The Old Pike Part 39

William Corman, being duly sworn, says that more than one year ago John F. Braddee repeatedly urged him to let him, the said Braddee, have some of the mail bags from the mail coach, and that he would divide the money taken from them with said Corman. Said Braddee said he had frequently known such things done, and that lots of money had thus been made, and it had never been detected. While said Corman was driving the mail coach between Smithfield and Uniontown last winter, the said Braddee sent Peter Mills Strayer frequently in a sleigh after him to get a mail bag containing a mail--that at length he, said Strayer, took one from the coach, which was then on runners, while he, the said Corman, was watering at Snyder's, east of the Laurel Hill. That Braddee afterwards told him that there was nothing in it.

That he knows of no other mail being taken until within about two months past, when he, the said Corman, was driving between Uniontown and Was.h.i.+ngton, and when at the instance and after repeated and urgent requests of said Braddee he commenced leaving a mail pouch or bag in the stage coach, when the coaches were changed at Uniontown, and continued to do so at intervals of (say) a week, ten days or two weeks, until within a week or ten days before Christmas. That the said mail bags were taken from the coach by said Braddee or some one under his direction.

That Braddee after the taking of said mails would sometimes say there was nothing in them, and again that others had but little money in them.

One he said had but fifteen dollars. The last but one gotten, as before stated, he said had a large amount of money in it, but he was going to keep it secretly--bury it until the fuss was over. That said Braddee said he had a secret place out of doors where he could hide the mail bags so that they could not be found. That said Braddee from time to time gave him three dollars or five dollars as he asked for it, and once ten dollars; and loaned him forty dollars when his (Corman's) wife was going away. That William Purnell several times after a mail bag had been taken, would take him, said Corman, aside and whisper to him that the bag had nothing in it. That on the day before yesterday he was several times at said Braddee's house and Braddee wished him to leave a mail bag in the coach for him when he, said Corman, should return from Was.h.i.+ngton last night. That said Braddee very often wished him to leave a mail bag when he did not. That he, Braddee, requested him to leave the large mail bag in the coach for him, but he never did do it.

WILLIAM CORMAN.

Sworn and subscribed this 8th day of January, A. D. 1841, before me

N. EWING, _Pres. Judge of the 14th Jud. Dist., Pa._

Dr. Howard Kennedy also made a preliminary affidavit, which is given in a previous chapter.

WARRANT OF ARREST.

_The United States of America to George Meason, Esq., High Sheriff of Fayette County, Pa., and to all Constables of said County_:

WHEREAS, John F. Braddee, William Purnell and Peter Mills Strayer have been charged before me, the President Judge of the Fourteenth Judicial District in the said State, on the oath of George Plitt, an agent of the Post Office Department, with stealing the United States mails from Wheeling to New York, these are therefore to command you, and each of you, to take the said John F. Braddee, William Purnell and Peter Mills Strayer, and bring them before me, or some other Magistrate having jurisdiction, to be dealt with according to law.

Witness the hand and seal of the said N. Ewing, President Judge as aforesaid, at Uniontown, the 7th day of January, A. D. 1841.

N. EWING, [SEAL.]

_Pres. Judge of the 14th Jud. Dist., Pa._

_Pennsylvania, Fayette County, ss_:

The examination of Dr. John F. Braddee, of the borough of Uniontown, Fayette county, Pa., taken before me, N. Ewing, President Judge of the Fourteenth Judicial District of Pennsylvania, the 8th day of January, A.

D. 1841.

The said John F. Braddee being brought before me by virtue of a warrant issued by me, on suspicion of stealing the United States Mails from Wheeling, Va., to New York, made up at Wheeling on the 13th, 19th, 23d and 29th days of November, 1840; and on the 5th, 12th and 18th days of December, 1840, says: I know nothing about the alleged stealing of the mails.

his JOHN F. BRADDEE, mark.

