6 STORIES OF THE SECRET SERVICE i BY Capt. Patrick D. Tyrrell pJM 11,1 11 11 STORY No. 4 IKe Biebush Band Being an Account of the Capture and Conviction of That Notorious Band at Counterfeiters of Which Fred Biebush Was the Leader. By CAPTAIN PATRICK D. TYRRELL [Copyright, 190j, by Marion G. Schcitlin.] Here, then, was not a mysterious •crime, the perpetrator of which was unknown, as I suppose should be the case iu all well ordered detective stories, but the task of fastening guilt on a man who had had a criminal rep utation for more than a third of a century,? been arrested 49 times and,' profiting by the lesson of the past, was following his vocation with greater •caution than he had exercised before. When I took up the effort to put ""01(1 Fred" Biebush where he could make the government no more trouble .be was busy circulating brass, silver plated coins in denominations of 25 and 50 cent pieces and dollars. These •coins could not be classed as clever counterfeits, presenting an almost per iect appearance, but being noticeably light in weight. He was also circulat ing the spurious S2O United States treasury note engraved by "Pete" Mc •Cartney and the bills known as the Richmond tens. The former was a perfect piece of work. The Richmond bills were made from a "skeleton" plate in which the name of the bank was left blank. Other plates were then used in connection with it on which nothing was engraved tuit the names of the Richmond. Mun cie and Lafayette. Ind., banks. An Issue of bills was struck from the prin cipal plate. Part of this Issue would be run through the press on one of the other plates, thus filling in the name of the bank desired. And here I may say tlvat the engraver of the Richmond plate was never found, so far as I know, nor his identity ascer tained with certainty. I knew perfect ly well that Biebush was getting the treasury notes from McCartney, but this precious pair were so cunning in | if £ I • ~ ffl j • I | . | «%lr> the transaction of their affairs with one another that we were never able to connect them with legal evidence in the case. As soon as I had taken a general view ol' the task 1 had before me and had secured all the general informa tion available concerning Biebush 1 •sent for a man named Thomas Galla gher, with whom 1 had had some deal ings in, the pursuit of criminals, and instructed him to try to buy counter feit money from Biebush. Gallagher was from Seymour, Ind., and had done «oue good work in the capacity of a stool pigeon or "roper," as we called them in the secret service. Uelnhardt Uossee, a countryman of Biebush. ran a saloon known as the Sheridan Kx change, at No. 2724 Franklin avenue, anil his place was the headquarters for the Biebush clique. Biebush lived wiih bis wife und children al No. 27XJ Stod dart street, a short distance away. Gallagher began work by irequmt lug the Bosse saloon, drinking, playing .cards and gradually ingratiating him self info the confidence of the saloou keep<»r and Biebush, who spent much time in the place. Afier considerable time wart expended b.v him in this proc ess Gallagher thought tin- time pro pitious for in iking a proposition to HteMi n to purihin? "coney." Clalra- U>«i lo be au ex coat let, be at u uiyioU to negotiate Biebush promptly began to examine Gallagher as lo his crimi nal history, ami his wide ami accurals knowledge of criminal# mado It possi l)le for him to detect a spurious con vict as a hank teller could uetect a .spurious coin or hill. Gallagher could not pass the rigid examination to which Biebush sub jected him, and the old German de clined to sell him any "coney," making the excuse that he had none at that time. He evidently believed, however, that Gallagher was a crook w»io wanted to handle counterfeit money, for he did not appear suspicious of him ex cept when it came to the point of giv ing himself iuto his power by per sonally negotiating a sale of "coney." This was failure number one. » • • Some time before this W. \V. Ken noch, a shrewd Scotchman, had been relieved of the command of the New York division of the secret service on account of his over-indulgence in liquor He was an honest, conscien tious and able operative, and had but the one fault, a fatal one, however, in a man who is carrying secrets of great importance to the government. After being relieved of his eastern command Kennoch did a good deal of work for the secret service as a "roper." He was.familiar with criminals and crimes, was a plasible talker, and could worm his way into the good graces of coun terfeiters with much skill. . I enlisted his services and assigned him to the same task 1 had given Gal lagher. He worked slowly, making Bosse's saloon his rendezvous. When he thought his relations with