Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-02-16

. From the Daily of February i4th
An Interview with sheriff Spiiman
A COURIER reporter visited Sher.
if Spilman at his Office this morning
and during the interview learned
from him that he would leave the city
for TT. Madison at 3 o'clock to-mor.
row morning with seven or eight
: prisoners, sentenced to servitudc in
; the penitentiary, for various crimes,
at the late term Of Court.
Among the most important, or the
one who has occasioned the most re-
mark among the people, is Carroll
Jones, so well known to most Of our
people. He, while he continues his
outward calm demcanor, seems TO
feel the weight of his sentence, and
the cnormity of his crime very kecnly
aud seems to have no disposition to
talk with any one except his parents.
He is young in years, Of fine personal
appearance, and is said to be tolera-
bly, we'll educated. The report that he
had been pardoncd was fiction alto
gcthcr aswas the report that his friends
had made application to have him re-
pricvcd. And we are also informed by
the Sheriff that the father of the boy,
while he is almost heart broken
over the fatal occurrence, and as a
matter of course, possessed with all
the love of father for his offspring,
expresses himself rs entirely salts
fed with the sentence Of his son, and
really does not now, and never did,
ask or expect anything less than that
Carroll should serve the full length of
the term inflicted by the penalty Of
the law. OF course he will fare as.
other prisoners do, and the Sheriff
will take him with the rest and in the
same manner.
The next most important criminal
sentenced during this term of court
is VIM. Henry. Henry is young
man about nineteen years of age, and
is also of fine personal appearance,
but is evidently uncultured, and dis
posed, drunk or sober, to be a sort of
desperate. He was arrested for bur-
glary, committed at highland assault
ing, b. r. Congcr, living in Jefferson
county, near the county line. 1t
seems that young Henry, in company
with one or two others, went to Con-
gers house on the night of the Goth of
September last, and knocked at the
door for admission. Mrs. Conger
came to the door and inquired who
was there, and was answered that it
was ST Johnson, giving the name of a
Young man who had been at work
for Conger during the summer. She
opened the door and two men came
into the house. She invited them to be
seated, and while she was lighting the
lamp ono of the party arose, placed a
pistol ut her head and demanded her
money, or in the event that she re-
fused, proposed to take her life. She
screamed murder, and ran into an
other room where Mr.. Congcr was
sleeping. The man followed her,
carrying the light. Mr.. Conger was
aroused by the melee, and when the
man made his appearance in the room.
he, (ConGer) jumped on the robber
and in the scufllc the lamp was put
out. A general fight, in the dark,
took pace, and Mr.. Congcr was beaten
nearly To death. either with Il slmng-
shot or the butt of pistol.
During the fight man by tho
name Of Hays, who was in the house.
came through the room and attempt
ed TO get in to where the fight was
going on, but was knocked
down three different times,
and finally was met with n
pistol and ordered to stand, which
command he obeyed. In the mean
time the robbers becoming fright
ened at the resistance offered beat a
retreat, but not until Hays fully
identified Ua"..y q 6.s.s- as tho erinei-
pal assailants,, They failed to ac-
complish the object of their visit and
went away without obtaining the
money. Henry was arrested in No
vembcr, and as is already known.had
a trial and was convicted atthc pres
emf term Of Court and sentenced to
ten years In the pcnitcntiary, but on
appealing the case was admitted 10
bail in the sum Of 81, 200. The bail
bond at the time Of the visit ofour re-
porter had not been filed, and unless
it was to-day, he will 60 to III. Madi-
son also.
1t is only justice to say that n gang
of thieves have ilourished through
this and adjoining counties for some
time past to an extent unheard of be-
fore in the history of the State, and it
is known, also, that the gang is now
broken up, through the efforts princi-
pally Of our Sheriff and his Deputy,
who have spared neither time nor
expense in ferreting out their method
and means of doing business and
have already arrested several ofthe
gang.
We also learned from the Sheriff
that this gang extended their opera
tons through several counties north
and south, had regular ofiicers--a Sec
rotary, treasurer, and all that sort of
thing they also had general store
house for stolen goods, where every
thing stolen was deposited, and when
disposed Of, the proceeds were taken
and divided equally among the gang,
who had the privilege of taking their
pay either in good money or in conn
terfeit at heavy discount. They
were bound together by the most hor-
riblc oaths, and the penalty of tnrn-
ing States evidence against the gang
was death. The matter was SYSTEM
atically arranged, and has been car
ricd ont to the letter, and with the
spirit Of tho bond, so far as possible.
! John Mack, who, il will BIO remem-
bcrcd by the readers of the COURIER,
picked n lady's pocket down at
the railroad depot, last Fall, and was
arrested by the Marshals, is about 20
years of age, and claims to hail from
Chicago. He was sentenced TO two
years at hard labor in the penitcn-
tiary. He seems To care but little
about the matter, and is rs indifferent
rs no can well h.