6 STORIES OF THE SECRET SERVICE BY Capt. Patrick D. Tyrrell 112 STORY No. 4 Tie Biebush Band Being an Account of the Capture and Conviction of That Notorious Band of Counterfeiters of Which Fred Biebush Was the Leader. By CAPTAIN PATRICK D. TYRRELL \ [Copyright, 1905, by Marion G. Scheitlin.] Rev. Andrew Jackson Thomas had delivered a strong sermon at the Mor gan street Methodist church in St. Louis, and at its close extended an earnest invitation for sinners to come to- the "mourners' bench," seek Divine forgiveness and forsake the errors of their past lives. In the good old-fash ioned Methodist way Rev. Mr. Thomas left the pulpit at the close of the ser mon and, in a tine barytone voice, took the lead in the ringing song of invita tion to the unrepentant. The lines of the hymn as he sang them- were fre quently punctuated with short im passioned appeals to those who were not known as church members. Then, to render hi 3 appeals more direct and personal, the minister started down <the aisle, shaking hands with the "un- speaking an earnest word to this one an:l that one as he went. Rev. Mr. Thomas was the type of minister familiarly known as the re vivalist. He was about 45 years old, almcrt six feet tall, of robust physique. Ili3 hair and beard were brown, and his eye open and fearless. He was a vigorous and magnetic, if not polished ••alter, a fine singer, a good "mix.-r" among ai! classes and apparently im bued with a sincere desire to bring sinners to repentance. He had not .been in St. Louis long at the time of which I am writing, 26 years ago, but -during his residence there, by his de votion to his ministerial labors, had ondeared himself to the little flock of ' / >• \ ' i 1" • FREDERICK BIEBUSH. at another lime of notes for an aggre- Ciiri tiaii in: :i and women worshiping in the church at Morgan and Ttwenty fourth streets. While he was passing among tho F.:n:i> rs in his congregation the night on which 1 Introduce Rev. Mr. Tlvora ii to my readers he stopped at a pew well toward the rear of the church. The vi'itor was a plainly dres-ed man cf middle age, evidently a workingman. The minister spoke a few words to l.im. ft ill grasping his hand, and there was some response by the visitor. The singing wa-i in progress and the eon ver-aticn held in undertones, so that the words parsed b< tween the t-.vo w< re not distinguishable by those near The inridi nt was no different, to all appearance., from a score of others in the church that night when the mini.-ter importuned the wayward to repent. The church services ended, Rev. Mr Thomas It ft the building with several members «112 the congregation, chat tin-C of religious matt' rs. until theii boniewar ! paths diverged. No att'-atlon had been paid the vis Itor at the church after the minister apparently Inid failed in inducing him to cone to the "mourners' bMich," but lie had 1 th. . re the services closed nnd hi I uk n a rat.ld course Aj en ;i the i a tor separated from 11 ■ i ■ ; of k i (! ick ho walk* w I out of their lnht and hearing I. H I> i ir y WHV nit T then su l I r,! adopted a quick, bu»lness-Mke gait WmlU.i v -apidly w«. t to Urund avenue. he turned north. Ills home was in Finney avenue, west of Grand avenue, and near the intersection of these thoroughfares the "Rock" church, an Imposing Catholic edifice,loomed black ly in the night, casting deep shadows over the sidewalk on the east side of Grand avenue. As he approached this point Rev. Mr. Thomas slackened his pace and became alert, peering ahead into the shadows as though locking for some one. He was not disappointed. From the opposite direction, timing his pace so that he would meet the min ister in the deepest shadows of the church, emerged the man who had oc cupied the rear pew at the evening church service. There were no other pedestrians in sight. "Hello, Harry," said tho minister in a low tone, halting. "Hello, Andy," responded the other, swinging aliout and falling into the preacher's stride. Glancing furtively around him, Rev. Mr. Thomas thrust his hand under the skirt of his ministerial coat and, draw ing forth a small, heavy package, passed it quickly to his companion. "Harry" pocketed it as quickly as it had been passed to him. "When'll I see you again?" a3ked the receiver of the package. "I can't say now; be at the