The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1874-10-29
WIN. CRAWFORD.
How the BurglarlOus william,
left the Pcnitentiary and lOMa
Wholly for lOWa's Good -The
Governor sets u Thief to catch
Thieves.

AmoeVcSs
The p,op'e of Tlptoa and
vicinity naturally feel consider
able interest in the welfare of one
William Crawford, with aliases too
numerous to mention. William in
troduced himself under circumstan
ces calculated to bring him into con-
siderable prominence, and during
some eight or nine months in which
he enjoyed our hospitality, he was
certainly watched closely enough to
Justify claim to have been the sob
served ofall observers"--and particu-
larly the observed of Sheriff Shearer.
When, after exhausting every scheme
which mendacious ingenuity could
devise and audacity and criminal
recklessness execute, Crawford failed
to get out of Jail either conditional
ly or Internationally; but was in
stead brought to trial, convicted, SEN
fenced to nine years in the peniten-
tiary and upon that sentence safely
delivered to the State prison author
tiles, of course we all thought tina,
the devil had got his dues for once,
and dismissed William Crawford
from our minds. Casual thoughts of
him were melted, it is true, by GER
tain threatening letters which parties
here received over the signature Of
"Crawford's Friends" but the re-
doubtable William himself was
thought to be safe enough where he
belonged and would have to stay
What then was the surprise and in
dignation Of our citizens when a ru-
NOR that he was at large upon some
pretext or other became finally fully
confirmed. Queries as to the why's
and wherefore's Of such an unexpect-
ed procedure were in everybody's
mouth. In answer to such legiti-
mate curiosity we will make a few
statements which may be relied up
on as correct.
Crawford is at large upon ''leave
Of ABSENCE" or pardon for one year,
granted by Gov. Carpenter on the
23d of July upon the following rep
reservations: 1st. A statement, or
confession, on the part of Crawford.
I'd. Recommendations and common
dations of Crawford from officers and
citizens of Steele county, Mimi. Sd.
The personal influence of Major
Craig, Warden of the penitentiary in
favor of such release. Crawford's
statement begins: "Being in bad
/" health and not able to stand long
confinement, having wife who is
entirely dependent upon me for
" support, and being possessed of
" certain information that is of far
"greater importance to the State of
!" Iowa than my incarceration, | make
you the following proposition"
The proposition" is, in brief, a
promise to catch the Iowa train rob-
bers if he shall be given his liberty
for three months and promise of
full pardon after the said catching
shall have been accomplished. To
make such a bald proposal more
plausible he goes on to give in detail
his connection since 1869 with the
williams whom he says are the well
known train robbers and bank raid
ers, concluding with the real and as
sumed name and minute personal
description of each. He also details
his plan for their capture, in which
his own part is of course the es-
sential one.
The document purporting to come
from Steele county, Minnesota, states
at length over the signature Of NJ. J..
Toher, Sheriff, how "Jo Essex, now
known as William Crawford was
released from Imprisonment there to
assist in catching the Waseca bank
robbers; that he did catch them and
cause their conviction; and that the
writer has full and perfect confidence
in his (Crawford's) ability and good
faith in any such matter. The truth
OF the Sheriff's statement is further
certified by the attorney who prose-
cuted and convicted the bank rob-
bers, by Beebe, President Of the
bank, and by N. w. Davidson. the
Judge who presided.
These papers were evidently pre-
sented to the Governor backed up
by urgent representations Of Warden
Craig in favor of trying Crawford's
scheme, and probably without suf
fcient investigation, the Governor
tried it. He was undoubtedly i'm
posed upon in the premises, and
acted only as he thought might con-
serve the public good, but whether
as much could be said for all the Of
ficials involved we shall not attempt
to indicate.
The full text of the documents
whose scope has only been indicat ed
here would be interesting reading
to Tiptonites, and as they are now
public records we may present them
some time, but will refrain for the
time being as we do not wish to lay
any straws in the way of the capture
of the James and Younger Brothers
by Crawford-even though his three
months are already up.
There is no doubt whatever that