The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-04-07
A Premium ON Crime.

There is such crime in the criminal code
as compounding felony. 1t was formerly
known to courts and judges in the administra-
ton of Justice. 1t has ceased to be. Wheth.
er law, order and the peace Of society are
promoted thereby admits Of very serious
doubts. The &c compounding process
seems nearly commensurate with the amount
of violence now rife in the land. We see news
paper notices wherein the thief who took
watch is informed that if he will restore it he
will receive such reward and "no questions
asked Here for instance one John Jones,
alias Horace Brown and four other persons
commit, some three or four weeks ago the
greatest robbery ever occurring in the United
States. They go to the office of Rufus l..
Lord. rich banker in New York. Jones
alas Brown engages the old man in conver
satien while his confederates remove from his
open safe one and one half millions of dol
lars in notes, bonds, &c. When his confed-
crates are safe away with the money Jones
alias Brown takes his hat, promises to call
again the following day and leaves. On the
following day he doesn't call, but Lord dis
covers his loss. After much search and by
force of large reward. Jones alias Brown is
arrested. His confederates are not known.
He forks over the amount of the stolen
funds in his hands, produces from his confed
crates, who still remain in cog, their share of
the plunder, pays it over and has now done
justice and eased his conscience. He and his
confederates go at large.
Jones alias Brown evidently thinks himself
rather good generous high minded fellow
A correspondent says of him that he is
sadly wanting, of course, in moral principle,
but is not without affection for his parents, to
whom he does not refer without emotion
has sense of honor that will not stoop to
mean transactions; and generosity of ac-
had hoped to turn a short corner, by making
a big thing on this, that he might provide
for the 'old folks, and himself lead differ
ent life that if there was an honest thief
he was not undeserving of that name, for he
never took cent from the poor man in hi
life, nor dollar from one that would suffe
by its loss. More than that, when John Jones
Brown had money others had it with him, foi
he never passed beggar in hislife to whom ht
did not give and never man or woman asked
help of him and was refused. He said be
had contributed for others comforts when h,
had means, and felt happy in so doing. As
he uttered these words our informant says he
could almost have believed that it was reyi-
val preacher before him.
There is dash Of independent brigandage
about that which makes it interesting Jones
alias Brown will behave himself. and be III
sc,ne sort hero until he finds another clxnce
to raise the wind by happy forgetiulness
of the laws OF meum and tu,tm. The Con
cord Bank robbery was compromised III
abou, the same way. If the business contin
ues the heroic DAYS Of Jack sketch and Dick
Turpin will come again. and we will have
high way robberies and murders committed
with immense eca,, while tie unressting
citizen who won court throat cutting by
being fractious, will pay a handsome bonus to
save himself land no questions asked. 1t
may al be very we'll in its,way but il is apre
mum on crime that will surely be attended
with most violent and lamentable conseduen