Interest is revived in the Oxford post office robbery which occurred three years ago. John O’Brien, the worlds most famous yeggmen, leader of the gang, died in Atlanta penitentiary a few months ago; wealthy relatives claimed the body and it rests in a rock-hewn tomb overlooking the historic Hudson. Two of the gang, that participated in the robbery here are in the prison at Raleigh and they will have a final hearing on December 17.
It will be remembered that these noted criminals stole a fine car at Franklinton from Mr. Vann, in which they fled from Oxford to Lynchburg, at which place the car was captured 24 hours later by Mr. Gregory, the great International detective.
New Trial Pending
At a former hearing it was proven that the criminals in their flight from Oxford crossed the Roanoke river at Cannon’s Ferry, below Norlina, and passed through LaCross, South Hill, Chase City, Brook Neal and on to Lynchburg. On cross examination of witnesses, here and there, the fact was established that they left Oxford about 3 o’clock in the morning and arrived at Lynchburg 11 hours later. Since the death of O’Brien it is claimed by the attorneys for the defendants that it was impossible to make the trip from Oxford to Lynchburg in 11 hours. Desiring to secure definite information on this point, Mr. Gregory, the noted detective, two weeks ago detailed Assistant Postmaster Henry Critcher to accompany him to Lynchburg on a car driven by Mr. Will H. Averett. The three men left Oxford at 3 o’clock in the morning, the same hour the criminals left Oxford via Williamsboro and cross Roanoke river at Cannon’s Ferry; thence by the same route to Lynchburg, arriving there 9 hours later, or two hours earlier than it was claimed the prisoners made the trip.
Thrilling Story
The Detective Story Magazine for December 1923 contains the following interesting account of the activities of John O’Brien:
A short time ago a famous yeggman, now an old man of 68, was apprehended in Philadelphia for the blowing of a safe in Oxford, North Carolina, three years ago. “Hostile” John O’Brien was known in his day as an expert cracksman and he harks back to the crook celebrities of the eighties. He is now in a Federal prison, and he will probably die there because of a malignant cancer on his lower lip.
It was this growth that really brought about his arrest. Driven by pain to apply at a Philadelpha hospital for treatment, he virtually surrendered because it was this cancerous growth that was his chief mark of identification. Although he was known in his heyday as a fighter, he did not resist arrest.
His apprehension has caused something of a stir for two reasons: he is one of the last of a dying clan, the old-fashioned yeggman, his arrest follows chase round the world for his capture. His last “job” was as neat as any in his career. He drilled the iron box, dripped a quantity of nitroglycerine into the lock mechanism and touched it off. With the $40,000 in the safe John fled to Europe as Mr. Thomas Dougherty, banker and planter. For a time he favored London with his presence and his bank roll, and when Scotland Yard questioned him his excellent bearing and his splendid alibi got him by.
But O’Brien knew the United States government was after him, and he went to Paris and the Riviera. Nice and Monte Carlo knew him as a rich American who gambled like a gentleman. They did not know that at least 25 of his years had been spent in prison. Eventually he lost much of his stolen fortune, and secret agents were hot on his trail. With his last $4,000 he fled to Buenos Aires. Here he made a successful coup and won $30,000. But the cancer as well as detectives was trouble in him. O’Brien went to Tia Juana, where he lost and won. But a department of justice man hailed Hostile John again. Next he appeared in New York where he was arrested, but succeeded in furnishing $7,000 for bail. He failed to appear for trial, and now 50 government agents took up the pursuit of the man who was making the department look foolish. Six or eight cancer patients were locked up before they really found O’Brien.
Now he philosophically accepts his fate, but refused to admit that he ever did anything ”that wasn’t legal and on the square.”
From the front page of the Oxford Public Ledger, Tuesday, Dec. 4, 1923
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