The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-28
WAS H0UNDED BY OUTLAWS
Singular Narrative Of Many Crimes
and a Mysterious Death.
WOMAN WHO TURNED INFORMER
Mrs. Bishop Thought to Have Been Poi.
soned and Her Daughter Put Out OF
the Way by Gang OF Dcs.
pcratc Counterfeitcrs.

Ottumwa, Ga., Oct 27.-John Velvick,
of Dawson, Neb., arrived here yester-
day to investigte the death of the mys-
terious Mrs. Harper Bishop, who died
Friday. and whose daughter. Oracle,
his affianced, suddenly disappeared
about six weeks ago. Until Velvick's
arrival the officers here thought Mrs.
Bishop insane, but Velvick says that
her stories are ture and that fnvestiga-
tions prove that Mrs. Bishop and her
daughter Gravie We're both marked VIC
tins of the gang of counterfeiters and
thieves she denounced to the authori-
ties. Mrs. Bishop figured quite prom
inently in the sensational developments
surrounding the death of Maud Vest,
of 'Sundance, Wyo., In this city last
June, and was the means of exposing
the connection of John Sylvester Har-
per, of Cheyenne, with the ruin of the
girl.
Expccted'to BE Poisoned.
The death of this woman closes one
of the most remarkable careers in the
west. She died of what was pro-
nounced peritonitis. 1t was the cause
also of the death of Maud Vest. While
the circumstances and history of the
two cases were widely accepted neither
natural causes nor previous illness had
anything to do with the ending of life
in either case, but each death was di-
rectly due to poisoning by gang of
outlaws. The desire of the gang to rid
itself OF Mrs. Bishop arose, according
to her theory, from the fact that with
in the last two months number of
counterfeiters had been apprehended
in various parts of the country, and
the gang, she said, had given her credit
for their apprehension, although the
authorities say that they have not
used any information given by Mrs.
Bishop
Harpcr's Chcckercd Career.
The only other motive for "remov-
ing" Mrs Bishop is attritsted to the
desire of John Sylvester Harper, who Is
now a fugitive from Justice, or some
friend of his, for revenge. Mrs. Bishop
was married to Harper at Oquawka. ILL.,,
twenty-three yars ago. They lived at
Kankakee, ILL.,, for a short time and
then removed to Missouri. where she
said Harper became associated with
counterfeiters. One Of Harper's broth
ers, she related, was killed while escap-
ing arrest for counterfeiting In Mexico
four years ago. For fifteen years, until
last June, John Sylvester Harper lived
in Wyoming and was apparently en-
gagged in legitimate business. At the
time of his exposure In the Maud Vest
case he was chief clerk for the sur
veyor-genral of Wyoming. AS soon as
he discovered that his former wife was
on his trail he fled with his second wife
and has not since been located. Mrs.
Bishop, when she denounced Harper
last June, refused to divulge her name
or residence. She later proposed to de-
nounce what she called "the gang" to
the authorities and asserted her belief
that the gang was responsible for most
of the counterfeiting going on near
Council Bluffs.
Disappearance Of Oracle.
Velvick became acquainted with the
family by reason of their having lived
on his fathers farm and he fell in love
with Oracle, who promised to marry
him, but mysteriously secured his
promise to be true to her II she should
disappear for two years. He believes
Oracle was hunted, as was her mother.
He says Harper. by his rascality. has
accumulated fortune of $1,000,000.
Being fugitive from justice, this prop
erty would revert in Nebraska to his
wife and children. This fact furnished
a double animus for members of the
gang to get Mrs. Bishop and Oracle out
of the way. They do not want his rela-
tives to get any Of the booty they risk
ed their necks to secure. Velvick
claims to have secured proof that at
one time, while the Bishops were living
In Ottumwa, chloroform was sprinkled
in the house and 1t was only after much
effort that the life of the baby was
saved. Mrs. Bishop also found poison
in her tea while in Ottumwa.
Before Mrs. Bishop died she told her
friends that there was a trunk about
the place that she didn't want any one
but her daughter Oracle to open. This
trunk was opened by Overseer of the
Poor David Thorne and contained val
liable wearing apparel, dishes and
number of letters, which will be care
fully examined with the hope of Civ
ing a key to the mystery. DIR. Will
liams, who went to see Mrs. Bishop
twice belore she died, said Mrs. Bishop
died of an obstruction of the bowels, or
peritonitis. She was in awful agony
and vomited incessantly. The doctor
stated that these symptoms might have
been caused by poison, especially ar
en-