The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-01-16
A PECULIAR THIEF.
His Passion for demonstrating Results i'm
Twenty-Five Years in Jail.

From the Philadelphia Press
In Bellville, ILL.,, Capt William Pepper,
who has spent twenty-five out of the thir-
ty-f1ve years since the war in the prisons
of Illinois and Missouri, has Just been
sentenced, at the age of eighty-four, to
spend, under the habitual criminal act,
twenty years more in the Chester Peni-
Tertiary.
He is one of the most remarkable crirni-
nails known to the authorities of the Mid
die West.
Since 1864 he has spent his ten years of
liberty In stealing horses and trying to es-
cape the results. He stole persistently and
consistently. That is his only offense.
Every mans life is laid out to him." he
says, land he has to live it. l have lived
the life laid out for me-"
de has spent in stealing horses the life
tlfne OF a man OF ordinary longevity. His
prison record does not antedate the war
but he is said 10 have served his appren-
tlceshlp many years before the strife be-
tween the North and the South. Since
then he has served five terms in prisons.
Pepper has operated principally in IIli-
nols ana Missouri. but empty stalls all over
the Central Western States have testified
TO his proWess. He is considered to rank
as horse thief with Gen. Neff and Her.
mann Brinkmann, and of both OF these he
was an associate.
Neff died year ago in Chester Penlten-
uary. Brinkmann Is serving a term at
Chester for robbing smokehouses In St.
Clair County last winter.
Before he was taken to the penitentiary
he said:
II never stole horses for gain, but always
on impulse. L was born in Kentucky. My
people were raiSers OF fine horses. Love of
horses was bred in my bones, / guess.
When ! saw a fine horse an irresistible
longing to possess il always overpowered
me. had to have ii and / took it, After
l had II did not care for 1t any more and
l sold ii for what / could get
1.-THE only wish that / have now Is to
be permitted TO die among my people I'm
Calhoun County, but l suppose / will
have TO die in the penitentiary / have
done wrong, but l hope the Lord will
forgive me, and the people, too. But
hate TO think OF having to die in the
penitentiary."
He was convicted first IN Adams Coun-
ty shortly after the close of the war, and
was sent to Joliet: Since that time he
has served three terms in Chester and
one in Jefferson City. He was sent TO
the latter place from St. Charles. Mo.
Fourteen months ago ne was pardoned
because II was not believed that he
could live more than a few DAYS. He
returned to his people In Calhoun Coun-
", ILL.,, where ne speedily recoyered-if
he ever was really sick-and in a short
time was at his old tricks again.
The Fox is the name by which Pep
per is known 10 the police. He has a
simulated article Of piety that is hard
TO distinguish from the real thing
He Is stopped with age has a habit
of standing with his hands Tapped over
his waistband-an attitude expressive OF
humihty--Wears respectable grayish Cal
ways and speaks in a wheedling. tremu-
lous voice.
His eyes do not participate in the de-
ception. They are the blue of finely tenn
pered steel, suspicious. penetrating. and
wonderfully alert. They are the ewes
OF a hunted man. One cannot look into
them and forget them.
Peppers lugubrious piety Is well cal
culated TO deceive the farmers with whom
he does business. IL completely fooled J
Woods, Of Pennington. Mo, with whom
the captain mad a transaction four weeks
ago.
He diekered with Mr.. Woods for the
purchase or his farm. and the price was
agreed on. The captain wrote 10 his son
az Alton 70 bring the money. While he
was waiting be- said ne believed he would
ride across country few miles and see
an old friend
Would Mr. Woods loan him a horse?
Mr. Woods did the handsome thing. He
ordered blOOded mare hitched 10 a buggy
and Pepper drove away.
When Mr. Woods read of the arrest
Of Pepper he wrote to Sheriff Barnickoi
about his experience with THE fox"
Tell The old man" he wrote that I
am sorry for him and hope he may vet
repent and become az good a Christian
as he made me believe ne was. Tel
him he cannot undo what he has done.
sins. and ] hope he may repent and get
70 The giOry world %