Winona Daily Republican in Winona, Minnesota

Richmond Spy Letters Trigger Arrests and Raid

A Richmond widow, wife of a wealthy citizen, was accused of sending letters to Northern allies through blockade runners. Vigilantes seized two letters, one to a Yankee woman and another to Rev. Morgan Dix. She denied authorship at first, was placed under guard, then housed with Sisters of Charity after evidence surfaced. The case raises questions of favoritism toward the wealthy while authorities pursue the alleged spy network amid wartime tensions.