church in a few nights," replied the minister. All this had transpired in less time than it took to cross Grand avenue. On the other side there was a low spoken good night, the minister turned into Finney avenue and his companion continued in the main thoroughfare. An hour later he was in his small room in North Sixth street. The minister went direct to his home and let him self in with a latch key. No band of dealers in "coney" or counterfeit money ever gave the United States secret service more trouble than PAS6KD IT QUICK LY TO HIS COMPANION. did the "Biebush Rang," that operated in and from St. Louis for more than 25 years. In fact, long before there was such a government institution as the secret service division of the treas ury department the name of Biebush was a proud one in criminal circles. It had been carried to distinction in the annals of crime by Frederick Bie bush, who was born in Prussia in 1823 and emigrated to this country when he was 21 years old. Prior to his arrival in America nothing is known of him, but his history since is a romance of crime. His whole life was devoted to crime as a chosen profession, and his principal pursuit had been the exact ing one of a wholesale dealer in coun terfeit money. In this business he had gained the soubriquet of the "great southwest lconiacker." The readers of this narrative who road my recent account of the everts leading up to the attempt to steal the body of Abraham Lincoln will recall that I then made clear the different hands through which counterfeit money pasxes before it reaches the public. The engraver, printer, dealer, shover and boodle carrier each has his distinct function to perform in the process of robbing the people. The dealer is the circulator, and, if he has suitable plates or dies, can flood the country with counterfeit money long aft r every engraver or die cutter in the business is behind prison bars. } To the business ef dealing in "coney" Biebiuh had devoted his time and genius, yet he found leisure to act as a receiver of stolen goods, and was the patron and financial backer of thieves and burglars. He furnished the en gravers of counterfeit plates with cap ital, helped produce the plates, bought plates, bought presses, ink and paper, and then found trustworthy men to act as hi i agents in the circulation of the spurious currency. For 30 years he had followed his chosen calling with i uiuqualod succe s, his bold and profit able operations extending from Illinois i to Texas. Within a year of his arrival In the ! United States Fred IB bush began hla i criminal career. He was then u broad- I shouldered man of line physical ap pearance. They >ar 1850 found him keeping n saloon called the War Eagle, afti r a famous steamboat of unte j helium days, in Third street, St.. Louis. His place was frequented by river men of the better elan, for he was a jovial clap and a good business man as well. I am not famllitr with the way In which >u pielou fi-st attached to him, bet one day the St IJOIIIS police raidtul i his saloon, and, buried In the wall.' CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 1906. they found an immense lot of stolen silverware, plate and Jewelry. There is said to have been found a good sized sack of watches. He was ar rested, but escaped punishment. At this time his permanent headquarters were established in St. Louis, but his agents worked throughout the entire Mississippi valley. Personally 110 dealt at wholesale only, negotiating with ex treme caution and keenness of discern ment for the sale of very large quan tities of his wares. In Missouri at that time there was a state law which provided that the testimony of no man who had served a penitentiary term was admissible in the courts of tlve state. Fred Biebush was familiar with this provision and followed one rule —as immutable in his business as ihe laws of the Medes and Persians —never to deal directly with any man who could not prove he had been a convict. And lie went even further toward the extreme of caution, for while he would negotiate in person for the sale of counterfeit money with an ex-convict and would receive from such a one the honest money in payment for the bogus cur rency, he would invariably deliver the "coney" through the hands of a third party. So far as I know there is