Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-11-24

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Itsm as 0zteses zsss~ns> xss, H.
The Rock Island oounterfsiters- Remark
able Career ofcld Btgelow.
We published yestsrdsy.sn account Of The arrest
of gang OF oountsrfsissss In Rock Island County
u few days. eet ea b. -
The louation oS The MINI was On IN. han. a a..
Mississippi river. about twenty miles above Rock
Island, and mile and half below the little vii.
age Vt Cordoys, 10 Rock Island oounty In this
secluded place. Timoahy y. Bigsiow, sixsy-six
years OF aga. owns iarm Of atoat three hundssd
acres. HE house, . comfortable frame buildins,
stands short distance nom the highway. and
near il stands what appears 30 be o blnsksmith
shop. Notwithstanding kis more than suspss.
ted bad antccedsnts, his neighoors esappossd.
until recently. thai ks was leading difsrcnt life
lie has lived in that place for about Ave years,
his o:sensible business being that Of fsrmsr,
but MS real business The manufacture Of bogus
ooin. Some portion Of the time he has lived on IN
.laud in The river. fbr better protsotion againss
detection and arrest. He has q family con-
sisting ofa vile and several children, one or two
of whom we're living with him at tho time Of bis
arrest. - TsIs fFaq isss3 Is sst
According 70 bis own statement Bigslow hss
been engaged In the bustasss of coantsrfssing for
furty years, and has been convicted ~ least four
times and served terms of imprisonment II four
State penitsntiariss He b ono oi an ald time olass
Of outlaws thinnsd ou. BY DEATH os being over
taken in their o6snoss. The hfs Of old Msslow,
could Il give the details Of HE career. Ais hsir-
breadth escapes rom iustioe, and the various ways
in which hs has buils up reputation scsscely pa-
nllclled BY any oouatsrfh,tsr now living, weebf
surpass, In what NE book men call "esnsgsisn,Y.
anything Of the kind psblishsd in tho last quarter
of a century.
His has proved him TO be possessed of
rare quali,iss Of cunning, skin md Axsdnsss Of
purpose. suoh ns exercised 10 amp Memorable oall.
ing would have given HIN competence and honor
in his old age. A Il L. he pillows bis grey hsirs
within prison wallis, and ssss at the sunset of lite
n long night ofinfAmy shout TO close 10 upon HE
name. % tn. Err ss -
The Davcnrort Gasssss has been furnished BY
old resident Of that vicinity with several partie
ulars Of Bigelow's career, which are Of much in
terest. a.
In 1880. Bigelow, bis son, and man named
Cox. wore arrested ut THAR residence, on Camp
bclPs Island about eight miles up tie river. They
employed well known lawyer here to defead
them. The case was tried by magis.rass whose
Office was ID tho "old birthstone corner" on Front
street Owing ~ soms dsfect in tho warrant the
criminals were released, the lawyer receiving for,
his fee sorrel horse. Aner few days, q farmer,
who Lived few mile. from Le Claire, came to
town in search Of his horse which hs had lost
Hearing that Bigelow had given horse Tor his
eo no took an opportunity Of seeing the horse the
lawyer got. II compared exactly in sise and 40
tion, but his horse had . white face and feet. He
was about giving up the search when he concluded
to wash the face Of the animal. he then found bic
los. horse, the lawyer getting nothing for his fse.
Tho arrest caused considerable excitemsnt. and
tho Office wss crowded with suoctators.. The man,
Cox, ono of the prisoners. ,ssalsd himsslf by tho
stove. and gctting soot from out of the stoyel .
hlaoked bis faco and hands, and the o6cers who
werc stationed at the door vss 10 st tHe
''nigger man" out. The o6Bcer. who il our infor. =
ufant, says that q he di6 not Zee any blost man
60 into to room. be concluded somethinr VI
wrong, aud stopping The s'nieger" no made hin
tho disguise. % ~ : sT-nF7' 'N-''
Birelow was notorious character ana 4 very