memorandum
he crack the safe at 10 o'clock Il. NJ. on q
IN narticular night Of the week which Col
y, mel Alexander, with almost religious reg
TO larity. dedicated TO his game or Draw
h. and ne was TO be summoned 10 the DO
at and the papers put In his hand. ~ I
as very moment the police would seize I
criminal and his apparent pal, Where
We IL would appear that Alexander mad co
IN cocted the burglary, the package OF =
OF pers having been "nested' with iorg
az documents that would impllcate him. i
nd oxnert cracksman, however, did not TN
ne II nossible that any one was gre
n enough TO arrange robbery for
US o,cloek and he concluded that the nsui
V meant / A. NJ, and he proceeded accoi
-, ingly with the professional p'iue u
- made succsss certain. with the inspil
OF ,Ior % his contingent fee. likely 10 be I
10 riched with the stipulated reward at
IA further cost 10 him than snort te
,s and a prearranged escape. me 'hiei
A.. police had been notified In an anonym'
az letter that something was hkeiy 10 n'
4. ,s41