Biebush were sufficiently close he broached the subject of buying "coney." As in the case of Gallagher, the wily Prussian did not take offense nor deny that he ever handled such goods, but he began to put Kennoch through a course of questioning concerning his past. Ken noch claimed he had served in a New York penitentiary, but he could not furnish such proofs as demanded, for DESPERATELY TRYING TO WREST A REVOLVER FROM THE MINISTER WIFE. the reason that no such proofs ex isted, and Biebush was cunning enough to know genuine proofs from false ones. Here was failure number two. * « * I did not consider myself any shrewder at such work than Kennoch, but it is a universal trait for one to believe he can do a thing better him self than anyone else can do it for him. I determined to see what 1 could do toward leading the old fox into our trap. 1 was not known 10 Biebush. I allowed my beard to grow into a stub ble and chose the make-up of a river man. It I may be pardoned the di gression I will say that with a few days' growth of beard and rough clothes" I could look "tough' enough to satisfy even the fastidious Biebush, to whom the appearance of "toughness" was a strong recommendation. Thus attired 1 made my debut at Bosse's. i here was a card game in progress most of the time, and I "sat in." Bie bush and others whom I afterward learned were members of his band played with me. I frequently sat op posite my quarry and studied him closely. Friendly relations were estab lished between us, and 1 thought mat ters were progressing favorably until I hinted to "Old Fred" that 1 would like to handle some of his goods. Then i found that I had made just as much progress as Gallagher and Kennoch hail made- and no more. Biebush said he did not object to doing business with me. but that he "had no coney just then." From the way he spoke 1 knew I was wasting my time and be fore we landed him behind prison bars we would have to practice deeper and moro circuitous methods in "roping." Failure number three. * • • Before I took charge of the St. Louis district I had been informed by a dep uty warden in the Joli.-t penitentiary that a certain prisoner In that Institu tion had intimated to him tli.it lie had information which might lie of value to the secret service. 1 bethought my self of this and went to see him. He proved to lie John Brldg* alia *"I loo sier Bill," under sentence for horse stealing. This worthy wn an Indiana product and something over l'» years ■ >ld He was a congenital criminal, slopping only at murder. Ills favor CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1906 ite form of crime was "garrotint;,' that In, grabbing a pedestrian by the throat from behind, thrusting hi* kr.ee into the small of tho victim s'back and thus pinioning him while his assistant re- | lleved tho prey of hid valuables. But In tho form of crime "Hoosier bill" ! was not over particular, taking side excursions into the Held of burglary,! horse stealing anil petty acts of knav- ; ery. The Chicago police knew him as a West side hold-up man of danger- j ous character. I listened to his story with deep in terest, as it -bore directly on the case ! In hand —the landing of the big fish | we were playing for —Fred Biebush. j "Hoosier Bill" knew Biebush intimate ly. He had established this intimacy j by presenting proper penitentiary ere- j dentials, of which he had plenty. Be- ' fore he ran afoul of an Illinois sheriff and had been "settled" for driving off the wrong horse, Bridges had operated in St. Louis as a burglar and turned over to Biebush such of his "swag" as was suitable to the latter's purpose, : especially the solid silverware. On one occasion he had arrived at the Biebush residence at four o'clock in the morn ing in a cab, bringing with him a package of silverware. The paper wrap-; per broke as he was about to ring the door bell, scattering the loot over the porch. The "cabby" helped him gather it up, after which Biebush appeared and took it into the house. I found this "cabby" later and used him as a witness against Biebush. The "swag" brought in by burglars was paid for in "coney," according to Bridges, the thieves favoring this way of dealing because they received larger compensation in representative or counterfeit dollars than they would in genuine money. The silver was melted by Biebush into bars, to be used in the manufacture of silver money. But this was not the most valuable ] informal ion gleaned from "Hoosier Bill." He let me into the secret of the identity of the more active and impor tant members of the Biebush gang. "Hankey" Thielen and John Sullivan, lie said, were two of "Old Fred's" most trusted lieutenants, serving as boodle carriers and go-betweens in the deliv ery of "coney" for