no man who can say he ever received "coney" from Fred Biebush except his time-tested personal agents. His rule against doing business with any ex cept ex-convicts was the thing that rendered it practically impossible to convict him. Besides observing the precautions mentioned, he usually suc ceeded in bringing his subordinates under his power so that his safety was theirs. For 25 years he pursued his criminal career unpunished. Before the present system of nation al banks was established Biebush flour ished wonderfully in his operations in the counterfeits of the bills of the old state banks. He did no manufactur ing in those days, but from his head quarters in St. Louis he jobbed the "coney' in enormous quantities all over the country through such distinguished dealers as Nelson Driggs, Louis Sleight and others, the amount of representa tive dollars running into the hundreds of thousands. In this way he accumu lated a large fortune. Then he went into the manufacturing business him self. Not being an engraver nor a printer, he had to hire these artisans, and soon formed a partnership with John Peter McCartney, for whom he had former ly been an agent. McCartney was an engraver of high rank and the new criminal team was a strong one. Mc- Cartney did the engraving and Bie bush superintended the printing and circulating. Later he acquired plates engraved by such high-class cutters as Benjamin Boyd and William Shelley. His fortune grew by tremendous leaps. He was arrested 50 times in all; but the early arrests never resulted in con viction for two reasons—his caution with whom he dealt and his wealth. Many times he was arrested un doubtedly so that the officers making the arrest could "bleed" him. Never was a malefactor more adroit in the use of money with public officers, po lice and court officers than Fred Bie bush. One of his favorite methods of escaping conviction was to "railroad" the state's witness out of the way by use of money or his secret power over them. After one arrest there was found in his possession letters from different members of the secret service offering to stand by him and help him out of trouble, of course for a consid eration. I am glad to say that such operatives in the service rapidly grew fewer. His wealth and power were also In dicated by the finding in his possession gate amount of SOO,OOO, signed by prom inent citizens of St. lxiuis. Ho could command the most powerful politicians and state officers. * • • At the end of the civil war Col. 11. 0. Whitley was appointed in chai of the newly organized secret service and determined to bring such criminals as BUd Bilbtuk, "Pita" McCartney, John j Hart, "Bill" Burney. Thomas Hale ami ! other notorious counterfeiters to jus | tlce. Operative John Eagan wa» put in charge of the St. Louis district, and. afier much work, arrested Biebush for selling counterfeit money. Eugan pushed the case with a rigor unknown to Biebush. forced the prisoner to early trial, and succeeded In having hiiu sen- tenced to ten y?ars In th« penitentiary, i The wily old German stayed behind tho Lars exactly one-halt that many months, when he returned to St. Louis and resumed operations. Under the direction of Col. Whitley a "stool pigeon" named McCabe was sent to Biebush and succeeded in pay- 1 1 11 g him marked money for "coney." j Biebush was arrested again in 1869, re- i leased on bail, and brought to trial. He j had, as usual, "fixed" the government's ! witnesses and thought he was again to escape. In the meantime, however, ' William Shelley had been caught in the act of engraving a plate. These- j cret service learned that he had re- ; cently come from St. Louis, where he ! had made some plates for Biebush. 