Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-11
TOLD BY A DETECTIVE.
PGRlLS IN BRINGING CRIMINALS
TO JUSTICE.
As Hostler for the Leader of Notorious
Band of Thieves He Had Facilities
for Securing Evidence.

Seated in the corridor of one of the hotels
was a medium sized, pleasant looking
man, well dressed and resembling in many
respects drummer He WIS one of Major
Carriers most trusted detectives, the man
who captured the Orange county counter
feiters. Il suppose when old Sam Rivers,
who is in Jail for counterfeting, is sent
over this time" he remarked to a reporter,
at will end him. Well, Sam has had his
day. and right lively one it was too. Do
you know that Sam is the last of a band Of
robbers who infested this state for years?
The most complete gang ever organized. /
was member of it,
"A member of band OF horse thieves"
exclaimed the reporter.
Yes" answered the secret service officer,
with smile. Il belonged to it until got
most OF them behind stone walls"
The reporter pressed the detective for
history OF the criminals and this remark
able romance III crime was related:
John T. Riley was born and raised in
Hartford, of rich parents. He was 4 wild,
reckless fellow. and shortly after becom-
ing of age he forged his fathers name for
So, eco and fed to Philadelphia. Here he
assumed the name of Thomas W. Foster,
aud engaged in the horse business, con-
Meeting himself with lot of sharpers,
whose business it was to fleece country
men. He made considerable money and
few rather high.
lone night at theater he formed the ac-
quaintance of a woman named Mcbride.
whose husband was an alderman and quite
wealthy. The Irritation was so marked
between the two that the husband was III
formed and hired me to watch his wife.
This did, and the information 1 secured
of her life in Philadelphia society would
make q startling book. AS l was about to
trap the guilty pair they eloped, and took
with them several thousand dollars be-
longing to the alderman l started after
them; got trace of them at Cincinnati,
where they bought tickets for st. Louis,
and went there.
Il looked for them for months through
the west, and finally gave up the chase.
stopped off at Osgood, Ind, where Foster,
with the money stolen by the woman,
went into business, and while was search
ing for them all over the west they were
living very secluded lives at the little Indi-
ana town.
FOSTERS LIFE IN 0sGOoD.
Foster had not been in Osgood q great
while until he became acquainted with the
notorious Missouri Rittenhouse and Isaac
Levy and his family, all of whom were
counterfeiters and crooks. The whole lot
became quite intimate. and when Foster
bought livery stable and ostensibly did a
legitimate business, his barn was only
fence for stolen horses. He and Levy
bought horses and passed counterfeit
money. and, attending all the fairs and
races, soon became acquainted with all the
thieves and crooks of the country.
"a great many horses were stolen, men
robbed on the highway, stores plundered
and men beaten nearly to death. Crime
was rampant. The people raised fund
and I was employed to ferret out the ma
RAIDERS. When got to Osgood l recog-
nized my old friend Foster and the alder
mans wife, and made up my mind he was
the man l must cultivate. 1 could not get
in with him, however, and he sold out and
moved to Columbus, o.
"There he and his wife moved in the best
society, gave grand parties and were the
associates Of the most prominent people of
the city. Two years of rapid living drained
Fosters resources, and becoming heavily
in debt he returned to Osgood. His wife
deserted him and went to Washington,
where she lives under an assumed name.
Foster handled crooked money and dealt
in stolen horses, and on July Q, 1884, be-
came a hostler in his stable. did not get
a good pointer until in the fall, when Sam
Rivers hired buggy at the stable and was
driven TO the country by young Sam Rit-
tenhouse. That night a horse was stolen,
and when young Sam was arrested my evil