The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-02
EXTRAORDINARY PARDON.
THE ETNG or COTNTERFEfTER
TURNED LOOSE ny GRANT


The Labot- Of Detectives NuIii6ed nv the M
ecu,ivr-A CriDiaai with Plenty Of Money
and Fricnds-A Long Career OF Crime.
hoD,ne Cafcdgo Times.
ST. LouIe, Nov. A.-The king or the
counterfeiters used to be the famili " aud popu-
lar designation for Fred Diebusn among the
detectives and reporters half dozen years ago.
lhcbush has the reputation Of handling more
queer" with less trouble to bimself than any
other counterfeitor in the country The only
really serious drawback he his experienced IN
his professional Greer has been the term OF i'm
ufisOnment Just concluded by a pardon from
Washington. Why lcnlencv should have been
extended to Hebush Is a touch cOnundrum.
There may have Ueen some faint hope Of re-
form, but this could hardl, have been the Inn
pelling motive with the authorities, for BE
bush s record is not good on that score This Is
the second time thai he Ia found himself III.
pelled 20 seek the favor OF the Executive. Gu
the former occasion the release was immed ate.
" followed 10y Fred's return to dealing he
most plausible theory for the PARDON IA that
money did H. Bebusn lives unostentatiously,
hut Is rich. He has money loaned by tue tens Of
thousands Of dollars. AMI some Of his DEBTORS
are hard pushed LAWYERS and politicians. whose
influence the boss counterfeiter h always had.
At"r his r.lc Sc IN 1853, ~ bush made no
scrupie In telling th1t pardon IN Washington
was obt aimed At $l.JG.
Bebusn's criminal career runs back hevond
the memory Of al the detectives II tiis dpv.
II must y" over twenty years ago ia Il h kept
a kind Of hcadp quarters for crooks. Osten-ibly
the plnco was saloon. II " ~ u ted on Lb-
cu street. between see nd aui rnird. aud -
known = the " ar gle. There was rich III elk.
ing Tor thieves and hlacalegs ON the river IN
those DAYS. aud the police force on hand had
not ontnined its present ,fn tcrcv. Bebtish
Therefore Dir We q thriving business ~ a f'nce
until one Il y a wing detective pIllei open a
secret panel door ~ he saloon and disclosed
III al y ali IItfI|.
Fred went out Of the saloon business ortlv
after tins ana gradually hr nched cut as boss
tor many We trs he w,s at the he ID " the hti..
ness and developed craft and cunning Tlmost
hey"nd conception; lie followed his trade Just
~ any man Mnlld ms legitimate occupation.
lie was not like McCartne, and otner notorious
men. continuity shifting ana hiding. Bttush
could Away ~ FOUND, lie hai q connections
frame Ottagc on Stud RI street. IN % thtckly
settled portion Of the city, coming and going
day hN ~ raising his family and putting hy the
dollars rs tue years passed. lie had cert IA
hNed principles oy"hi h ne governed his action,
aud these were so studiously followed as to
render It Impossible, in detective parlence. t.
IN ikc a case ON lin. BicOush'- gO-hetWcen In
bis nefariuus calling was inv iriAhlv afeuu some
man vino had served a term Ia the penitentiary,
man wn'se evidence would bc thrown out Of
| any court In the county. Th' officers II the
was uc iling In counterfeit money. They mn up
numoerless Jons on HIM, ana Vet Inevitably they
! found infceu on them tue material testimony Of
| convict To- establish case.
The mans excessive wafchfulness aud eau
| never on guard. Indeed. D. Il fact that wears
! - his ktad II life have given MIN q SECOND ma
ture ~ TINS direction which - tue best means
| ui ldcnuNing hiul. Ills chin T. continually up.
his mead moving. and his restless eyes tNiich-
| my from on side t. the othet. Otherwise he i
| stuutly butt. ordinary looking man of nfty-
! five. wearing well-worn business suit and un-
| negotiated u trade In the bogus money and In,
time had come TO deliver. he would send the
pa kaye hV one OF his eX-conVict messengers: ur
| II he 1, sired 10 turn over the sum MINIS n he
/ nm nfN ttIla A.4..r hats.
| bis customer take a good survey " the sur
rounding-. aud finding the coast all clear. 20 10
| the place 81 uepo-it ami ring forth the stur m
| the presence of the purchaser Bcbush never
| kent MS stock Al his home. ana yer, seldom
made his appoin meuts there with his confed-
| crates. II wts one OF the Few oct islons : his
DISREGARD Of this rule that cost MIN ais llbt ~
| aud iSt term ia the prnitcntitry.
III ISIS shelly md de plates Of the nfty cent
fractional currency for liieoush. These we're
| counterieits Of what was known ~ the spinner
| heads. Shriys family was living I'm Green
| point. l.. l., hut the engraver had come West
and done several Jobs for Bieoush lie had been
shelly was he man who made plates i.r Cop
| PIN, whose uueXt lHned and unaccouutaoic
| pardon by the President tx years ago OCCASION
! ed good deal Of surprise nd = ssip. ON MS
w to deliver tatee PLACES to Coppiui's wife.
shelly Was arrested. lie had Ii cent" plate.
rrd--eai VI lte. aud plae Tor lrinting the old
! style blCi, If toe grceuhdck. his gave tue de-
| tecuNe, a IA Id u9un hun aud they used him
! successfully 10 dispose OF Bichush. The latter
| contracted for r"u-seal plate ana al the me
| time iur a plste to pIint the green ntrt ~ d,
| caution and let the ensrayer come to MS house
! to deliver The plates. The officers we're notified.
| and when lIebusA had lust received The plates
| and wa paying for them, thew broke
down the door, rushed in, ma seized their IN an.
| lul. Was On the night II the IL h Of Fee ruar,.
! leg. Behu-h never kuf " how he had been ue-
~ we'd hntil october. $50, when he va, ar
rhgutd iur tri u IN ne lvlrrtl cOurt ana smelly
| took The stand against him. Recognizing the
dire strait IA which hc " - ulaced, he LETT his
bond -ucu 100 the lurch and fed IN a night. After
| Afew wrras tue de ectNts learned that he IA 3D. q
| a hiding place ON 20 ret island, above the CITY,
| and that he used 20 meet memb os of his family
| IN the cOrnneius on the 'i.suurt side. \ trtI
| wa, laid for him, but bo give the detectives Il
chase aud escaped, IN spite q a running fusilade
| Of half a mile. \ little later the III 'ers got
| upon aim .gdn. and after some more shooting
| oVtrnauled MIN. He was BROUGHT TO trial and
| smelly evidence convicted him. The sentence
was ten ear. and hi. lie more than ualf vi tue
! term mas expired,
| AT III, penitentlarv Bebush had charge of IN,
| engine Ind machinery. lis pardon arrived un-
| cNpetteAlY and there Was no one 10 take his
place. HIS liberty WAS given HAL but ne re-
NAMED IA the place nearly week instructiup
| a NOVICE Ia the duties aud requirements Of the
Osltluu he wds jI-t vac ting Bebu-h II now
| - years old lie mo frou Westpualii. Prus,
sid. and las uved I'm -. Louis. uarrin- his 50
| JOurn ia Jefferson cay, since leii. His Chlldrei
| nave grown u ma,uuty one II the boys Is
| clerk Ia lbusntss house, ana one Oi the da4- "a
| It4r-