Ottumwa weekly courier., 1878-10-30
CRUsoN,s CRIME.
The Champion Foreer Of low

tne CnampIon Forger OF Iowa.
One year ago last spring Deputy U.
8. Marshal Steadman arrested at
Winterset, one John L. Cruson, on a
charge of counterfeiting. In his pos
session was found small quantity of
bogus half-dollars. Some other psr
ties in Madison county we're suppos-
ed to be interested with him, and, in
fact one man was arrested but was
never brought to trial. Cruson had
been residing at Winterset for some
time before his arrest, and was anx-
ious to appear as q moneyed man.
Among the schemes he listed $65, 900
of property to the assessor, but the
most diligent research on the part of
that Interested official failed to re-
veal the whereabouts Of any of the
princely possessions of Cruson. They
were like Claude's palace by the Lake
Of Como.
Well, in due time Cruson was lodg.
ed in the Polk county Jail, when he
engaged w. H. McHenry to defend
him, securing the attorneys fee by
depositing with him note for large
amount, signed, apparently, by a
"good" man. Then he sent for Gen,
Given, who went to the Jail and in.
terviewed him. He informed the
General that he wished him to assie,
McHenry.
"How will you secure my fee p
quoth.the veteran attorney.
"That's all right" replied tho pris.
oner, "here is good security and
plunging into his pockets he fished
out deeds and mortgages enough to
redeem the national debt.
The General, astonished, asked the
fellow why he didn't bail himself
out.
"That's just what want You to dc
take the securities and have mo re
leased"
The attorney took the papers and
hied him away to McHenry, where
they consulted. Mes note bore tn.
signature of a good man. but Crusor
had written it. The Generals mort
cages were on valuable lands, bu
Cruson had affixed the signatures
In short Bills note was fiat note and
all the other securities were also fiat
| The United States Grand Jury in
dicted him fer countcrfeiting ant
Judge Love sentenced him to tn,
penitentiary for one year, although
he half thought he should 20 to tn
insane asylum.
Last spring he was released by tn
expiration of term of service, an,
when next heard from was agail
signing other peoples names to ficti
tious papers, as related in an extrac
from the Burlington Hasckeye pub
lished in yesterdays Register. Fort,
thousand dollars in checks purportin,
to be signed by Wesley Redheat
have been sent to Des Moines for col
lection during the past week, twenty
, thousand each to the Valley and low
National Banks, all drawn by Cruson
They are on the blank forms furnish
ed by the banks, but no attempt ap
lpears to have been made to imitat
, Mr.. Redhead's signature, and ever
his name is incorrectly spelled
"Reddhead." Some of them are dat
ed at Ft. Madison and some at Cen
terville. One for ten thousand dol
lars was sent from Burlington. Th
cashier of the bank forwarding
wrote that he did not suppose that
was worth anything, but that wei
known farmer in the vicinity though
it was, and that he was forwarding
for him. Mr.. Redhead has heard O
other similar checks amounting, al
told, to 100000.
Cruson's plan appears to be to pur
chase farms with these forged docn
ments. This fact alone shows his in
, sanity or imbecility, and, in fac
there is no doubt that the man is de
ranged. OF course he will soon b
arrested and confined in the asylum
where he should have gone before
but meantime all grangers would d
well not to sell their farms for Cru
sons checks.-State Register.