their chief to the persons with whom he elected to do business. Thielen, in addition to his 1 1 supernumerary services to Biebush in j circulating bad mone was a manu- I facturer of s'ilver money, according to : my informant. | Bridges did not know just where the j Thielen plant was located, nor, in fact, | was it ever located, although we had j good reason to believe" it was on the j bank of the Mississippi river, above | St. Louis. It was. Bridges' uuderstand | ing of the operations of the band that | Thielen made the silver-plated coins 1 from dies cut by one Joseph Hargate, an English engraver, who also did a legitimate engraving and die-cutting business in a small shop at his home. • • • Concerning Sullivan, however, "Hoo j sier Bill" had lftore definite knowledge, j He was a colored coachman in the era- I ploy of Dr. A. S. Barnes, at No. 3013 j Easton avenue,, and, I believe, the only j colored man who ever rose to a posi tion of any prominence among "koni ! ackers." He was fully trusted by Bie ( bush and was credited by my inform j ant with much native cunning. Later 1 also was prepared to crodit. him with i much prudence in the conduct of his criminal operations, as the following | incident will indicate: Long after my talk with Bridges and | while I was still at work on the case a colored coachman named Jackson came to my office one day and asked if 1 wanted him to buy some counter feit money for me, that he was able Ito get all lie wanted. I asked him from whom he could g<»t it and he ancwered from Sullivan. I commis sioned him to make a denl with Sulli van, and I have every reason to be lieve that he tried in good faith to do so, but he failed, Sullivan each time putting him off at the last moment. |Tn lie Continued | Wound Up. Bacon I see a man recently commit ted suicide by swallowing a dock key Egbert Strange way of winding up his earthly nfuim, wasn't it?—Youk#r« Uiatfumau. THE VETERAN In Government Service Must be Protected. ASTRONG PROTEST from "Corporal" Tanner to Con gressman Tawney, Against a Bill Now Pending. Washington, D. C.—"Corporal" [ Tanner, commander-in-chief of tho 1 Grand Army of the Republic, has writ- j ten a letter to Representative Tawney, of Minnesota, chairman of tho house ; committee on appropriations, protest ing vigorously against tho action of Tawney's committee in recommending ; the enactment of a law reducing the \ compensation of government clerks j after they have attained the age of 65 years. "Corporal" Tanner writes particularly in behalf of his comrades , of the civil war, many of whom, now employed in the government service, would bo affected seriously by the proposed reduction in compensation. "Corporal" Tanner ventures the as sertion to Mr. Tawney that "you won't j find a Confederate soldier behind your bill," and incidentally pays a tribute to a Confederate brigadier who refus ed to permit a single one of the Union veterans to be disturbed when he had the power to remove them. In the course of his letter Mr. Tan ner says: "You propose that tho alms house alone shall be the veteran's refuge in life and, perhaps, after you've kicked him out to 'rattle his bones over the stones,' deny him a burial ground and close against him the gates of Arlington. "My dear Mr. Chairman, there is a dead line in legislation representing the saviours of the nation as perfectly marked as at Andersonville, beyond which no enemy may ,go. Let me beg you to pause before you attempt to cross it under the belief that the"' (sentry is asleep, and to have only words of praise for the bridge that piany times and oft has carried you to safety." A PANIC IN THE STEERAGE. It Was Caused by a Storm and Was Finally Quelled by the Ship's Officers. New York.—A terrifying expe rience at sea was reported by the officers of the French line steamer Hudson, which arrived here Tuesday. During the storm which swept the At- j lantic last Friday afternoon and even- j ing, the 330 steerage passengers on the steamer became panic-stricken and were quieted only after the cap- ' tain and first officer had threatened them with revolvers and knives. Both the barometer and thermome ter fell rapidly and a terrific gale rolled up great seas. When the storm was at its worst the steerage passen- 1 gers became panic-stricken and sought togo 011 deck, insisting that if they must die they wanted to meet death in , the open. The stewards and minor of- j fleers lost control of the passengers and appealed to the captain for as- , slstance. C'apt. Juham and First Officer Me hausas, who were on the bridge, hur- j ried to the steerage quarters and at tempted to pacify the terrorized pas- i sengers. First they assured them that j there was 110 danger, then threatened them and finally drew revolvers and knives and threatened to use them un less the passengers became quiet. Order finally was restored. Soon af- | terwards the storm abated. > A WALL Of MOLTEN LAVA. It Flows Into the Ocean in a Stream Five Miles Long, from Sa moan Volcano. Honolulu. —The officers . of the ! 