1 Shelley was induced to return to St. j Louis and tell his story in court. When JOHN METERS. ALIAS "HOOBIER BIIjL" Biebush appeared in court he was sud denly brought face to face with Shel ley, and his bravado failed him for the first time. He escaped from the court room, forfeiting $20,000 bail, and dis appeared. Secret service operatives were put on his trail. A close watch was kept on the movements of Mrs. Biebush, who, in a day or so was traced to Cabaret island, opposite the town of Venice, in the Mississippi river. There she met her husband in a corn field.' Biebush retiring to a hut in which he had taken shelter. The hut was surround ed and several shots fired to frighten the fugitive out. The shots were re turned by the counterfeiter. Then the hut was fired. Biebush rushed out and made a mad dash for liberty, but was caught at a high fence, and, after being manacled, taken back to St. Louis. Once more he was tried, and in December, 1870, he was sentenced to 15 years in the Missouri peniten tiary. He served five years and was again pardoned, returning to St. Louis to re sume not only his old calling, but to set up as a dealer in high-class bur glars' tools. John Eagan had retired from the secret service to private life and I was transferrd to the St. Louis district from Chicago to manage the pursuit of Biebush. [To Be Continued.] FABLES OF AMERICANS. Advice of a Sage Who Has a Word for Every One Who Ap proaches Him. One day as the sage was sitting un der a blue-gum tree and eating his din ner of thistle and burdock roots, a young man approached him and said: relates the Chicago Daily News: "O, sage, I have traveled many a weary mile to ask thy advice." "Why didn't you send a postal card?" was asked. "It has got so you can send most anything on a postal card nowadays and no one will read it except the party addressed." "What I craved for, O, sage, was a heart-to-heart talk." "Well, out with it. I suppose the girl saved all your letters, and that in at least 200 of them you asked her to marry you? That's always the way with a fool of a man." "It is not a breach of promise suit, O, man of wisdom. I should be glad if it were only that. The fact is 1 have been the confidential maa of a great firm." "As usual." "Having figured out a scheme to beat the races, I found that I hadn't money enough of my own." "As usual some more." "I therefore dipped into each cash box, meaning of course to replace the amount." "Just so." "But as my favorites constantly came in last, instead of first, I steadily lost. In time I found myself in the hole to the tune of 5,000 plunks, and there was nothing for ma but flight." "But you stole at least 5,000 more before you flew, didn't you?" "Of course. That is, I thought 5,000 wouldn't be much of a steal, so I took 20,000. I have the boodle here. Advise me. O, sage." "If you had flown without making a grab I should have had no advice to offer," replied the wise man, "but be ing you have brought most of the boodle along I shall give you a straight tip. I take 5,000 for settling the case, you retain the same amount for no* stealing all the firm had, and they ac eept of 10,000 because thev can get no more. You will help along the sag« business, I help you out of the coun try, and the firm counts up its cash ev ery Saturday night after this. Hand over my share before the corners of the hills get worn off." Moral: It was later on discovered that the sago was a lawyer in disguise. Cause and Effect. "Excuse me. niad.im," said the polite hobo, "but I crave your assistance. The iron has entered my sotil." "That." replied the ley-hearted lady "is doubtless why you look so rusty.* And she slnmuicd the door.—Chica go Dally Newa. WORST FORM OF ECZEMA. | Black Splotches All Over Face—Affect ed Parts Now Ciaai as Ever—Cured by tho Cuticura Remedies. "About four years ago 1 was afflicted 1 with black splotches all over my face j and a few covering my body, which pro- j duced a severe itching irritation, and | which caused me a great deal of annoy- j ame and suffering, to such an extent that i 1 was forced to tall in two of the leading J physicians of my town. After a thorough examination of the dreaded complaint they announced it to he hkm eczema in its worst form. They treated me for the same for the length of one year, hut the treatment did me no good. Finally my hus band purchased a set of the Cuticura Rem edies, and after using the contents of the first bottle of Cuticura Resolvent in con nection with the Cuticura Soap and Oint ment, the breaking out entirely stopped. | I continued the use of the Cuticura Item- j edies for six months, and after that every ! splotch was entirely gone and the af- I feeted parts were left as clear as ever, j The Cuticura Remedies not only cured me , of that, dreadful disease, eczema, hut 1 other complicated troubles as well. Lizzie j E. Sledge. 