The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-02
THE MAZES OF A CRIME
I)HN O. DANDRELL CONVICTED or POST
OFFICE EO3BtRY.
Jury Returned Verdict Of Guilty at Q O'clock
Last Night. The Sentence
To day.

| robbery of the postofiiCc at Plymouth.
Jume 13, 1898, was given to the jury
at s o'clock last evening and in half
an hour they returned verdict of gull
| ~. The case was quite an interesting
circtmstantal case and was Stubbornly
at 80 y. m on Wednesday, until its
conclusion last might MesSrs Bernard
and Spears. developed the case for the
| government, while MeSsrS Douglas and
SmmS, made II gallant fight for the de-
PENDANT, cross-eXamining very closely
each witness introduced by the govern
ment.
The details of the evidence was rs
| follows: On June y 1898. John o.
Dandrcll the dpfendann. James John
son and Il third man believed to be
| Charles Ilcrn, took passage from Eden
ton on steamer II lym0uth," landing at
Plymouth and proceeded on tine same
afternoon to explore the town. John
! o. Daudrcll rs II sore arm beggar. while
soliciting aid on the plea of being af-
| tlictCd. sized up the town quite thor
oughly: i'll which he was aided by John
son. Going alone Dandrell entered the
pOst0fiiCe. the blacksmith shop from
which tools for the robbery were after
wards procured and various stores So
| Iiciting aid. The barber gave him Il free
! shave and he made several purchases of
! corn whiskey, which he carried off to his
companions. They spent the night i'll
a freight car at the depot and on the
morning of the 9th proceeded westward
| along the railroad. via DardenS to James
| vile, where they spent considerable time
i'll saloon and restaurant, lying out
near there that night. On the morning
of the 10th they proceeded from james
vile along a country road to DardenS,
where they procured dinner in exchange
for pair of alleged gold trimmed spec
tacles. They were then carried up
Roanoke river four miles in a boat from
! War Neck Fishery and landed at Hy
mans Ferry on the BERTHE county side,
for which service they gave the boat
| man two pairs of the spectacles. \ mile
| from the ferry they procured supper
for another pair of spectacles. On the
morning of the 18th, they appeared in
| Windsor and sized up the town quite
| thoroughly during the day. Dandrcll, as
usual. playing the role of crippled beg
| gar. while one of the others cndeayored
to sell the alleged gold trimmed spec
! tacIes They were seen that afternoon
wrapping up in oil cloth drill, fuse, etc.
| They left the town during the afternoon,
| but returned about midnight with the
evident intention of rohbing the post
office, but were accidentally stumbled
on in rear street, and the town was
patroled during the remainder of the
night. Early on the morning of the 18th
| Sunday. they left the vicinity of
| Windsor. they were carried down Roam
oke river in Il boat to point near
GAINESVILLE, where they appeared in the
restaurant. On the morning of the
| 18th. they left GAINESVILLE, stopped at
| Dardens for the purchase of canned
! goods and then continued on Il country
road in the direction of Plymouth. That
night the postoffice was broken into,
safe drilled, blown open and all valua-
Bile contents carried off, which consisted
of about $3.50 in stamps and about $40
in money. The clock above the post
office safe stopped at / :46 indicating the
exact time of the explosion, and about
, a. m. three men were seen hurrying
rapidly out of town from the direction
of the postoffice. They headed toward
Mackey's Ferry; were seen later farther
on in the same direction. from which
point they evidently crossed in freight
barge to Edenton, where, at II a. IN.
on the 18th. they were seen by the
captain of the steamer, "PlymOuth," who
carried them across to Plymouth on the
previous week The same afternoon
they passed HEREFORD heading north
and on the following day, or the day
after appeared in Norfolk, where they
soon spent their money for whiskey and
disposed of the postage stamps. They
were seen counting stamps from q cigar
box taken from the Plymouth postoffice
safe. Dandrell spoke of visiting Eden
ton, Plymouth and Windsor; spoke of
having stamps. and with his two COM
panions went into a saloon and sold
seven whole sheets of 2-cent stamps
Learning that the police were on to
them. they left town and for the time
being, were lost sight of.
On August 10, 1898, the postoffice at
Bramwell, w. Va, was entered, safe
blown open and robbed of about $500
in stamps and money. Three days later
John Kennedy alias John Collins. James
Johnson. Charles Hern and John O.
Dandrell, reached Sandy Hook, a tough
resort on the outskirts of Lynchburg;
drank heavily and finally quarreled,
Kennedy and Johnson drawing revolvers
and the row was only adjusted by third
party dividing $500 in stamps for them.
Dandrell, Johnson and Hern left with
their share of stamps, letting drop a re-
mark about going to Norfolk. Kennedy
was captured with his share of stamps
at Lynchburg by Policeman G. ]. Tyree.
Postoffice Inspector j. III. Irving wired
the Norfolk authorities to look out for
three parties, giving descriptions of them.
In pursuance of this the city detec
tives Heppel. West and Mcclure, effect
ed capture of Johnson, Dandrell and
Hern. Postoffice Inspector III. Il. Greg
ory who had previously given a descrip
ton to the Norfolk officers of the parties
wanted for the Plymouth robbery, was
telegraphed for and soon had Dandrell,
Johnson and Hern identified rs the three
men who had explored Eastern North |
Carolina and robbed the Plymouth post |
office. whose career in North Carolina |
he had traced.
Commencing March 81, 1899, at Char
lesion. w. Va, Kennedy, Johnson. Hern
fpin hn