Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-11-21
THE BOLD, BAD COLONEL
Another victim Rises TO Explain.

AnOEnGF NIcNNlm HIEeD 10 LlXDAHL0s
Since the arrest of the aliased Col.
Niles. in Oil City, Sheriff Stiles has re-
ceived the following letter from one Of
the Colonel's many Victimsi
La Gro, IND, Nov. 5, 1879.
A. W. STILES, ESQ.,, Sheriff, Ashtabula
County, Ohio. Dear Sir:-I saw your let
ter to Chief of Police, of Wabash, and as /
am one of the interested parties, will give
you brief statement Of the Colonel's do
ings IN these parts. About the end of
June last, there came man to my moth
er's house claiming to be her cousin from
California, John Iliff, (she had cousin by
that name living in California, whom she
had not seen for the last twenty-five or
thirty years.) He claimed TO be hunting
up his cousins for his brother, who had
willed large amount of property to them,
and he was hunting them in order TO turn
the property over to the rightful owners.
He had a will to that effect, and read it to
US, also other papers, such as deeds of
property in Eureka, Humboldt Co., Cal.
He claimed 20 be an old batchelor, and
finally persuaded my mother to marry him
and go to California with him. She mar
ried him at my house on the third day Of
last July. (Ma has the certificate now.)
In the meantime he was selling off her
household goods, as he did not wish to
move them so far. After he had got her
goods all sold, be persuaded me to sell
mine and go along with them, setting
forth as an inducement that he would give
me a situation in his wholesale establish
ment, at Eureka, at $53 per month. He
also claimed TO be paymsster on the U.
P. r. R., and as soon as he could bring
his influence to bear in my favor, he would
get me position as operator, that being
my business. l sold everything l had, and
went with them. We first went to Mil
waukee, Wis, and put up at the Axtell
House. We were there about week.
when be said he had some business at Wa
bash, and he wanted to go back there and
settle that up, and then we would start for
California. He had all of Mas money,
(sbout seven hundred dollars, he having
sold her house and LOTT and about fifty dol
lars OF my money, my watch, ring, and
revolver. He also had o gold locket and
ring belonging to mother. He started for
Wabash, saying he would be back in
week or less time. We waited for him
ten daYs and he did not-eome, so we knew
we we're sold. came back to Wabash to
start over again without single dollar.
l am now working on the Wabash Ry.,
my wife is in Wabash, and my mother is
dressmaking IN Milwaukee now.
Following is a description of him: He
is about 8 feet and z inches in height,
weighs about 1876 or 140 pounds, is light
Completed, with very light blue eyes. He
is little stoop-shouldered He has a
long, swinging walk, and q very small
foot, And now, most Of all, be has some
tattoo marks worked on his arm in India
ink. On one arm he has the initials J. T.,
and on the other he hasa revolver and
dirk knife, one laying across the other.
he was not aware that ! knew this,
saw 1t when he was changing shirts the
day he left Milwaukee.
hope you have good case against him,
for he is terrible william. BE left us in
destitute circumstances, and l have no
money to aid in bringing him to justice;
but do not let him go, for if you can do