The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-04-05
THE JOURNAL.
CAUGHT AT LAST.
Arrest OF sidIe the Forger on the
Farmers' Bank, Ohio.
lFrom the n. Y. Times, March 2O.l

From the n. 7. Times, March 201
John Side, alias John R. Thompson, aged
thirty-eght, was arrested yesterday BY De-
tectives Woodbridge, McCord and Radford, of
the Central Office, and is now locked up at Po-
lice Headquarters, on a charge Of forgery. ST.
die who is the son of wealthy farmer living
in Union county, 1t is alleged, forged his ia
ther's name to certain drafts, checks and pro- |
missory notes, by which the Farmers Bank of
Marion, Ohio, and the First National Bank at
Newark, New Jersey, were defrauded to the
amount of $4,000. The forgeries were com
mItted and the money obtained by Sidls dur
ing the latter part OF the month of September. !
1869, at which time he was living at home. !
When the forgeries were discovered it was al |
80 ascertained that young Side had disap- |
peared with the funds which he had thus |
fraudulently obtained, aud all trace of him
was lost The directors of the bank, who |
were the principal sufferers by the forgery,
made every effort to find the missing man.
Circulars containing an accurate description OF
the vanished forger and his photograph were
sent to the police authorities Of all the princ-
pal cities of the United States and to Europe,
and $1,000 reward was offered for his appre-
hension. But all these efforts were futile, and
it appeared as though the forger had vanished
from the face of the earth. 1t was supposed
that Sidle had taken refuge in New York. and
particular instructions were sent to the Cen
tral Detective Office in this city, asking that
diligent search might be made for Sidle. An
imated by the high reward offered for his ar
rest, the detectives secured the city for days
and weeks, but without success. No traca OF
Side could be found, and the case was given
up by the detectives who had it in charge as
an improbable job. Subsequent events, how
! ever, show that Sidle was in New York imme-
diateIy after leaving Ohio, and remained in
this city successfully eluding pursuit. The
circumstances connected with his arrest are as
! follows; Detectives Radford, Woodbridge and
McCord of the Central office, were Interested
in the pursuit of Side, when the case was
originally reported to the police, and possessed
the papers, &c The features of Sidle were so
| impressed upon their minds that the whole of
| the facts IN the case were brought fresh to
their memory on Monday Afternoon, when thev
encountered conductor on Second avenue
car, who bore a striking resemblance to the
photographs which they had in their possess
sion. The resemblance was so striking that
watch was at once put on the movements of
the man, and inquiries were instituted in re-
gard to his antecedents, It was found that
he had been IN the employ of the railroad COM
pany less than month, and that he had en-
tered their employ under the name of John r.
Thompson, and that he lived in tenement
house, No. 222 Christie street. Convinced by
the resemblance to the pictures, the detectives
concluded to arrest HIM, and yesterday morn
ing repaired to the house indicated above
which had been kept under surveillance DUR
| the night The detectives took him into Gus
tody and escorted him to Police headquarters
| He at once and without hesitation admitted
| that he was the man the detectives were
searching for, and volunteered to give history
OF his movements subsequent to the commits
zion OF the forgeries. SIdle says that immedi-
ately after obtaining the money, he left his IA
- ],
oath of September, 1869. While enroute to
this city he fell in with gang of 81 arpers,
| who induced him to speculate IN cattle. Hsv-
ing more money than he knew how to dispose
| OF conveniently, he fell into their views. and
| the sharpeTs succeeded in fleeing him out of
all the money but 5000, which was the extent
OF his resources when he reached New York
| lie remained here four days, and fearing cap
| tuTe, he went IN a steamer to San Francisco
He obtained employment in a lumber yard
there, and worked for four months, at Sl00 per
| month. The dread of arrest still haunting
him, ne lett San Francisco and went to An
zona, where he worked in the mines for six
weeks. Unable to overcome his restlessness
and the vague dread of arrest clinginQ to him
still, he went to New Mexico and drove cattle.
receiving as compensation his food, lodging
and 500 per month. After six months ht
| took the fever, and when he recovered weni
I
mained two months. Leaving Fort Sill be
made his way to Fort Scott, Kansas remain
ing there two weeks, and then returned TO
| Des Noines, Iowa, whore he hired out to work
on farm at $40 per month, and remained
there two months. While here Sidle sent for
his father to come on and see him. Mr.. Sidle
senior, answered the letter in person, and his
son represented that he had a good specula-
ton in view in purchasing lumber bv which
he could realize a handsome profit. By these
representations Side succeeded in obtaining
from his father $1,000 in cash, and with this
money went to Leavenworth, Kansas. This
was in September, 1871. Subsequently he
went to Prescott, Arizona, to work a gold
claim which he had purchased with the mon
ey obtained from his father. Not proving sue
cessful in this venture, he went to Denver
Colorado, and spent ali he had. He wrote
again to his father telling that he was "broke," I"
and received 5000. With this money he
started to return to Prescott, Arizona, and on
the way he and ten or twelve companions
were captured by a band of Apache Indians
who took them to their encampment. Among
those captured were two celebrated backwoods
men, known by the sobriquet of "Mountain
Joe' and "Arizona Bill" They were kept in
captivity for nearly two weeks, and, finally,
during a dark, rainy night, in the middle OF
January last they made their escape by over
poweling the guards, killing two of the IndI-
and and making off with their rifles They
made their way to Fort Yuma, New Mexico
and thence to Panama. Sidle crossed the 18th
mus to Aspinwall and took the steamer to this
port, where he arrived on the 18th of February
last. He took the name of John R. Thomp-
son, and obtained employment on the Second
Avenue Railroad as a conductor.
He is awaiting requisItion from Governor
Edward F. Noyes, of Ohio, for his rendition to
the authorities OF Union county, who have
been apprised by telegraph of his capture.