540 Jones Ave., Selma, Ala. ! Oct. 28, 1905." When a woman allows her husband to i have his own way looli out for a coining j back with a request for cash. -Philadel j phia Bulletin. Popular Line to the East. The splendid passenger service of the j Nickel l'late Road, the care and atten- i tion shown passengers have made it a j favorite with the inexperienced as well as \ those accustomed to travel. Every feuture necessary to the comfort and convenience 1 of the passengers, especially ladies travel- ! ing alone or accompanied by children, is provided. Colored Porters in Uniform are in attendance to serve the wants of all and to see that cars are kept scrupulous ly clean. Pullman Sleepers on all trains, and an excellent Dining service, serving j Individual Club meals or a la Carte at { moderate cost. When traveling East pur chase your tickets via the Nickel l'late Road. All trains depart from the La 1 Salle St. Station, Chicago. For full in- j formation regarding tickets, rates, routes, : sleeping car reservations, etc., call on or j address J. V. C'alahan, General Agent, j No. 11l Adams St., Chicago, 111. If politics is an unclean game it is be- \ cause unclean men have been permitted [ to run it so long. Bobbed in Church. Just think what an outrage it is to be robbed of all the benefits of the services | by continuous coughing throughout the congregation, when Anti-Gripine is guar anteed to cure. Sold everywhere. 25 cts. F. W. Dienier, M. D., Manufacturer, Springfield, Mo. Many things may keep you from the other triumphs of life, but only selfishness can keep you from the victory of love. To Cure a Cold in One Day Take LAXATIVB BUOMO Quinine Tablets, I Drugsrists refund money if it fails to cure, i E.W. Gnovu's smnature is on each box. 25a ' A bigamist is a n:an convicted of mutri- j mony in the second degree. Rend this to Garfield Tea Co., Brooklyn, N. Y., and receive in return a sample pack age of Garfield Tea, the herb euro for con stipation and sick headache. Whoever heard of a hungry man talking j about his heart'! All up-to-date hoasekeepers use lied Cross Ball Blue. It makes clothes clean and sweet as when new. All grocers. Men who command the most respect have the least thought of self. A Guaranteed Cure for Piles, etching, Blind, Bleeding, Protruding Piles. Drugsrists are authorized to refund money n PAZOOINTMBNT fails to cure inOto I4days. 50c Shut your eyes when you look at the faults of A friend. Red Cross Ball Blue should be in every home. Ask your grocer for it. Large 2 oz. package only 5 cents. A bad man is naturally suspicious of every good man he meets. HOSPITALSCROWDED MAJORITY OF PATIENTS WOMEN Mrs. Pinkham'a Advice Saves Many From this Sad and Costly Experience. ]'iit.^ white beds are women and girls who are awaiting or recovering from opera tions made necessary by neglect. Every one of these patients liad plenty of warning in that bearing down | feeling, pain at the left or right of the abdomen, nervous exhaustion, pain in ; the small of the back, pelvic catarrh, dizziness, flatulency, displacements or I irregularities. All of these symptoms , are indications of an unhealthy con | dition of the female organs, and if not heeded the trouble may make headway j until the penalty has to be paid by a dangerous operation, and a lifetime of ! impaired usefulness at best, while in ! mauv cases the results are fatal, i Miss Luella Adams, of Seattle, Wash., I writes: j Dear Mrs. Pinkham : "About two years ago I was a great suf ferer from a severe female trouble, pains and headaches. The doctor presoril«-d for ine and finally told ine that 1 bad a tumor and must undergo un operation if I wanted to get well. I felt that this was my death warrant, but 1 spent hundreds of dollars for medical help, but the tumor kept growing. Fortunately I corresjioniled with an aunt iutheNew England States, and sho advised me to take Lyilia K. i Pinkham's Vegetable Compound, as it was I saiit to cure tumors. I did sound immediately began to improve in health,und I was entirely curi d, tin- tumor disappearing entirely, with out an o|H>rntlon. i wish every suffering woman would try this greut preparation." .lust as surely as Miis Adams was cured of the troubles enumerated in , her letter, just so surely will Lydla E. I'inkham's Vegetable Compound euro I other women wlio sniffer from fe male troubles, inflammation, kidney troubles, nervous excitability or ner vous prostration. Mrs. Pinkhaci invites all young women who ure ill to write her for free advice. She is daughter-in-law of Lydia 15. Pinkham and fort wenty-flve . years bus been advisiug nick wmnen ' free of charge. AdJu.vs*, Lyuu, Mum, DAZED WITH PAIN. The Sufferings of a Citizen of Glympij, Wash. L. S. Oorlium, of 510 East 4th St., Olympia, Wash., says : " Six years a.