Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-04-21
ROBBER CAUGHT
AT LAST.
Casey, One Of the Hen VlO Robbed
POStOf1Cs Here Hearty Two Tears
ASO Has Been Arrested,
GANG OF FOUR DID THE JOB.
The Leader Of Gang Was Afterwards
Killed in SOIth CarOlinS-Tws Other
Members Now Serving Terms in
the Penitentiary.

the Penitentiafy.
On the night of the 9th Of October,
1902, the postofice at Tazewell was broken
into by band of robbers, the safe was
blown open by the use Of nitro glycerine
and nearly one thousand dollars in money
and stamps taken therefrom by the
thieves. The robbery took place about 2
O'Clock in the morning, and the explo'
sion was beard by number Of persons
who thought it was caused by q cannon
6recracker, the thieves having shot sev.
eral of them off during the night to sllay
suspicion when the explosion came from
the charge Of nitro Rlycerine. The rob-
berry remained undiscovered until Mr.. II.
S. Surface, deputy postmaster, went to
the Office in the morning to open it up.
The Postofice Department was promptly
notified of the crime and the Government
sent detective here to investigate and
hunt down the criminals. The detective
concluded that the work had been done
by four men, who we're professional cracks
men. They were traiIed from here to
South Carolina, where the leader, William
Young, was killed after he bad robbed Z
safe in large cotton factory. He was shot
and killed while resisting arrest, having
been pierced By more than a dozen bull
lets before he was killed. Two other
members of the gang we're subsequently
caught and sent to prison for robbery
committed at some other place. The re-
naming man, whose name is Casey, OF the
quartet has just been captured by Post
Office Inspector ]. H. Irving. On Tues
day morning Mr.. w. g. Young, postmas-
ter at Tazewell, received letter from Mr..
Irving informing him Of Casey's capture.
Last January Mr.. Irving sent-a photo
graph of Casey here and MIR. Young and
others identified it as the picture OF a
tramp begger who had visited the town a
short time before the robbery was COM
mitted on the night Of October 5th, 1902.
lie had gone into the postoffice and other
places, and had physical peculiarities that
made an impression upon Mr.. Young and
other persons who saw him in this town
and at North Tazewell. 1t will be re
membered that the thieves broke into a
blacksmith shop at North Tazewell where
they secured the tools that were ueed for
breaking into the postofice and for creek
ing the safe.
Casey will have preliminary examina'
ton before U. S. Commissioner at Roam
oke on the 26th inst. The following Clti.
zens of Tazewell and North Tazewel have
been summoned as witnesses to identify
him and Will 90 to Roanoke for that pur'
pose: H. w. Pobst, Geo. K. Surface, j. +.
Hurt, ]. B. CAudill, w. u. Young, John
w. Campbell, and Fred Peery, colored.
Caseys arrest and Identification were
purely accidental. About two weeks ago
he was arrested at the Norfolk and West
ern depot a, Roanoke upon charge OF
drunkenness and disorderly conduct. He
was fined $40 by the police justice OF
Roanoke and failing to pay the fine was
detained in Jail. Detective Griffin Of that
city believed that Casey answered the de-
scriptiun of one Of the men the United
States authorities wanted for robbing the
postofice here, and telegraphed the De-
partment at Washington. Postofice In
spector Irving went to Roanoke and re-
cognized Casey as man who had been
convicted by the postofice authorities for
similar offense and as the man whose
photograph had been identified by 'he
t above named citizens Of Tazewell. The
Identification by Mr.. Irving was followed
A by swearing out werrant charging Cosey
, With robbing the postofhce here. Hif
3 trial for commitment will take place be-
4 fore U. S. Commissioner White on the
Z 26th inst, as above stated.