The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-28
JOE DoVys NOTORIOUS GANG.
Recalled nv tho Death OF Its Leader IN .
Pennsylvania Poorhouse.


the Ohio line. q few days ago. helpless
pauper. under name not his own. His death |
was not mentioned even in the local news |
papers OF tho nelghborhood but had this man
died forty years ago or less the newspapers OF
this whole country would have given good
deal OF space In announcing the fact" said
resident Of Crawford County. ia. The real
name OF that man was Joseph Dows. and he
was none other than the once notorious Joe
Dows. leader Of the most extraordinary gang
OF criminals ever organized in this country or
any other country. They were counterfeiters.
horse thieves. mail robbers burglars. And in
cendiaries. and when railroads began to run
through the country where they had their
headquarters they added trai wrecking to
their list OF criminal accomplishments. and
were undoubtedly the first in that dang erous
class OF criminals
bows was an Eastern man. and was one OF
the pioneer lawyers o! Michigan. He was we'll
nown in his profession. About forty-hve
years ago Jackson county. Mich. and the sur
rounding country became tho scenes OF re-
reated highway robbciics. burglares. and
mail robberes. Later II was discovered that
the country was flooded with counterfeit
money. People travelling through that coun-
try frequently disappeared under circum-
stances that left no doubt they had been muir
dercd and robbed. No clue TO the perpetrators
OF these crimes could be discovered. nor did
suspicion rest on any one in the community
where they wore committed 1t was evident
that they were tho work OF n gang working
that part Of Michigan and the adjacent eoun,.
try wore terrori.eh by the dcsperadoes Joseph
te E ON busnes e.G and in April 1881 soon
| after his return to Jackson county from one OF
into sreas esesoment BY the arrival
officers from Pennsylvanla with warrant IN, dos
nil prpDprpU. He charged with DurHIurS,
counterfeitinC. and mail robbery. committed
tHs sts nsfnS e haS S
ne portion ,completod. l -, was one of
Sssssnss G and ,ssishs t1ans had been sys
robbed and freight trains looted mere ., than nan
stances tile buildings set on fire and de.
On one occasion the railroad track was blown
np by an Internal machine 80 arranged that IL
alta chm en- &c 10 il. Tho Locomotives was hurled
from the track by this b ana the en-
! also wrecked and many persons terribly In.
urcd some of them fatally.
before this outrage was perpetrated. sps-
| picion had in some way been turned upon Joe
bows as being concerned in all the long list OF
crimes that had preceded this one. and in this
that Bows was the lender Of the gang respon-
sible for them all. and that his associates were
Detroit e t. and Niles. The railroad COMPANY en-:
rluyed detectives TO ferret out the criminals
daring n you ,s feIlow named JHdson. He man.
aged to make the ncquaintance OF two or three
Gers o. the gang, and at last to gain somewhat
q their confidence. They. were cautious
dqa I'd be the yps p INIT"
deed. and carried out his agreement that the
Of the EnnG MERE nayedi Hnd ss
nohn a'q less M SGR Ro s qsfr
road company's depot at Niles. He was to
night. ana he. applied tho torch according to
agreemen He had managed. however: to in !; !;
to set fire to the building. and why. and con-
sedusntly the Fire Department OF Niles was
and the S nsson was
and was t. Gu s the eydsns C
nearly every one Of the criminals and in most
astounding revelations.
taken TAI into ot custody by the PENNSYLVANIA au::
chanred tho ecaoS Certain its
beers that it was most important to capture:
o ON the o"srs f It Iarpened that here
was ono bold spir: among the desper ,ass"
by ED owss unex pccted arrest. and soon mobi-
lied them again and had them ready for re.
and unt Els arrest he
regarded as ono of tn. best citizens OF Detroit.
where he was in business. lie was a, native ~,
and the detectives discovered that these visits
for the Of ia
leader Of tho gang, and set them to work
again. the officers ,relaid their plans for cap.
ior a concerted move against them on a Ger;
Friday night at Niles. Lsona. Centre and
%! tie w raGs o
awaiting orders from Williams. who was tC
taken n19 custody ao the sam iss nGe
IN men t'' was to be be made !udson reported
9ad mads up his Gesrs to T9
I iieved tho news OF it would be immediately
Williams IS was followed by United States Mar:
shall GoodnouGh and arrested en- route Ionte
, day with Williams he, found that the plans o.
the detectives had worked SO well that thirty
hem
pnysiStanIs; dss Of ,nt
. from Supervisor down to Poormaste r
Inc arrests were made on warfap t Issued b,
MstS the ho"ss Of Of tic physeisns
! ing Of buildings. Which could be So arrange,
as 10 burn from an hour to three days befor'
was ased inc IN bmrnnr hs peS dspo
, and $1,000 worth OF property 1t contained
| Most vi tho prisoners were conVlcteQ OF th
!, charge against them and sentenced to lonl
terms Of Imprisonment. The breaking up o
| that gang ais broke UP q scoro OF prominen
families. and overturned the social. business
and political complexion Of Jackson county , ,
j Imprisonment in the Eastern Penitentiary o
: PENNSYLVANIA. His term expired about til
= time the rebellion broke out. and he entere'
us IA horse dealer and hanCer-on Of rae
o tracks. but about twenty years ago. q physica
@ | wreck. he became an inmate OF the count
. poorhouse. whore he lived md died under tn
name OF William Carey. He was about 3
}. years old. and was probably the last OF HI
!. gang"
II Who'll Bid for tho Rapid Transit Franchise
= Although nobody has publicly ex pressed tn
u intention to bid for the rapid transit franchise