The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-07-09

as one of Biebush's chief sources Of Sc
curIty. prohibiting cOnvictS or eX-cOn-
victs from testifyins.
..aoosier BITs' information concern
ing Wha!en and Woods merely con-
firned that which We knew. This pair
made headquarters at BOsee's saloon
did Thielen and Sullivan. HallagheT-
Kennoch and I had placed ourselves on
more or less friendly terms with Wha-
len and Woods while we were tryinE
to buy "eoney"- from R.ebush- They
had told Gala CHER in 80 many words
that "OId Fred WAS dealing extensive
~ in counterfeit money ana seemed
anxious to initiate Gallagher into the
secret ring. 4 pian which lad been
checked by Biebush himselA
While the Information 1 receive ed
from Bridges was of gr,k value
indicating the personnel OF the band
and the respective functions OF each
member, IL had not given us any posi-
tive proof, and legal proof was an VIC
wanted II stiU remained for US To
find u way 10 prove what we knew. In
the face of our failure 10 rope Bic
bush mp TO that time il seemed like We
would have to start farther back and
get some OF his Subo-dinates in such q
tight place that they would allow
themselves to he used as witnesses
against their chief in order to save
themselves. Informers in criminal
cases arc OF TWO kllfQSA-N ClullLArN ana
involuntary Voluntary informcrs arc
usually RyOInptcd by motives Of re
Venge or pecuniary gail-mOrc often
the former. Involuntary inforrners are
usually the smaller fry in a criminal
band who are willing 10 furnish evi-
GencC against the leading criminals uu-
del promise they VIII be Ienicntly dealt
with as a reward. but they must first
be caught in the tolls themselves Be.
cause Sucn principals i'm big criminal
consplra ci5s as Fred Biehush. for their
own safety. turn over 10 subordinate
the performance OF the tangible acts.
! the Subordinates in an extensive plot
ike a countertcitiug job may be CaUEht
and convicted and their places always
filled, the execution OF the plot not be
ing materially interfered with. When
II IL recalled that the paramount fuuc-
ton OF the United states secret service
is to protect the currency and bonds OF
the government. II will he seen how
| eminenty proper il IS TO conpromiSe
with petty crime by Il subordinate. fC
by doing 50 the authorities can catch
the big Fellows aud stop the perPetra-
ton Of the one big crime Therefore
an inforner who was close enough to
BiebuSh TO he able to furnish convict
ing evidence against him was what We
sadly needed.
And let ma say now that most Of
tectiVe detective work consists in be
ing able to find the right kind OF i'll
formers. L know full we'll that de-
veil OF mystery over their work. leaV-
ing the impression that some sort Of
supernatural vision has been brought
10 bear on the unraveling of the case
in point. whereas. when the full truth
II known the solution Of the nysteri-
Gus case is made possible by the most
commonplace Information secured from
voluntary or involuntary infOrmers.
That eminent creature of fiction, -Sher-
lock Holmes never had to make his
case good in United States court and
il he had he would have needed a great
deal of CORRIDORS tive evidence that only
could have come from ordinary, unro-
mantle informers.
In this predicament / fixed on Wha-
len and Woods as the two men who
most easily could be forced into a tight
corner. and who. once cornered. would
be the most likely 10 sacrifice their Su-
periors an crime to save themSeiveS.
So all my energies were bent IL this
direction. The men were communica-
tive TO those they trusted. fond Of
drink and Of not OvermUch inteli-
geucc- Woods was known as the huS-
band of woman who ran a boarding
house of question: BILE character in
Venice. Ill. just across the river from
St Louis Whalen was euga ged to be
married TO a young St. Louis woman
whom he afterward married I men
tion these details merely TO show that
/, these men We're apprOacha BILE at more
points than the other members of the
band.
It required some time TO accomplish
my purpose, but the time came when
felt safe in revealing my true iden-
tity TO these men and in showing them
tae trap into which they had walked
The found themselves face to face with
imprisonment on one hand and turn
ing against Biebush on the other They
chose the latter alternative These ne
SotiatiOns We're conducted. of course
With the utmost secrecy. and it was
stipulated that they in nOWise were to
change front toward any member of
the Biebush crowd Mrs Woods
through her alleged husband, was also
enlisted on the government side and
produced one bit OF inform ALTON which
later proved of much value-that In
the Chester III, Penitentiary vas one
John Mitchell. alas Jacobs, q former
intimate of Biebush. who probably
would be able TO give the authorities
desired information
Mitchell, il seemed was in Chester
tor the cure Of the same habit that
had brought "Hoosier Bill to Joliet
mat Of getting his own horse con
fused with those of other people. He
had boarded with Mrs Woods and had
revealed 10 her his association with
Fred BiebUsh in handling counterfeit
money. considered the lead d prom
lsing one and Went TO Chester I was
amply repaid. I have told how Be
bush escaped from the court when con-
fronted by William Shelley, the coun-
terfeit engraver, in 1870. I found il
had been Mitchell who met him at the
foot OF Perry street with a skiff in
which the Great Southwest Koniacker''
made his escape to Cabaret Island and
that Mitchell had been arrested for
stealing the horse and buggy with
which to furt her AID his chief to es-
cape thc law. tic had passed cOun