The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-19
INGENIOUS RASCALITY.
TELEGRAPH LINE TAPPED TO sUBsERvx THE
OPERATIONS OF FoBoERs-rHE DISCOVERY.
nm II

A TELEGRAPH LINE TAPPED TO suBsERyx THE
OPERATIONS OF FoBoERs-rHE DISCOVERY.
From the Burlington Hswksyol
Last evening Major John Il. Wood, chief OF the po-
lioe service employed by the Chicago, Burlington
Quincy Railroad. came up from Keokuk accompanied
by Mr.. Cole, the osceola banker. and In charge of
Black whom the Major arrested in Keokuk as an
accomplish In the Oscco'a forgery. Having taken the
last OF the gang engaged that transaction At
liberty TO publish some matters connected with 1t
which have never been made public and v hch go 10
make up one OF the shrewdest ami most consummato
pieces Of villany on record.
FORGERY.
Mrs A. I. White, the woman who presented the
draft at the counter OF the bank in Osceoa had gone
up and down the road from station station Tor
eraI days. ON Wednesday morning. June q, being in
Osceola, requested the hotel keeper tell her
when exactly O'Clock. This he did, and'shc
went Immediately TO the bnnk and presented the
draft tor $4,000. sgniiying her Willingness that Mr.
Colo should telegraph 10 The Kentucky bank Mr..
Cole retained the draft and the woman departed no
stepped the shcrins Office and told him the CIR
cumstunce. and requested MIN TO shadow the woman
and not let her leave town. Before reply was rc-
ceived 10 the telegram she attempted TO leave on
tram, but arrested and held. and soon alter tho
reply came that the draft was forgery. knowing
that mad accomplccs IN the crime, effort to IN
duce her TO reveal tnom resulted in nor charging
halt dozen innocent men with the crime. They
SUCCESSFULLY arrested ana discharged. Finally she
was held to bail in tho extremely low sum oil $500.
DISCOVERY OF Tux BREAK
Tins matters stood until last tuesday, when the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Telegraph operator re-
ported that The commercial line had opened very sud
denly and unaccounta0iy, anu alter trouble tho
break had been locatca between Charlton ana Lucas,
went slowly over The track scruInizng
every foot of the wires, but they were ul up, and
there no break visible. Finally, after repeated
examinations, the section men came IN aud reported
that they could SEQ nothing except AZ ono re-
from the wire." they ordered to go back ana
examne the cobwcbs, winch they did, and behold the
cobwebs wore hpc copper wires Here was the solu-
tion OF the my sterics and such solution. Tho tee-
graph wire had been cut and spced, an undertaking
that had boon accomplished without the aid OF the
Instruments ordinarily used to stretch the wire IL
had been accom- pishod In tins manner. The tee-
grapa wire had boon carefully wrapped with leather
Two places, than inch apart, the leather
being an inch wide. separate piece OF telegraph
WIRE, eight or ten inches long, beng bent double,
one end was wrapped 70 una each piece OF leather ANA
between them The line cut the ends back
over the ends OF the splice. Leather being nom
conductor, no current could pass from the genuine
line through the leather ~ tho Splice and thus tho
circuit was broken. How the rascals ovcrcame the
tension OF the wire when It was cut Is not understood
PLANS OF 1Bk RAscALs
Having tapped the wire aud broken the circuit, the
rascals then deliberately proceeded TO erect private
this outrageous villany is we'll shown BY
which they took to get up 10 the wire to cut H. They
needed ladder ana they made u with boards Knocked
from the icnce. Thor cpect will DO readily under
stood. They intended 10 intercept Mr. Coles dispatch
to tho CynhsIa bank, and after proper interval TO
transmit him o reply that the draft all right He
woud then pny the draft and tho thievish would
then depart the country. THIS explains why the
exact about the hour Mt which the draft
should be presented. II was part Of tho agreed pro-
grYmme. What the immediate cause Is unknown,
but by some means Mr.. Coles message went through
all right and he saved. Perhaps tho candestne
operator was frightened from his post Perhaps his
instrument got out OF order.
AS long tho wires ard connections through tho
chances Instrument complete the current
passed through and on TO s destination, the circuit
bcipg complete OF course the rascas would leave the
instrument thus IN order to avoid detection. and
long II remained intact messages would come and
20 usual and nothing would be suspected at any OF
the regular Offices And fact, SO IL continued Tor
nearly week. But ut last knife which had been
stuck into to hold some strings in place. fell
down. and the circuit was broken AT once business
was inlerrupted and the lnYestlgatton followed.