3teamer Sierra, which has arrived here from Sydney, N. S. W., via Sa- ! moa, report that tho eruption of the j volcano on ij|e island of Savaii, of tho ■ Sanioan group, continues on a large 1 scale. Three villages have been com- i pletely destroyed, including Malaeola, ' where was one of the finest cocoa j plantations on the islands. The lava from the volcano is (low- j ing into the ocean in a stream three- I quarters of a mile wide and 20 feet deep, at tho rate of 20 feet an hour. At ; night a solid wall of molten lava five ! miles long can be seen reaching far | out into the sea. For some distance j ahead the sea water is boiling and tho 1 surf breaking over the fiery stream. ! Slump in Prices of Traction Stocks. Chicago, 111. —Prices of the Chi- l cago traction stocks suffered se- j verely on both the New York and Chi- j oago stock exchanges Tuesday. In | New York the price of Union Traction ! common stock broke almost in half, j dropping from 11"* to 7%. The pre- j ferred stock, which closed Monday I night at 40, declined to 30. West Chi- j cago showed a decline of 15 points and ! North (Miicago was down 23 |w>lnts. An Ex-Banker's Sentence. Buffalo, N. Y.—Fred It. Green, former cashier of the defunct 1 Fredonla national hank, 011 Tuesday pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six >-ars in Auburn prison. Ure«n was indicted on 35 counts charging embezzlement and false entry In con nection • ith the funds and books of the bunk. Steamer and 12 Lives Lost. London, Kngland The Brit lib ■(• inner Culni' foundered ,iff the lunch coast Tu« day. Twelve of her crew Wtrv drowned mid seven wei<- saved. PAINS AMERICAN WOMEN FIND RELIEF Tho Case of Miss Irene Crosby Is One ofThouwands of Cures made by Lydia E. Plnkham's Vegetable Compound. How many women realize that It is not the plan of nature that women should suffer so severely. Thousands of American women, how ever, have found relief from all monthly suffering by taking Lydia E. Pinkham's j Vegetable Compound, as it is the most j thorough female regulator known to j medical science. It cures the condition which causes so much discomfort and robs these periods of their terrors. Miss Irene Crosby, of 313 Charlton Street, East Savannah, Ga., writes: " Lydia E. Pinkham'sVegetable Compound is a true friend to woman. It has been of ! groat benefit to me, curing mo of irregular j and painful periods when everything else had j failed, and I gladly recommend it to other suffering women." Women who are troubled with pain ful or irregular periods, backache, j bloating (or flatulence), displacement of organs, inflammation or ulceration, I that "bearing-down" feeling, dizzi ness, faintness, indigestion, nervous j prostration or the blues, should take ' immediate action to ward off the ser : - OUH consequences, and be restored to perfect health and strength by taking Lydia E. Pinkhjun's Vegetable Com- j pound, and then write to Mrs. l'ink hara, Lynn, Mass., for further free ad vice. She is daughter-in-law of Lydia E. Pinkham and for twenty-five years lias been advising women free of charge. Thousands have been cured by so doing. New York, Fob. 28. 1906.—The Erie Rail road hits placed with the American Lo comotive Company an order for 25 loco ;no(ives, delivery to begin in March. These are to be exact duplicates of the 19 engines received by the Erie during the past six months, and which have proven so successful in passenger service as to warrant their adoption as a stand ard tvpe, known all along the line as "the j 2,500"c1a55." With their tenders earn ing 16 tons of coal and 8500 gallons of w i } ttr, these largest passenger service loco- j motives ever constructed, weigh 389,750 j pounds each, the weight of the locomotive , alone being 230,500 pounds. Used on the through Chicago and Bui- j falo trains of from 12 to 15 cars, these en- j gincs easily keep a schedule time even when hauling these long trains of the j heavy coaches now required for up-to-date passenger service. So satisfactory have they proven in making time, during four months' trial in winter service, that the Erie management decided to have a suffi cient number on hand for all emergencies in their fast passenger train service. SAMPLES BY TELEGRAPH, j This Woman Thought She Could Or der Her Dress-Goods by the Card. ofn.'jnl of one of the telegraph com panies tells an amusing story of a young i Woman in a Pennsylvania town who I wished to send i telegram to a New York firm ordering a