Taken and subscribed before me, N. EWING, January 8, 1841. _Pres. Judge 14th Jud. Dist. of Pa._

_Pennsylvania, Fayette County, ss_:

The examination of Peter Mills Strayer, of the borough of Uniontown, Fayette county. Pa., taken before me, N. Ewing, President Judge of the Fourteenth Judicial District of Pennsylvania, on the 8th day of January, A. D. 1841.

The said Peter Mills Strayer being brought before me by virtue of a warrant issued by me, on suspicion of stealing the United States Mails from Wheeling, Va., to New York, made up at Wheeling on the 13th, 19th, 23d and 29th days of November, and on the 5th, 12th, and 18th days of December, 1840, says: I know nothing about the mail bags or the stealing of the mails.

P. M. STRAYER.

Taken and subscribed before me, N. EWING, _Pres. Judge 14th Dist. of Pa._ January 8, 1841.

_The United Stales of America, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, ss_:

The United States of America vs. John F. Braddee. January 8, 1841, ordered that John F. Braddee enter into security himself in fifty thousand dollars, and two sufficient sureties in $25,000 each. Prisoner remanded until Monday, the 11th instant, at 10 o'clock A. M., to afford time to procure bail.

The same vs. Peter Mills Strayer, January 8th, 1841, ordered that Peter Mills Strayer enter into security himself in $15,000, and two sufficient sureties in $7,500 each. Prisoner remanded until Monday, the 11th instant, at 10 o'clock, to afford time to procure bail.

The same vs. William Purnell. January 8th, 1841. Ordered that William Purnell enter into security himself in $10,000, and two sufficient sureties in $5,000 each. Prisoner remanded as above, etc.

January 11, 1841. Monday, 10 o'clock, A.M. Prisoners ordered before the Judge. Prisoners say they are not provided with bail and ask further time, until say three o'clock P.M. Three o'clock, P.M., no bail being offered the defendants are committed to the custody of the Marshal of the Western District of Pennsylvania.

N. EWING, _Pres. Judge, 14th Jud. Dist., Pa_.

MITTIMUS.

_The United States of America, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, ss_:

The United States of America to the Marshal of the Western District of Pennsylvania, Greeting: WHEREAS, John F. Braddee, of the borough of Uniontown, in the County aforesaid, hath been brought before the Hon.

Nathaniel Ewing, President Judge of the Fourteenth Judicial District of Pennsylvania, by virtue of the warrant of the Hon. Nathaniel Ewing, President Judge as aforesaid, charged upon the solemn oath of George Plitt, agent of the General Post Office department, with stealing the United States mails made up at Wheeling, Virginia, for New York, on the 13th, 19th, 23d and 29th days of November, 1840--and on the 5th, 12th and 18th days of December, 1840.

These are therefore to command you the said Marshall to receive the said John P. Braddee, and keep him in safe custody until he be delivered by due course of law. Hereof fail not.

Witness the Hon. Nathaniel Ewing, President Judge as aforesaid, at Uniontown, the eleventh day of January, Anno Domini 1841.

N. EWING, _Pres. Judge of the 14th Jud. Dist., Pa_.

_The United States of America vs. John F. Braddee, William Purnell, Peter Mills Strayer and William Corman, charged on oath of several robberies of the U. S. Mail._

George Meason tent in $1,000; William Crawford tent in $1,000; William Freeman tent in $1,000; James McCune tent in $1,000.

On this condition, that the said George Meason, William Crawford, William Freeman and James McCune shall be and appear at the next Circuit Court of the United States, to be held for the Western District of Pennsylvania on the third Monday of May next, and give testimony in ---- of the said United States against the said John F. Braddee, William Purnell, Peter Mills Strayer and William Corman, and not depart the court without leave, otherwise the recognizance to be in full force and virtue.

GEO. MEASON, [SEAL.]

WM. CRAWFORD, [SEAL.]

JAS. McCUNE, [SEAL.]

WM. FREEMAN. [SEAL.]

Taken and acknowledged this 13th day of January, A. D. 1841. _Coram_,

T. IRWIN, _Dist. Judge of the U. S., Western Dist. of Pa_.

U. S. COMMITMENT.