Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-15
RICHARDS RECORD
Served as Deputy U. S. Marsha
For Twelve Years.
CAUGHT TWO GREEN GOODS MEN
Was the Terror of BootIeesers and
Put Many OF Them Out of Business
Figured in Many Large Criminal
Cases.


Figured in Many Large Criminal
Cases.
w. A. Richards who is charged with
completely in the robbery of P. Sulli-
van recently at Hamilton, and who is
we'll known in this city, for twelve
years served in the capacity of depu-
ty United States marshal and during
that time made one of the most dar-
ing and sensational captures ever
known in the state, when he arrested
the two green goods men in Chicago.
Mr.. Richards was appointed early in
1890 by Dave Miller, who was sue
ceeded by Frank Bradley, who was
succeeded by George M. Christian. Mr.
Richards thus served continuously
under Marshals Miller Bradley and
Christian.
His resignation as deputy United
States marshal was accepted by Mar
shall Christian on December Is, about
four weeks ago; having been tender
ed voluntarily by Richards.
Reasons For Resignation.
Two reasons are given for Richards
retirement from the government SER
vice. One deals with the decreased
business Of the United States mar
shal's Office. Prosecutions are not SO
frequent as to be the exception Of the
rule. Very few bootleggers are tried
and very few people. others than boot
leggers tried; so that the money to
be derived from the deputy marshal
ship is extremely small Recently Mr..
Richards had been employed by the
Burlington railway to clean out the
Whitechapel district in Des Moines,
and had succeeded in Kidding that dis
trict of its immoral characters. He
closed UP the places which had former
ly sold liquors there, contrary to the
law, and then turned his attention to
the restaurants and drug stores of
the city which were selling liquors
contrary to law, and closed UP several
of these. Indeed, his liquor crusade,
has been his latest and most import
ant work. 1t was while at the height
of this work that certain Des Moines
lawyer called at Marshal Christians
Office and made complaint of Richards
serving as a federal official and at the
same time prosecuting the liquor VIC
lations and Richards was called before
his chief and given the alternative of
quitting his private work against the
liquor violators. Richards consulted
his friends and decided to quit the fed
eral service as there was more money
in the other work
,ooco,, oiuonA fur hic rotira-
ment is that Richards had opposed the
re-appointment of Lewis Miles of Cory
don, as United States district attorney
and when Mr.. Miles finally won out,
Richards was virtually forced to retire
from Office on account of the warfare
made on him, and did SO voluntarily
in order to save himself.
Record of Capture.
Bill Richards, as he is Familiarity
called by his former associates in the
secret service and United States mar.
shall work, has the boldest capture OF
green goods men to his credit of any
officer in the service of the country
The story is being told today, anent
his bravery and fearlessness by those
friends who refuse to believe that he
is implicated in the Sullixan hold-up
and believe that he is brave enough to
come back, surrender and face the
music in the present trouble.
Alone and unaided Richards captur.
ed two Chicago green goods men in
their lair, both men being armed and
one of the men having pulled his gun
on Richards before Richards could get
his own weapon out. But even with
this handicap Richards conquered and
captured both men.
1t was back in 1894 when Richards
was serving as United States deputy
marshal, that a clever gang of Chica
go green goods men began getting in
their work and fleeing the public out
of many thousands of dollars. Let
tiers were sent out from the Chicago
headquarters all over the country ad
vertising bogus money and making ar
rangements for the transfer of the
money, according to the customary
manner of green goods men. 1t was
then that Postoffice Inspector Mercer
went after the men, with the assist
ance of Bill Richards and Tom Gray
Mercer answered green goods circu
lar from an Arkansas town and aftel
an extended correspondence made ar
appointment to meet the green good.
men and purchase some of their mon
ey. Accordingly he and Richards ant
Gray met at st. Louis and Disgusting
themselves as Arkansas planters wen
from ST. Louis to Chicago and there
met the green goods men. 1t took sew
eral days of negotiations before thu
matter had proceeded to point where
| the green goods men showed thei
hand. Trouble arose for the officers a
| first because they did not have enough
money to suit the green goods men
Mercer had only about $1,000 will
him with which to tempt the men t.
show themselves, while the men de.
manded several thousands of dollars
Finally Mercer and the two officer
arranged with the cashier of a prom1
nent Chicago bank to stamp a slip o
paper around what purported to be
big roll Of bills with the amount, dat,
and name of the bank, having the ar
pearance of a regulation roll of none,
as sent from one bank to another.
4 Armed with this Richards presente'
himself before the green goods men II
their haunt. He was examined AM
found to be apparently without wear
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