supply of dress goods. After some inquiries as to whether the line "really and tru'y" did "connect with I New York," relates Success Magazine, the | young woman finally decided to afford the > company the benefit of her patronage. I Opening her handbag she took therefrom | various samples which she consulted from ! time to time as she undertook the task i of expressing her wants in the usual "ten ■ words." When she had apparently com- j pleted (lie interesting operation, she at tached two of the samples to the telegraph ' form and handed her message to the man i at the window. Her telegram read as fol- ! lows: "Blank & Co. Send express four yards ■ample A' and six yards li.' Before and Alter. "Your tickets to the concert last, night were complimentary, weren't they?" "I thought they were till I heard the coiiLcrt." —Cleveland Leader. —- TIIP man who complains loudest of his hard lot observe and see it' it isn't so— is the very one whose office chairs are pad ded with rose-leaf cushions. A GUARANTEED CUKE FOR EPILEPSY FITS Will refurj y:»ur money it not cured. Writo (or Itnn] IM testimonials. .7AS. T. CHONEY, M. D., l'tt!cn "i;;iu.ial Bai. # Mauultoturot i!tf» W. L. DOUGLAS *3 ? -°&*3= SHOES® W. L. Douglas <4.00 Gilt Edge Lino cannot be JULV 6 1876 ||||[CAPITAI. *2.500,000 ¥. L. DOUGLAS MAKES * SELLS MORE MEM'S *3.80 SHOES THAN AMY OTHER MANUFACTURER IM THE WORLD. nnn REWARD to anyone who can V I UjUUU disprove this statement. | If I could take you Into my three large factories •t Brockton, Mass., and show you the Infinite care with which every pair of shoes Is made, yon would realize why W. L. Douglas $3.50 shoea cost more to make, why they hold their shape, fit better, wear longer, and are of greater Intrinsic value than any other $3.50 shoe. W. L. Doug! ma Strong Ma do Shoem for Men, 52.80, $2.00. Boy' School A Oro9*Shoes, $2.80, $2, $1.75, $1.5(9 CAUTION .—lnsist upon having W.JL.Doug. laa shoea. Take no substitute. None genuine without his name and price stAinpcd on bottom. Fast Color Eyelets used; they will not wear bras»u. Write for Illustrated Catalog. W. DOUGLAS, Ilrockton. ATass* THE GOVERNMENT OF O^IKT^XXA. Hundred and Sixty I !5f Xf* Acres of land in West- Wtkm yj can be purchased frotn ra ■ j wa y au j j a , u j cotn- I panics at from $6 to $lO per acre. On this land this year has been luced up wards of twenty-five bushels of wheat to the acre. It is also the best of grazing lan»l and for mixed farming it has no superior 011 the coutiuent. Splendid climate, low taxes, railways conven ient: schools and churches close at hand. Wrte tor "Twentieth Century Canada "and low railway rates to SUPERINTENDENT OF IMM- G RATION, or to authorized Canadian Agents : II M. WILLIAMS, Law Building, Toledo, O. MentUnx this paper. MAKES BEAUTY , 4 * Among the ladies no other mecli- [ [ cine has ever had so strong a fol- , > lowing, because, excepting pure 1 , > air and. exercise, it is the source of J I mare beautiful complexions than , > any other agency, as Lane's Family; Medicine [ the tonic-laxative. It puts pure ' j , blood in the veins, and no woman , I ► can be homely when the rich, red • ! J blood of health courses in her veins. J 1 > Sold by all dealers at 25c. and sex. ' SICK HEADACHE .—iPositivclvcurrd by PABTrc* 1 ' * hese !■»«'« ri,,s v LAf\l L.910 I They aiso relievo ■ma " " tress from Dyspepsia, In ! WIT7LE digestion and Too Hearty I\/IT © Eating. A perfect rem &S S wSLI* edy for Dizziness, Nausea. 1 PILLS Drowsiness, Bad Taste iSI * ' la tll ° Mouth, Coated raMffiAaW Tonguo, Pain la the Side. • l-tU'llt-J'lWj 1 TORPID LIVER. They I reguate the Bowe!s. Purely Vegetable. SMALL Pill. SMALL DOSE. SMALL PRICE. Genuine Must Bear UArtltKd Fac-Similo Signature BRITTLE [REFUSE SUBSTITUTES. 13 11 w WII MAD S E lN all Send for Booklet giving full description. BROWN MANUFACTURING CO. Zanesville, Ohio. loUTHERNFARM LANDS where diversified crops, grasses, ura:ns, fruits and \ eiretables grow, whore there are tlneoppor 1-initios fdr stockmen and dairymen, may be had in Southern Railway Territory at very low prices and on easy tortus. A little investment will tfo a lonir ways. The finest climate. No Irrigation needed. Publications and Infornm * ion sunt. M. V. ICH Land unci | Industrial Auont, \VASIII NiiTON. 1» j J~>S MOTHER GRAY'S °\k SWEET POWDERS fy FOR CHILDREN, ~ / A Certain Cnro for FevorUlineM, k (onillpiitlon, II cu«l ■» the, miumuch TrunblfMi T»'Hhh»f , A ' llliordcri, and Doniroy tlOTlikK URtY. j Worm*. "" < N . i.| ! i,,| >iu'.'l hours. At nll Urutfifisl*. ot*. j Sample luuiiet I liCL. Ail.lie-s. Ne» VorkcitjijA. S. OLMSTED. Le Roy N.V. DON'T BUY STOCK ltd! in h. Uuy a mine in A* v.id » and get •. k ulla v. u how. t*r<« MINT* U2J*!)4I James HuoU bidu San Francisco. Cat.