The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-03-17
IOaN MOONEY IN jan.
One Of the slIckOSt Crooks in tho Country
Arrestsd After Months Of Unavailing
Haaroh nv the Police,

JVhN AVUNhl " JAIL
One Of the SlIck0St Crooks in the Country
Arrested After Months Of UnaVailing
search by the Police.
About O'Clock yesterday afternoon
Chief Of Police Delbrugge, Officers Car
ney and Lukens went to the house Of
Kate Mooney, in alley F, not far from
the Riverside forge, and arrested her
son, John Mooney.
John Mooney is, whether deservedly
or not, the most Botorous craftsman,
robber and all round criminal who. ever
made Wheeling his home. BE
cannot be over twenty-eight years
old, yet his known criminal career
dates back as far as 1873, when he was
arrested for highway robbery. He and
other youths were sitting on q fence on
South Front street when lady passed
carrying portmanteau. Mooney grasped
It, but the lady held on TO 1t and
screamed. Mooney took out q pocket
knife and scraped the back OF her hand
with 1t till the pain compelled her to let
20 the handle, when he ran OF with u.
He was arrested by Officer Lukens, then
as now q member Of the force, but got
of light.
Mooney has ever since been O source
OF annoyance TO the police. It was
morally certain, though never formally
proven, that he was the head OF the
gang Of masked robbers who battered IN
old man Workenauer's door over in
Manchester and after gagginR and tortur
ing the man and bis wife, stole the
thousands he had boarded; that after
wards tortured and robbed old Elijah
Marling at his home In the country;
that robbed several persons In the same
way over in Ohio and two or three in the
Sixth ward. 'Vs
HIS aRAvEsT cRIME.
The grayest crime Mooney Is definitely
known 10 have committed in this vi
cinity was the shooting OF Town Marshal
Baxter, Of Wellsburg. He and others Of
his gang were caught by Baxter in the
act Of breaking into the bank there, and
| in escaping Mooney shot the Marshal in
the groin, ipatcting q severe wound,
from which, however, Baxter recovered.
For this crime Mooney was arrested,
tried and convicted. Pending his sent.
ence he was brought to the jail here for
safe keeping, but was one Of those who
escaped when Jimmy Nichols was jailer
and four or five prisoners went out one
day.
Since his escape, Mooney has been
known to be here several times, but was
always "slick" enough to evade capture
until yesterday. In that time he has
been accused OF every crime in the cal
endar, and OF most OF them with appar.
emily good reason. Not only here, but
in several other States, he had grave
oGenses laid at his door, and he is
wanted in many places, one report says
in thirteen States, including West Vir-
ginia.
Il is reported that he had brief but
brilliant criminal career in st. Louis,
J and that he served a time in the Cincin.
natl workhouse, escaping before his
term was finished. An eScapade at
Portsmouth, Ohio, in which he wounded
, an officer, Is also narrated, and he is
credited with heading a bold gang in
Baltimore and with having operated
with success all through the South.
wHAruR IS WANTED FOB.
He is suspected to have been impli-
Gated in several crimes at Pittsburg, but
one Of his latest and most serious crimes,
, and the one for which he Is apparently
worst wanted now, Is the killing OF an
officer at Jefferson, Ashtabula county,
Ohio.
Chief Of Police Delbrugge had recently
large batch Of postal cards, kilograms
and circulars asking that Mooney be ar
rested for numerous crimes in widely
scattered towns, but whether he has
kept them could not be learned last
evening. He has q notice from the Ash.
tabula county, Ohio, authorities, offer.
ing reward for his capture, at any rate.
Mooney naturally supposed he was ar
rested for his Wellsburg crime. He has
been known to be here ever since Officer
Donnelly caught John Corners in the
act OF breaking into the Wheeling Beef
Company's establishment few weeks
ago. It is understood that the three men
engaged in that attempt were Conners,
"Egey" Condrey and John Mooney.
Mooney was engaged in the attempted
safe robbery at John Gavin's store, on
the South Side recently.
He has a, peculiar swagger IN his
walk whichIis almost unlike any other
swagger, and strikes the most casual OBJ
server. This was the main feature in
descriptions OF atall, heavy set man who
has figured in many robberies here.
MONEYS CAPTURE.
Mooney was sitting in his mothers
house when the officers came upon
him so suddenly as to ind him unpre.
pared yesterday. The police had been
advised OF his movements since A o'clock
yesterday morning. They approached
him from behind, noiselessly, and had
him in firm grasp before he realized
the situation.
Mooney attempted to reach behind
the head OF a bed In the room, but Oar.
ney got him by the throat, and he be-
came as quiet as q lamb. Behind the
bed, on window sill, was found very
handsome Harrington revolver, thirty.
eight calibre, double. action, with an IN.
usually long barrel.
MONEYS mother wanted to show
eight, and avowed her ability to whip
any officer on the force. She was par.
ticularly bitter at Carney, calling him
hard names till the officers left.
MONEYS brother was also disposed to
talk ugly, but the prisoner, who is very
shreWd, ailenced him with b word.
The prisoner was brought up on
street car, Carney holding him with nip
pers. He was first lodged In cell in
search c revealed nothing Of interest on
i Mooney was well dressed, clean
Bhayen and has neat little mustache
with cute curl on either end. He is
broad.shouldered, round:iaced, taller
than the average man, and has 80 i'm.
proved In appearance that those who
used to know him best pay they would
not have recognized him,