The Indianapolis journal., 1897-09-16

counterfeit bills Kimble had brought were
found sewed in the hem of Molly Burnss
skirt. kimble died in Jail. while awaiting
trial John Burns. the father of Molly,
was afterwards arrested and sent up for
hVe years for passing a 500 counterfeit bill
on. farmer living near the city.
The JohnsOns were another gang of
counterfeiters who were but a ramitcation
of the Reno gang. The johnson family
lived on farm owned by John Stumph
about three miles from this city on the
Three-notch road When L was ordered TO
arrest Johnson and his two sons and to
search the house for bad money, i left the
city in q government wagon, accompanied
by two soldiers and two of my own trusted
men, / had been informed by a govern
ment detective that a $50 plate was in pos
session of the Johnson family which was so
good that the government had offered
reward of 5000 for its capture. We ar
rived at the house at O'Clock in the MORN
ing and after Stationing my men, broke
open the front door with fence rail. AS
the various members of the family began
to get up and show their faces, | told them
that we had them covered with our guns
and that they should not say word but
should dress and come down stairs. We
found 5000 worth of raised bills in the house
but the plate we could not locate so l
made Johnson and his wife, two sons. and
two daughters get into the wagon and
brought them to the city and lodged them
in separate rooms at q hotel on LIMOS
street. | kept them there two days before
one of the women agreed to show us where
the plate was hidden, on condition that we
/ went back with one OF them ana found
that the $40 plate had been hidden under
an ash-hopper. 1 captured another john
who lived on North Illinois street. A
man giving his name as Carter approached
me one day and said that he would lead
me to Johnson, provided l would let him
see him first and get $500 with which TO go
South. He led me to the house and re-
mained outside while he entered and trans
acted his business. AS he left the build
ing he took out his handkerchief, which
was the sign that Johnson was inside, so
I entered and began my search. l failed
to find my man until | kicked over a barrel
in the cellar under which he was hiding
CAPTURE OF LYLE LEVI.
'It was in the seventies that I was sent
to capture Lyle Levi, who was at that time
living at Osgood, about six miles from
Versailles, where he was lynched Major
Gordon, hearing that had been commits
stoned to arrest Levi, came to me and
warned me of the desperate character of
the man. He had at one time defended
him. He said / would never be able to ar
rest him at his own home and said it meant
death for me to make the attempt. When
he saw that did not intend to back down,
he gave me all the information about the
man and the place that he could. He de-
Scribed the mans appearance, especially
about the high cheek bones and the scar
upon his face. Colonel Scott, he Informed
me, kept the hotel at Osgood l started
with a double team and was accompanied
by a man named Mason and Samuel Lamb.
At that time there was a quarterly meet
ing being held at Versailles. We arrived
in front of Scotts Hotel just as it was
getting dark, and Scott came out as we
stopped How do you do, Brother Scott
| said, put my team away and give the
horses feed. for 1 have to preach at Yer
sailles tonight This speech reassured
Scott, who started to take the horses to
the barn.
'At that moment Lyle Levi came out of
the front door of the hotel and APP
preached him with outstretched hand. AS
i shook his hand / said: How are you this
evening Brother Levi? Will you accom-
pany US to the conference? AS 1 held both
his hands Mason quickly slipped the hand
cuffs upon his wrists. l then told Scott he
need not mind about the team. but to bring
it again to the road. We chained Levi in
the wagon and left Mason to guard him,
while Mr. Lamb and went to his home to
arrest Mrs. Missouri Rittenhouse. We en-
tered the cabin and told Mrs. Rittenhouse,
who was carrying a small baby, that she
must go with us. Her mother began ours
ing us and took down gun that was hang
ing upon the wall but she was disarmed
and contented herself with hurting vile
epthets at our heads. We discovered $500
in bad money in the loft of the cabin We
Immediately started back toward Green's
burg at which place we arrived al o clock
next morning. Fearing an attempt at res
cue by some of Lewis friends. / walked
ahead of the team with gun in my hand
for over three miles, but no m0lestation
was offered Lyle Levi was sentenced to
seven years in prison by Judge Gresham -