The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-20

was about to open racket store. AS n
rule these orders We're promptly filled and
the goods shipped as requested. Roth
child would then assume the name of the
aforesaid business man and have letters
| addressed to him under this same name TO
the place to which the goods were to be
shipped. If the place CHANGED to be the
one at which the business man proposed
to open racket store, R1thschil1 would
! appear on the scene few days in ad-
vance of the arrival of the goods, and "
the receipt OF letters through the postoi-
flee and frequent inquiries at the express
and freight Offices would succeed in es-
4 tablshing his identity sufficiently for him
TO obtain possession of the goods on their
arrival. He would then disappear, car
/ rying his plumber with him, which usually
consisted of diamonds. iewelry, or other
articles of small bulk which could be
readily transported with his regular bag
I gage.
'If the goods were ordered to be sent
to the place at which the bona fde bust
ness man actually resided Rothschild,
upon his arrival, would at once inquire at
the postoftice for mail, and when told
that the most prominent business man IN
the town bore the same name, would feign
! great surprise. He would then call upon
his 'namesake, form his acquaintance,
receive from him tho letters which he had
caused TO be mailed. and which, naturally,
I
ness man with his regular mail, and the
contents OF which had greatly puzzled
the local merchant. Rothschild had a
suave and agreeable manner and his
knowledge of the contents of the letters
which had mystihed his namesake so clear
ly Identified him with the transactions re-
lating to certain goods which he expected
would arrive by next mornings express,
that he would be enabled to secure GUS
tody OF the goods without arousng sus-
picion
Soon after his arrest in California it
was determined to transfer Rothschild to
Missouri for trial for the oifenses COM
ever succeeded in escaping from the dep
uty marshal at Little Rock on November
! 49,. 1894. He subsequently operated In
several States and Territories and was
traced through Mexico and Cuba back to
the United States. and was finally re-
arrested at st. Mary's, Ont, on March 20.
1895, while recelpting for an express
package.
He has been frequently arrested but
by the liberal use of money, with which
he was usually well supplied, always
managed to escape conviction until his
recent sentence in the Missouri court.
He attempted to purchase his release from
the inspector who first arrested him In
California, and has tried to bride every
taller who has had him in custody since.
~
Rothschild himself has made statements
regarding his life and operations which
form veritable fairy tale, notwithstand-
Ing their known truthfulness. He has
never made a full and complete confess
sion and probably never Will On one oc-
casion some time ago, he offered to sell
the story OF his life to st. Louis paper,
saying that it would cause the revelations
made by the notorious Holmes to fade
into insignihcance. His price was $4,000,
and as it was thought TO be just triile
high the story in question was never told.
The partial statements referred TO
above however, are of extreme interest.
He was, he said. at that time As years OF
age the son OF a wealthy banker and
ieweler of Cincinnati. Ohio, and had
prominent and respectable family con-
nections in many Western and Southern
States. In 1877 he was alleged to have
attempted suicide by a shot through the
head. and on his recovery was extradited
from Ohio to Texas where after many
threats to take his life by lynching had
heen made, he was indicted for murder In
the first degree, having been charged With
the killing of one Bessie Moore, or Ola
mond Bessie, as she was known ON ac-
count oil net SOiicStioh VI
diamonds, at Jefferson, Marion county.
Texas.
The story OF this one experience or
Rothschild's, which will be remembered by
many Texans, is one OF the most interest
ing in the calendar Of crime. Rothschlld
became acquainted with the Moore woman
az Cincinnati and when he reached JEFF
ferson with her registered as man and
wife al the hotels. One day the woman's
dead body was discovered In the woods
ADJACENT to the town with all OF her mag
ni6cent diamonds missing Rothschild, af-
Ter having been brought back to Jefferson
and indicted as above related was com
mitted 10 Jail without the benefit OF bail
and when tried was adjudged guilty and
sentenced TO be hanged The case was
carried I'D TO the supreme court. where
reversal was secured. Then followed a
change OF venue TO Marshall. Texas,
where. after countless continnances. ana
afrer having been incarcerated for four
and one-haif years pending a new trial.
tbe ease was sent back to Jefferson and
The prisoner was acquitted.
nnring the time he was In jail Roths-
cbi,d covered the sides of his cell with
shelves containing books and papers he