Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-09-02
GIGANTIC GANG J..
OF Land SWindlers Broken Up
and the Leader in Jail.
PROMISCUOUS SwINDIING OF ANY
NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
Old Women Has yictims-Neat Piece Of
Detective Work by City Marshal
Johnson, OF Ladionia.

DettcuSe work Dy Ctty Marshhi
Johnson, of Laddonia.
Sometime during the month Of last
a man apparently about 60 years
calling himself s. c. MeCulloch
came TO Laddonia, in the eastern end
of this county with a handsome young
woman whom he claimed was his
wife, and who was as laxative as she
was pretty. McCulloch said he was
Il wealthy real estate agent, and had
with him three assistants. One was
a small man with gaudy moustache,
the other a large, fleshy man and the
third a cripple who used Il crutch.
MIR. and Mrs. McCulloch stopped at
Geo. w. Covey's a short time, but
afterwards went to board at Mr..
Poormsn's, near Rush Hill, it being
much more quiet and secluded than
at Covey's house, About ten days
ago City Marshal johnson, of Laddo-
MIA, received notification from Sheriff
Root, of Lee county, Iowa, that the
man McCulloch was wanted there for
forging deeds and swindling an aged
lady out If her property and every
cent she possessed on earth. John
son, after several days search over
the country, located his man at
GAINESVILLE, Mo. Sheriff Root vas
notified and went to GAINESVILLE but
McCulloch could not be found. Upon
the suggestion of johnson the post
office was Swallowed and it was then
ascertained that McCulloch was on
the Illinois side and his mail was
being carried oyer the river to him by
a boy. The Sheriff sen him word to
come over he wanted to see him
about a land trade. S%uspecting moth
ing he came and vas trapped as the
ferry boat landed. Sheriff Root says
he is an old swindler and that the
woman is not his wife, but a young
girl he betrayed and compelled to
travel over the country with him
McCulloch, at times, must have beer
a veritable brute, as his treatment o.
the woman was shameful when they
were alone and unobserved. Hi'
c~ountenance was forbidding and hi
features showed clearly the characte:
of the man. McCulloch was taken tt
to Keokuk, Iowa, and placed in Jail
and the woman went to Pleasan
Hill, Ill, where she now is.
1t is impossible to tell just wha
McCulloch's depredations were IL
Missouri. 1t is known, however, tina
t he perpetrated a huge land swindl
: in Monroe county, where he came IN
: to possession of a valuable farm nea
Paris, an old lady being the victim
Her s~on-in-law, named Greenup, wa
ten out of every dollar he pc:
ssed, and his stock were driven
Illinois by McCulloch's hirelings an
sold publicly upon the streets
Pleasant Hill. When arrested he ws
i upon the eve of concentrating anoti
er large swindle. The old lady VIII
lived in Monroe county gave him
le deed to her farm, he giving not
4 payable in nine years. An endeav'
d will be made to have this matt
Strengthened out through a process
:. law. There is no estimating he
many other smooth schemes McCr
- loch has worked, but that the Is
now has within its clutches one
shrewdest swindlers that ever oper
le ted in this State seems to be a certa
,g fact. and too much credit cannot
te given to Marshal johnson for t
neat and effective work he acco'
e. plished in following up the case a
3" aiding to land behind the bars
as noted a criminal.