The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-09-13
He was Engaged in Organic
ing Local Boards" at
Shreveport, La,
When the Officers Swooped Down
Upon Him and Placed Him
in Jail.
The Darling Sister" is Still with
Him. but Now Assumes
the Role of Wife.

shc UIcdh Vi 0aS, q. foiIhy hNan. u
local board" insurance Eotcriely, mad,
his escape from the Sedalia Jail. in com
pany with Charles Moore, who Was await
ing trial for murder. Although RYAN WI,
discovered while making his exit and :
general alarm was given, SD thorough,
had the prisoners completed all their ar
engagements that it was impossible to fol
low their trail and they were soon beyond
the confines of Missouri.
Sheriff Conner Immediately put forth
every effort in his power to effect their re.
capture, and with this purpose in view
sent hundreds of postal cards containing q
description VI the men ~ every section OF
the country, and offered 4 reward iOr their
apprehension.
On two or three occasions he has re-
ceived letters from parties who desired tn
know more regarding Ryan, and in every
instance he gave them the fullest iniorma-
ton possible.
Last night Marshal Shy received a tele-
gram from the city marshal at Jackson.
Tenn, asking what reward was offered for
Ryan. He Immediately turned it over to
Sheriff Conner, who gave the information
desired and forwarded a photograph
Of the escaped Jail bird As to
xhether the Tennessee official knows any
thing regarding Ryanis whereabouts, it is
very doubtful, but in last nights Globe
Democrat appeared Especial dispatch from
shreveport, La, to which Sheriff Conner's
attention was called BY BAzOO reporter
this morning, and he is fully satisfied that
Ryan has been taken into custody there
for the same swindling operations he
Practiced in this city. So thoroughly con-
WINGED is the sheriff that Ryan has been
captured that he to-day wrote to the au-
thOrities at Shreveport, giving an account
Of the prisoners doings here and forwa ard
ing picture of him.
There is scarcely doubt but what the
party referred to in the following tele-
gram is J. EOlney Ryan, who is still AZ
companied by thatcharming young lady f?j
whom he palmed of As his sister while
here:
A few days ago a man calling himself
Walter Harmon made his appearance
here and represented that he was an agent
If the New York Mutual Life Insurance
Company with authority To organize
local board in the several counties south.
These boards were to consist of ten mem
bess each, and would also be constituted
boards of assessment, for the purpose of
eaecting loans on real estate at the nom.
inal sum Of Z per cent. he stating that the
company had several millions TO loan in
the south. Futhcr, all members taking
part In the board or organization must
take at least 5000 policies on their lives.
A board was soon organized, and every
thing seemed to be moving along swim
mingly. Harmon was collecting the first |
payment ON the life policies when !
he was dropped on, and dis |
patch sent to the headquarters |
OF the company in New York. |
An answer received said he. was fraud. |
He was arrested this morning, and after
being compelled to give up the money he
had collected, several hundred dollars.
placed in jail. He is small-sized man,
wearing light mustache, which he curls
at the ends. He claims to be wrongfully
arrested and says he was acting for the
agency at Memphis, conducted by H.H.
Howard, and the headquarters office knew
nothing about his movements. A dis
patch received tonight SAYS there is no
such man as Howard in Memphis. Har-
mon is evidently swindler. lie is now
in Jail, and a woman claiming to be his
wife is at the Compton hotel, where they
had been stopping.
LATER |!
Yesterdays BAzOo gave a detailed az
rount of the arrest of Walter Harmon at
shreveport, La, for swindling number of
athens Of that city by representing him
elf as agent Of the New York Mutual
Life insurance company, with power to Or
yanize local boards" loan money, etc. ,
.huy,o he, Ii |
hundred dollars premium on policies is-
ned. The BAzoO, on reading the dispatch !,
n the Globe Democrat announcing the ar
est, surmised at once that Walter Har-
non and J. VOlney Ryan were identical,
nd recent developments have verified the /
opposition.
For some time past Sheriff Conner has .
cen IN correspondence with gentleman \
n st. Louis, supposed to Ike Detective w. 8
/. Tucker, former citizen of this CITY. !,
tho knew Ryan and was cognizant OF his .
perations in Sedalia, having ar:
ested him on the charge for +
hitch he is wanted here Tucker \
, considered one Of the shrewdest men on :
he force in st. Louis, and when he sets J
bout to apprehend criminal he sener- h
lily gets to the front h
Ryan's woman, whom he passed of in :,
his city rs his darling sister" Was not !,
Unknown to Tucker. who determined to =
eep watch upon her movements and
AUS ascertain the whereabouts Of her
riminal lover.
Nearly one month ago Sheriff Conner
word that j. Volney was in the G
.uth and was gradually working toward A
lev Orleans. At that time it was impos- @
bic to locate him definitely, but il is now "
retty generally believed that he was then ii
orking the town of Jackson, Tenn. u
Whether Tucker knew of his work there b
1nnot be ascertained, as those cognizant o.
the circumstances are remarkably reti- c.
mt in regard to the matter. Certain it is, p
oweyer, that Ryan turned up in Shreve- &c
OF, La, few days ago, where he was r