The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1904-07-26
3GGREEN G0ODS7 SVTIND[ER ARRESTED
WAS POSTMASTER IN PRESTON COUNTY
YOUNG Man Named TichenaI at
atPIeasant Hill used Position and
Mails to Work One of BoIdest
Schemes in Recent Criminal His
tory of United States.

Thomas w. Iichenal, alias o. s
Gundale, of Pleasant Hill, Preston
county, a young man not more than p
years of age, but-a criminal of many
more years, judging Srom the daring o1
his operations, is behind tine bars here
as the result OF the good detective work
done by Post Office Inspector Edward
+ Allen, u case that places Mr.. Allen
at the head of the governments best
officials along this line, and which will
naturally attract national attention t.
him as post Office inspector of extra.
ordinary adaptation to the business The
arrest, is the crowning part of one OF
tlie mast difficult and efficient pieces OF
detective work ever done-sn the country
The Pinkertons not excepted.
Tichenal Is of humble parentage, but
well bred so far as honesty, the right
way Of living and the precepts of til,
Scriptures are concerned Born of far
mer parents, who never knew anythin
abut the humdrum of mountain life, he
was expected not to know the ways OF
the world, but the young man had an
ambition through which he quietly and
without the knowledge of those who
knew him he became familiar with the
ways Of the world and with the daring
OF mountaineer, ne arrived at that
stage where he ventured to get rich
quickly and had no scruples as to how
he was to do it.
Elevation from the ordinary path of
life to the responsible position of post.
master gave him his opportunity, that
which he had yearned for, and he i'm
anediateIy equipped himself with Il small
typewriter, something unknown before
in that wild jungle, five miles away from
civilization. The advent of this usefu,
little machine-it is the S35 size-was
period in his life that he had hoped foI
and assiduously he went to work t.
learn how to manipulate it, eager per
naps to invoke it's use in furbhering the
scheme that had firmly fixed itself in
his mind.
BY some means Tichenal had gotter
possession of green goods circulars and
had read considerable @gold brick lit
erature, and these formed the basis OF
his plans. AS original in idea as to how
he would carry on his operations as ne
was in eoneeiving the way to get rich
he reduced these circulars to such
forms as snited him and then found
himself ready. to become Jay Could
80 far as material possessions were con
cerned,
Not daring at hrst to use the mails
for the purpose, he piled the business in
q quiet way in Preston county. succeed.
ed in interesting several parsons. got
their money and gave them nothing in
return, not even a green piece Of paper
About a year ago he got possession o.
$500 or $40O in this way, and wishing
to have a time and thinking perhaps
that distance would lend cnchantment
and protect him from the ire Of those
who had been swindled in this way, he
went South with the money and stayed
until he had spent it.
Returning me became more venture
some and took Uncle sam into his EN-
ploy. Then it was he began to send
out typewribten confidential letters al,
over the country, of which the follow
ing is an exact copy:
"Contidentinl.
'Ny Dear Your name was sent
me BY my son-wlo is any travelling
Representatives. shrewd trnstwor
thy, reliable man for me TO cooperate
with in your vicinity. and ! therefore
take the liberty to propose scheme t.
you that ninety nine out of n hundred
would gladly grasp if they could per
sonally examine my work, thereby con
vincing Themselves of the sbsolute
,s.sgrfety Of my offer. The writer is ar
eSiFa IN fsraver, once employed in the
Isare,lSl Of engraving. at Washington
d. q, and during my leisure I took ur