Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-14
4 "R0Ap AGENTS." STORY.
'Or. Parsons Gives His Version Of the
Affair Which Has Piacsd Him
Behind the Bars.

A Stage Driver Detective Induces
Hin to Commit Z Robbery and
Other Detectives Stop II
at the Critical
Moment.
Dr.. John 8. Persons, the man who was
captured at Saddle creek, Thursday. by
General Squirting and three or four assis-
tants, in the oct Of taking . package from
the Yankton and Sioux Falls stage, was,
Saturday night, arraigued before United
States Commissioner Coneleton, charged
with conspiracy 70 rob the United States
mail. Through his attorney, Alfred Flag.
he waived examination and In default Of
5000 bail was remanded to Jail to await
trial, which will probably come on during
the present term Of court.
From the account published in the Sioux
Falls Paragraph, the public doubtless has
become convinced that Dr.. Parsons Is .
blood thirsty villain-a mar with . ready
revolver, whose business 1t is to seek whom
he may rob aud slaughter-a man who is
ready to enter into any criminal compact
for purposes of gain. This is doubtless the
popular idea, but the history Of his past
does not justify any such erroneous senti.
ment. We have known him for s-Year or
two as q practicing physician at Finlay. in
Turner county. he is . young man of per-
haps thirty years. He was born in Penn.
sylvauia. where he was q member of q high.
" respectable family. His father gave him
Q collegiate education and after this was
finished paid the expenses of . thorough
medical course for him. He has had all
the advantages of q good training, excellent
society and . liberal education. His one
great fault is Q fondness for strong drink,
and whisky has brought him into his pre-.
sent predicament. This Is his own admis.
sion. He does not seem disposed to pro-
test against the consummation of justice in
his case-says that he deserves to be pun.
ished and believes that q few years 10 pris.
on will do him good than anything
which could happen to him. He is per.
fectly frank in all his statements, wants to
atone for his past and does not hesitate to
assert that whisky and bad company have
led him into wrong doing for which he
should suffer the penalty.
For the purpose of giving
to the public DR.. Parsons version of the
affair which has brought trouble and dis.
grace upon him we obtained an interview
with him. 1t will be remembered that he
Was turned over to the authorities by Ed.
ward Creppen, q stage driver on the Yank.
ton and Sioux Falls line, who, it seems,
has been engaged IN q piece of detective
work. Whether the job is crednable OF
otherwise to the detective we leave for the
reader to judge. We found Dr.. Parsons ut
the Jail and the following is the substance
of the conversation which ensued:
Q-Doctor, you seem to be in a bad fix
have you anything you want to say about
the affair?
Ayes. l would like to make a state.
ment. The article published IN the Sioux
Falls Paragraph contains many %inaccura.
cies and leaves a wrong impression. do
not like to have it understood that l am a
member of any unlawful organization, but
rather that the truth be known,
which is that whisky and bad company
are the sole causes of my crime.
Q-But you have associated with men
against whom there is strong suspicion?
A-Yes. l have. They have made me
their tool, by the free use of liquor, and
finally I have been mace the victim of q
scheme which I never intended to 70 into
but was drawn into by yielding to my ap.
petite for strong drink.
Q-About this stage robbery-it is I'M.
derstood that Creppen, the driver. gave you
away TO the detectives. Will YOU tell the
public about this transaction, particularly
about your acquaintance with Creppen and
the means employed to induce you to 20
into the affair?
Al will 60 back to my first meeting
with Creppen, - Is 1 can remember,
I have been drinking 90 much liz.
uor that l can not very distinctly fix dates
or occurrences. I think 1t was carly in
March that Creppen came to me in John
Smiths blacksmith shop at Finlsy and
asked me to examine his mouth, which
which wa diseased. I prescribed q wash.
which he used and Isgieed to give him
ocular attendance at Lower Finlsy. where
he stopped between his stage driving trips.
kept on treating him for two or three
weeks. visiting him regularly excepting
vhen l was too tight to 60. After l had
inown him about that length of time he
sked me one day to ride oyer to Sioux
Falls with him. l agreed, under the Or.
angement that l wa not to charge him
nything for medical attendance and wa to
ide over the line free. At first 1 refused
0 60 on this trip because I had no money
nd Creppen said be would lend me i've
II I would 90. accented the pron.