Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-12-13


pardon in Washington was obtained
at 81 500.
Bebushs criminal career runs back
beyond the memory of the detective,
of this day. 1t must be over twenty
years ago that he kept a kind of head
quarters for crooks. Ostensibly the
place was a saloon. II was situated
on Locust street, between Second and
Thru, ami was known as the war
Eagle. There was rich plucking for
thieves and blacklegs ON the river in
those days, and the police force on land
had not obtained its present efficiency
Biebush therefore drove thriving
business as fence until one day pry.
ing detectivepulled open secret panel
door in the salooon and disclosed a
little store room filed with stolen val.
liable. Fred went out OF the saloon
business shortly after this and gradu.
ally branched out as boss in counter.
felt money.
For many years he was at tho head
of the business and developed craft
and cunning almost beyond conception.
He followed his trade Just as any man
would his legitimate occupation. lie
was not, like Mccartney and other no.
torious men, continually shifting and
hiding. Bicbush could always be
found. He had commodious frame
cottage on Stoddard street, in thick.
ly settled portion of the city, coming
and going day by day, raising his fam.
lily and putting by the dollars as the
years passed. lie had certain fixed
principles by which he governed his
action, and these were studiously fol-
lowed as to render it impossible, in de
tcctive parance, to make a case on
him. Riebush's go. between in his ne.
farioss calling was invariably felon
some man who had served term in
the penitentiary, man whose evidence
would be thrown out of any court in
the country. The officers of the law
knew to a positive certainty that Bic,
bush was dealngi in counterfeit money
They put up numbcrless jobs on him
and yet inevitably they found forced
on them the material testimony of O
convict TO establish a case.
The mans excessive watchfulness and
caution served him well in this trade
He was never off guard. Indeed, it is
fact that years of his kind OF life
have given him a second nature in this
direction which is the best means OF
identifying him. His chin is continu.
ally up, his head moving, and his rest.
less eyes twitching from one side to
the other. Otherwise he is a stoutly
built, ordinary-looking man Of fifty.
five, wearing well-worn business suit
and unattractive in dress and appear.
ancc. If he had negotiated trade in
the bogus money, and the time had
como to deliver, he would send the
package by one of the ex-convict mes.
scngcrs: or if he desired to turn over
the stuff himself he would conceal II.
and then go clear handed TO his Gus.
toner, take good survey of the sur
roundings and finding the coast all
clear. go to theplace ofdeposit and bring
forth the stuff in the presence of the
purchaser. Biebush never kept his
stock at his home, and very seldom
made his appointments there with bis
confederates. 1t was one of the few
occasions of his disregard of this rule
that cost him his liberty and last term
in the penitentiary.
In 1868 Shelly had made plates Of
the fifty cent fractional currency for
Biebush. These were countcrfeits of
what was known as the "Spinncr
heads" Shelly's family was living in
Greenpoint, Il. l., but the chgravcr had
come West and done several jobs for
Bicbush. He had been marked and
was glad to purchase immunity.
Shelly was the man who made plates
for Copini, whose unexplained and un-
accountable pardon by the President
Blk years ago occasioned good deal of
and gossip. On his way To-
deliver three plates to Coppini's wife.
Shelly was arrested. lie had "15.
cent" plate, red.seal plate, and a
plate for printing the old style back Of
the grcenback. This gave tho detect.
ives a hold upon him and they used
him successfully to dispose of Biebusb.
The latter contracted for red seal
plate and at the same time for plate
70 print the green part of grcenback.
overstepped his usual caution
md lot the engravcr come to his house
10 deliver the plates. The officers were
notified, and when Biebush had Just
received the plates and was paying for
lhem, they broke down tho door,
rushed in, and seized their man. This
was on the night of the 10Th Of Feb.
-uary, 1869. Biebush never knew how
10 had been betrayed until October,
1870, when he was arraigned for trial
n the Federal court and Shelly took
hc stand against him. Recognizing
he dire strait in which hc was placed,
10 left bis bondsmen in tho lurch and
led that night. After u few weeks
he detectives learned that he had q |
'iding place on Cabaret island, above
be city, and that be used 70 meet
nsmbsu Of his family in the corpAslds
10 the Missouri side. A trap was laid