-fo. I wet and took cold, and was soon 11at m bed, sullerinfj tortures with iny tback. Every move ment caused an izinK' pain, and the per sistency of it exhausted ine, so that for a time I was dazed and stupid. On the advice of a friend I bepan usinjf Doan's Kidney Pills and soon noticed a change for the better. The kidney secretions had been disordered and irregular, and contained a heavy, sediment, but in a week's time the urine was clear and natural again and the passages regular. Gradually the ach ing and soreness left my back and tliea the lameness. 1 used six boxes to make sure of a cure, and the trouble has never returned." Sold by all dealers. 50 cents a box. Fosler-Milburn Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 1 THE BEST COUCH CURE i i 2 * Cough syrups are all cheap 3 ! • enough, but if you should get a < ► T gallon of cough syrup that does not J J Z cure for the price of a small bottle <, • of o | Kemp's Balsam ;j • the best cough cure, you would < > 9 have made a bad bargain—for one J | ft small bottle of Kemp's Balsam may o • stop the worst cotigh and save a < ► x life, whereas the cough "cure" that J J Z does not cure is worse than useless. < > : Sold by all dealers at 25c. and 50c. < » Cash or Cure 1! Shiloh's Consumption Cure (ails to cure your Cold or Cough, you get back all you paid (or it. You are sure of a Cure 01 the Cash. If it wasn't a sure cure, tills offer would not be made. Can anything be fairer ? If you have a Cold, Cough, or any disease of the Throat, Lungs or Air Passages, try sSHIUOH 3«J 25c. pcf bottle. Al! dealers guarantee it. W. L. DOUGLAS & *3M S H OESBB IV. L. Douglas SC.OO Gilt Edge Line cannot be equalled at any price. JULY 6. IB? 6 CAPITAL *2.500,000 W. L. DOUGLAS MAKES A SELLS MORE MEM'S $3.80 SHOES THAN AMY OTHER MANUFACTURER IM THE WORLD. £1 fl nnn BEWARD to anyon# who can V I U|UUU disprove this statement. 111 could take you Into my three large factories at Brockton, Mass., and show you the Infinite care with which every palrof shoes I* made, you would realize why W. L. Douglas S3.SO shoes coat more to make, why they hold their shape, tit better, wear longer, and are of greater Intrinsic value than any other $3.50 shoe. W. L Doug/as Strong Mr. da Shona tor Men, 92.80, 52.00. Boya' School A Drama Shoes, 92.G0, $2. $1.7 6, sl. SO CAUTION.— I«Bist upon having W.L.Doug, laa shoes. Take no substitute. None genuine without his name and price stamped 011 bottom. Fast Color Eunlets used; they will not wear brasty. Write for Illustrated Catalog. W. L. I>orGI,.VS, IJroekton, Mass. There ia no satisfaction keener than being dry and comfortable when out in the hardest storm. \ YOU ARE SURE OF THIS ANA/CX IF YOU WEAB v|S\ BR# \V®*Y\l /> 'WATEBPBOOP •MA Kx OILED CLOTHIHCi A/ yNJjX MACK OR YELLOW / W il N 407 ONSAUEV«HrWHER£. A J TOWtR iO.MSTOK.MASJ.U.S.A. TOWER (AHADIAN CQ-LlM;t t .|.ToßoNro. CAW. /Qs MOTHER GRA Y'S SWEET PO WLi ENS FOR children, 112 A Certain Cure for FovfrUlmoii, 4ou«Cl|»ul lon, llouil iiclM', Htoiunili Troubles, I ci'thluiff I Uliorderi, and He* troy MOTiib it (iit \ Y { W'l hoy Ili'eiik »ij> 4'«»!«!• \un5Ei * hi 34 hours. At nil l>riiw:rift. •«» cH. diSi'ti Hlm' Jsaniplß mall©.! KiIKK. Addros New York City.) A* OLMSTED» Lo Roy, N.Y« I SOUTHERN FARM LANDS whore diversified crop*. Krasse*. pram*. fruits and v uKotablea grow . where th«»ro aro hnt'O' j*»r --111 nil!%••• for ftlockmen and dairymen, uniy •» * hud 111 Southern Ka'lway Tin ryai very low 1 in tees and on easy terms A Utile im-ostment I :l a lon* ways. The * mate. No t i »i M-M M. V. It Hl# l-.mtl uud { li,.m»tral A . nt. \V AMM Vi l US. I» Kow Prize Puzzle I r*a to* »aMoM klai nivalin*! 11-lltllllH II Kir'fcf "I" '•' :«•»««•* i'rlMltk'. Ai ,K lit I'. 10,, illl »>•., ill.l-1. , PATENTS I UTTWiWtjuX & tO • lint la.. MmliU;mluu. It. U
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers