, 1873-08-28
His Capture Effected in This State
by an Agent Of the Chicago
Post-0fioe.
How, When, and Where It was Accom-
plished'-. -.Young's Present Con-
dition.
Brief Sketch Of tho Leading
Events Of His Criminal
Career.

conviction, hiB arroHt being an accomplished
fact. John's favorito form Of crime was forgery,
and, as far as can now DO ascortaiucd, ho prac-
tced 1t exclusively Oh tho Government. Hc
conducted hia businoBs with all tho
daring and impudenco Of that prince
among forgors, CrosB,-ono Of tho few
In tho criminal history Of tho country who waa
Hkillful enough to writo himself out Of tho Pont-
tontlary.-but possessed scarcely titho OF that
indiyidual'a ingenuity and without being half
80 remarkable man In hts way. has become full
II as notorious In newspaper oirclcs. Thia Ia on
ttro1y owing to tho htghly-colorod accounts Of
his operations, giveu by the sccret-agonfs Of tho
Post Office Department, who, like other CLASSES
Of policemen, arc In the habit of exaggoratlng
evory criminal mattor that comes undor their
notice.
Tue TRIBUNE has published numerous columns
about Young'a doings since his advent In Ohioa-
20. briof akotch Of tho moro prominent Incl
dents Of his rosideuca bore and elsewhere, up to
the tino Of bis arrest mey 10 Of interest at this
time, as he has almost entiroly dropped out Of
with recommendations Of thu highest cllarao-
ter, introducing him as Col. J. W. Young
young Republican orator OF distinguished abil-
ity, and with tho aid Of the lottors, secured
mont Of tho Post -ofleo. Influential gentle
mon in tho central and southern portions Of
tho Stato cordially indorsod him In writing,
and wellrknown local Congressman wroto
briefly but enthusiastically in His favor, boz
speaking placo for him in tho ua1no OF tho
''party.ha Possessing rare conversational pow
era, and seemingly thorough knowledge OF
almost ovory branch Of bunsness,. no created
favorable impression on Con. MoA1thur. tho
Postmaster, and experienced no difficulty in
gotting d dosk IN tho mouoy-ordor office, whore
he most desired to 60. He gave in0nito Hats-
faction in tho oarly pnrt Of his career as
clerk !. but, as tho confidence reposod in
h@ a9aa s dgsnes s0ss os n otsss %ors
begun his peculationB. On tho 18th OF
Juno lost ho was discharged OH general sua-
picion, the spies: failing to catch him in any Of
the 'irregularitlos" that he was nevertheless
He was noxt hoard Of through forged monoy-
orders, which lis acquaintance with tho buHinoga
OF tho department enabled him to put in circula-
tion. Tho postal authorities lore then made
their astonishmont that bis lottera OF recorn-
mondation wero c1evor forgerioe. One Of hia
photographs WAS obtained, copies Of It wero
taken, and, together with tho printed cireu-
personal appearance, were sent to nearly oyory
Paat-Offico In tho country. No lu8wera were
rocoivod, but every now and then o forged
noney-ordor for q respectable amount would
that Young was working with great suocoea IN
the face Of all tho precautions that had been
taken to Accuro Ais apprehension. His principal
basin Of operation were 81. Louis. indianapolis,
Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Wis, aud Springfield, III.
He attempted to pass an order 1t Cincinnati,
but payment on 1t Was stopped, and the
forgor, for somo unexplained reason, was
allowed TO escape. BY this time he lad obtained
amount 10 went East with his wifo. He rogis-
torod AiB true name ct tho best hotels In all the
principal cities, and lived III tho highest style
wherever he wont. He visited Washington, gave
through all. the profninont buildings under tlAo
very eye Of tho postnastar-Gon This
speaks we'll for the Hhrowdnes8 Of the so-callod
especial agents" in tho City OF Magnificent
Distances,
Flo finally reached the bottom of his purge.
and was obliged to sond his wife homo to her
parents In Areola, Douglns County, Ill. After
she left him. ho started Off on q ramblo through
tho Eastorn States, aud in the course Of time
reached Springfield, Mass: Ho succeeded In
getting himself introduced to some Of the bost
famliea OF that city, representing aimaelf as the
eon Of q aonee wealthy Southern plaater whom
the war haa reduced to poverty. Ho did not
oven dopy that he was an ex-otticer Of tho Con-
fcde1ato army, but this did not change the good
opinion whicha few influential Springfield Aboli-
tionista Ind formed Of him. With
their assistance. he procured situation
in the Office Of tho Connecticut River Railroad
but before he won't to work thero ho waa COM
polled by foEco of circumHtances to pawn dia-
moud pin and some othor jowe1ry. diamond
theft was committed III this city tho samo day
he made tho exchange, aud, boing . stranger,
upon him. 1t has Binco tranBpired that lo was
in nowiae connected with tho robbary. His con-
nection, with tho matter, howoyor, coupled
With tho fact that he called himself j.
to thinking. He looked over hA 1ettors, and
found tho photograph and circular which had
boon sont from Chicago. Tho description given
oorroapoudad exactly with Young's poraonal ap-
jSrr u<%1n ~.
very day ho went to work for tho Railroad Com
pany.
He was taken to Boston, and the Post Office
pooplo here wore notified to coma on and bring
on that 1niasIon. Wlon he arrived IL Boston, 10
found that tue prisoner had boen transferred
States s J. Marshal aud lo could not set him
ss that eas0ay US arsa aa' rse tho Ga 1 fs
which. the law allowed him for tho
removal OF prisoner from ono point to another,
y tue case OF Young 1t would amount to about
ea60, aud that was too Buug o sum to lose. Tho
Marshal solicited two dopuAos to convey tho
SALARY. Tho othor was mado Deputy for tho
occasion, because he wanted to 60 Wost, and
would watch tue prisoner portion Of the time
Il +. bis faro was paid. Titus the Marshal,
portion Of tho sIS0 left for hirussolf. s
nawley, accompanied tho Doputios on tho
tfam, put ttoy. would not lot him touch
tho priaoncr aud, generally speaking, troatod
him with considerable rudoness. Young waa al-
lowed to travel untanporod by hardouffs, aud
was permitted to retain pocket compass, which
ssas found OIL him when ho was arroated. When
tho Journey was about half oyor Young was
taken suddenly Ill, and excited great doal Of
Hyinpathy among the ladies', WHO woro riding in
the same chr with him. 1'lioy made nice 6od
for him, and as ho appeared to be suffering from
an acute attaok Of ol1olera morbus, the Deputies
rolaxod their Vigilance, though Hawloy a1vlaed
them that ln was Bhauliuing.
Ono afternoon whom 4e found Deputy on-
gagged III drinking. and tho other Deputy with Ills
back turned, Mr. Young stepped out on tho back
platform, and jumped or wLilo tho train was
going at tho rate Of thirty nllca IN hour. Tho
Deputies screamed whom they discovered that ho
bad escaped, bnt % they neglected to pull tho
boll-ropo Immediately, tho train went ayo m1oa
beyond whore Young jumpod oil before Il was
stopped. Young was by that tlme Bafo In tAo
woods,. aud, with lia pookot-compasH and hia
gonoral knowledge Of the country Ao
found no ditfie1lltx In making Lila sxap