Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-02-13
4 eoRoeR rAkfN m.

OF all the criminals Of the thievine
order perhaps the forger is the mean
est and most dangerous. There is nc
telling whom or where they are to
strike or who they are to hit. Fol
the last three weeks q man calling
himself Geo. johnson, but whose real
name, from the best information seemt
to be George Thomas, has been play
ing the shark around this city very
successfully, boarding at one place
just long enough to get well used to
the place and we'll acquainted with
the landlord, when he would move
his boarding place and leave the last
man to whistle for bis pay. He hat
taken in several honorable boarding
house keepers, and among the rest
our old friend, Wesley Rayburn, on
Main street, who perhaps is the great
est loser among the hash vendors.
He is about % or % years of age,
of a cadaverous appearance, and set
up the job nicely. He pretended to
have liver complaint, and whenever
he found new boarding place he
would express himself wonderfully
pleased with the cooking and bill Of
fare, promising to remain until spring.
As soon as the landlord would be-
como clamorous for his pay the
boarder would skip out for pastures
new and green. The last place he
stopped before his arrest was
with prostitute on Main street. He
was something Of musician, and by
the way, was very fond of violin.
John Miller, of the second hand store,
had few violins, and among the rest
was one that pleased this fellows fam
cy, as to price, quality, SC. He re-
marked that he would purchase the
violin provided John would discount
a note which he held on one of the
most substantial farmers of Mahaska
county. Miller said he did not like
to deal in notes much, but If the note
was on good man he would make
trade. John, in the meantime, at the
suggestion Of Mr.. CLANCY, wrote to
Hon. s. T. Caldwell, Of Eddyville, in
relation to the maker of the note and
received the reply that VIM. FEEDER
lex, of Mahaska county, was respon-
sible for all his contracts and that his
notes were gilt-edged. The trade was
made and John gave Thomas $40 in
cash and the violin, valued at SIS, for
the $S4 note on the aforesaid VIM.
Frederick.
After the trade was made, John, in
thinking over the matter, concluded
that there was bare possibility that
the note might be forgery, and he
took trip up to Eddyville. The
signature was so like Mr.. Frederick's
that some people acquainted with the
old gentleman's penmanship, thought
it genuine, but old Billy pronounced
1t base forgery. -
In the meantime John had had the
fellow arrested on the charge of va
grancy to hold him until the matter
could be Investigated, and yesterday
swore out q warrant and had him ar
rested on the charge of forgery, to
which he plead guilty and will be
held to answer to the next Grand Ju-
ry. He is a miserable thief and his
chances for the penitentiary are very
flattering. It is probable, although
Miller took all honorable precautions,
that he will quit the broker business.
And right here, we want to say, is
one of the most prolific sources of our
court expenses. Criminals of all
classes rush in here from other and
smaller towns because of our large
and miscellaneous population, to COM
NIT their forgeries, larceny and bur.
glary, and the thousand and one 9TH
er crimes known to the calendar, and
on being caught, Of course have to be
tried here at the expense of the tax
payers of Wapello county. We can
see no remedy for this, unless the
punishment be administered so
speedily and so severely that Grimm
ais will be afraid to come here. The
fact is Wapello county ought to have
criminal Judge that could send .
man to the penitentiary every day in
the year and on the shortest kind OF
notice.-DaHy Feb. 18th.