. . . . . . . . . . . . . Wilmington, April 5, 1783
Sir,
Agreeable to my promise, I have sat down to give you a full account of the robbery
committed last spring on the French Treasury in this town -- the taking up
of the villains, and recovery of great part of the money, two days since;
and the little circumstances that fortunately lead to the discovery.
The morning after the fact was perpetrated, Martin Delaney, who occupied the house,
in the cellar of which the money was lodged, Richard Dowdle, store keeper, of Christiana
Bridge, and one Clark, near Bush Town in Maryland, were immediately suspected
by every person who knew them. Delaney and Dowdle were apprehended, and very
strictly examined. Both obstinately denied any knowledge of the crime.
Delaney's conduct in particular preceding the theft, was so artfully covered,
and he gave such plausible reasons for every part of it, that the most embittered
suspicion seemed to give up the charge. Dowdle's was rather thin to prevent doubts.
His examination would scarcely bear a rehearsal. His answers were weak and embarrassed.
However, the Justices and Burgesses thought it necessary to bind them over to the
last May court. They then appeared, and the Judges continued to them bound over with
new sureties until August next. From a few days after they were first apprehended,
until Saturday last, suspicion seemed to have taken an (illegible), and a charge of
guilt no more attented too, than the tedious rehearsal of an idle dream.
On Saturday morning then, a man who has latterly been deservedly neglected by
his former acquaintances, on account of his intolerable appetite for liquor,
waited upon his friend to request a small favour -- it was granted -- they sat down,
and the conversation directly began about the robbery. He was particularly acquainted
with Delany: he knew him well. As it continued, the laugh acted a principle part;
and the superior skill of Delany to manage a point of such magnitude; the ingenuity
he could make use of to cover the crime; and, the daring imputence with which he
would brave it out, were, tolerably well painted.
He consistently mentioned Lallor (who was then in Wilmington) as the person,
who changed the money for them. He had carefully watched their movements for some time,
and, was fully convinced he was right. That little Negro girl of Delany's could
give such information as would unravel the whole, if well managed. That Delaney had,
that morning, taken a lock from one of the closets in the upper chamber, and put it
on the box of a chair, which, he said, Lallor had made him a present of.
That he intended setting out early next morning (Sunday) with his wife,
for his plantation near Cantwell's Bridge; and had filed the chair-box
with good old spirits to treat his friends when they came to visit him;
and that he had (Delany' own expressions) "a dam'd good brace of pistols,
well loaded a long time, family pieces, and he would take them with him.
Jacob Broom, who is one of the Burgesses of the town, and deserves the thanks
of the community for his exertions in behalf of the public, soon had al this account
laid before him; and, very judicially, concluded, that some of the transformed
crowns would take an airing next day with the happy couple; and, accordingly,
called a consultation of George Craghead, John Lea, and Thomas Kean, Esquires,
stated the matter to them, and advised way-laying Delany at the Red Lyon,
on his way down: This had not, for some reason, the desired effect,
and the matter here rested until Tuesday morning, when Mr. Craighead and Broom
accidently met in the street near to Capt. O'Flinn.
That something ought to be done, that night, was warmly urged by Mr. Broom,
and chearfully agreed to by Mestrs Craighead, Kean, and Lea; and accordingly
six persons were carefully selected, and orders given them to watch
for that night. These persons, with an ingenious and meritorious address,
secreted themselves about ten at night near Delany's house.
Expectation lengthened the time; but, take trust, servants of public virtue,
they bore up against all the prevailing powers of sleep, till dawn of day,
when they decried a man coming down the street in a sulkey -- saw him alight
-- hitch his horse to a fence, and walk to Delany's house - taking up the latch
of the door and letting it fall three times. Saw Mrs Delany open the door,
with a candle in her hand, and let him in. Waited about fifteen minutes,
and see Mrs Delany again open the door, and let him out; upon which the guard
started up, ran, and seized Mr. Lallor.
They forced him back to Mr. Craighead's, and, in the presence of the Justices,
found a pair of saddle bags across his right shoulder, the two ends curiously
tyed round his waist, and his great coat on as common. Capt. Lea,
one of the Justices, anxious to know the contents of the saddle bags,
perhaps too hastily, thrust in his hand, and all besh-t his fingers;
but, with his usual happiness of expression, humourously recounted the old adage,
that shit-n luck was good luck.
Nine hundred and ninety crowns were found in the saddle bags, and,
from the filth about them, no one doubted but they were brought out of the
little-house. Lallor denied having any knowledge of them, and only said,
he got about five hundred of them of Delany, and the rest he brought
from Philadelphia to speck with. He was directly committed to prison.
A guard was immediately placed over Delany, messengers dispatched for Dowdle,
and search took place in the little-house. The people crowded to the place,
and a little time produced twenty-two bags, containing 4,400. Whilst this work
was going forward, Dowdle was brought in, and both him and Delany
had an opportunity of seeing the money produced from amongst the dirt.
Dowdle still denied, asserted his innocence, and told them if he was guilty
he deserved no mercy. Delany, when he understood Dowdle was undergoing
a severe examination, seeing the money lay scattered before him; and,
afraid Dowdle might take the lead and speak first, as the facts spoke for themselves,
his spirits began to fail, his resolution gave way, and in agony cryed out
for Capt. Lea, to whom he made confession; that Dowdle, himself,
and Clark was the only person concerned; that his wife was in the secret;
that Clark and Dowdle took as many as they could carry away the night of the robbery,
and that Lollar was to change them in Philadelphia for dollars or gold,
having for his trouble a generous commission.
Dowdle and Delany were committed to goal, and are now in irons.
Clark is not yet come to hand, though hourly expected and much wished for."
The first trial resulted in acquittal, but the state appealed the case,
and the second jury found Dowdle and Clark guilty.
Their punishment was severe. The court ordered them
to restore to the French crown four times what had been stolen but not recovered.
In addition, the court ordered that "that they be whipped at the public whipping
Post of the County, on Thursday the twenty first Day of this present Month
August between the Hours of one and three o'Clock in the Afternoon
with twenty one lashes each, on their bare Backs, well laid on, that
they respectively, wear a Roman T as a Mark or Badge of their Crime
of a red Color not less than four inches in length and one in breadth,
on the outer part of the left Arm between the Shoulders and the Elbow
at all Times that they shall travel or appear from their Habitations
for the Space of six Months, and that they be committed to the public Goal
until Restitution is made, Punishment inflicted, and costs of Prosecution be paid.
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