Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-09-16

the transaction Of their affairs with
one another that we were never abla
to connect them with legal evidence II
the case.
Az soon as I had taken a genera
view of the task l had before me ant
had secured all the general informa
ton available concerning Biebush !
sent for a man named Thomas Gala
CHER, with whom had had some deal
ings in the pursuit Of criminals, anC
instructed him to try to buy counter
felt money from Biebush. Gallagher
was from Seymour, Ind. and had don't
some good work in the capacity Of q
stool pigeon or roper" as we called
them in the secret service. Reinhardi
Bossee, a countryman Of Biebusn, rar
q saloon known as the Sheridan Elk.
change, at No. 2724 Franklin avenue
and his place was the headquarters foi
the Biebush clique. Biebush lived with
his wife and children at No. 2733 Stod
dart street, short distance away.
Gallagher began work by frequent
Lug LuO oOSSO 6dAOO1p IA AAAhAASg pay LAG
cards and gradually ingratiating him.
self into the confidence Of the saloon
keeper and Biebush, who spent much
time in the place. After considerable
time was expended by him in this proc
ess Gallagher thought the time pro-
pitious for making a proposition to
Biebush to purchase "coney." Claim.
ing to be an ex-convict, he attempted
to negotiate. Biebush promptly began
to examine Gallagher as to his crimi-
nal history, and his wide and accurate
knowledge Of criminals made it possi-
BILE for him to detect spurious con-
vict as a bank teller could oetect o
spurious coin or bill.
Gallagher could not pass the rigid
examination to which Biebush SUBJ
jected him, and the old German de-
clined to sell him any ''coney," making
the excuse that he had none at that
time. He evidently believed, however,
that Gallagher was crook VINO wanted
to handle counterfeit money, for he
did not appear suspicious of him ex-
OOPI W AOh ~ SCAuC W JnC pOluI vi xiv
ing himself into his power by per-
sonally negotiating a sale Of "coney."
This was failure number one.
Some time before this w. w Ken
noch a shrewd Scotchman had been
relieved of the command of the New
York division of the secret service on
account of his over-indulgence in
liquor He was an honest, conscien-
tious and able operative, and had but
the one fault, fatal one, however, in
man who is carrying secrets of great
Importance to the government. After
being relieved of his eastern command
Kennoch did good deal Of work for
the secret service as a roper" He
was familiar with criminals and crimes,
was plasible talker, and could worm
his way into the good graces of coun-
terfeiters with much skill
I enlisted his services and assigned
him to the same task had given Gal
lagher. He worked slowly, making
Bosses saloon his rendezvous. When
he thought his relations with Biebush
were sufficiently close he preached the
subject of buying "coney." AS in the
case of Gallagher, the willy Prussian
did not take offense nor deny that he
ever handled such goods, but he began
to put Kennoch through a course of
questioning concerning his past. Ken
noch claimed he had served in a New
York penitentiary, but he could not
furnish such proofs as demanded, for
the reason that no such proofs ex-
listed, and Blebush was cunning enough
to know genuine proofs from false
ones. Here was failure number two.
| did not consider myself any
.shrewder at such work than Kennoch.