The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-05-11
CAPTAIN THOMAS ALDERsON DEAD.
His Passing Recalls Bloody Mollle Mcguire
period in THIS Region.


The death a week ago of Captain
Thomas Anderson, of DEVILS Lake,
N. D., removed one of the few sur
viving figures of the bloody Mollie
Mcguire episode in the anthracite
region. Anderson was chief of the
Reading Coal and Iron police, and
in his campaign against the Mollies
he co operated with James McPar-
Ian, the famous detective, whose
discoveries resulted in six hangings
in one day. McParlan, like
Anderson, was scores of times
threatened with assassination, but
he is still living in the West and
is hale and prosperous
Captain Anderson, who held his
office until 1887, was credited with
having made the suggestion to
President Franklin B. Gowen, of
the Reading, that Allan Pinkerton
be employed to expose the Mollies.
1t was the result of the calling in
vi llhSllCl > lnSh bldl NIL al IAN,
who became widely known through
the anthracite region as James
McKenna," became an actor in the
terrible tragedy.
1t was in February, 1876. that
Captain Alderson's most delicate
work against the Mollies was ac-
complished. By that time, after
his long residence in the coal region,
suspicion had been aroused as ito
the true identity of McParlan, and
1t was necessary to guard him with
the greatest vigilance for fear he
should be murdered and all the re-
suits of the investigation during
the past years be lost.
The men who had SO long carried
the affairs of the county with high
hand were now in state of de-
moralization They apparently
realized that they were at the end
of their career. The prison and the
gallows loomed up before them.
They were determined to destroy
all evidence of their criminal acts.
The books and papers of the society
were burned and it was resolved to
murder McParlan. A letter was
sent to the detective from police
headquarters in order to deceive the
Mollies. MCParlan had all along
pretended to be fugitive from
justice, but to be on friendly terms
with Anderson and Captain Linden,
who were protecting him. This
letter advised him to flee. Nc
Parlan received and opened it
among a crowd of Mollies.
" I'll not bulge wan single inch,
to save them all from perdition "
exclaimed the detective after read
ing the letter aloud to the crowd.
" / am innocent. I'll only be ar
rested, anyhow. An if others stand
by, why shouldn't II"
The Molies applauded him for
this exhibition of mock courage.
They would have acted in an en-
tirely different manner had they
known that warrants had already
been sworn out for their arrest.
Bat the suspicion of the detec-
tive could not be allayed. Plots
were laid to kill him and throw his
body down a deserted mine shaft,
where it would never be found.
Dennis bowling, a burly Mollie,
was then designated 10 kill McPar-
Ian, but all these plans were frus-
trated by Captain Anderson.
The summary of the work OF
Captain Anderson, and those who
were associated with him, shows
that twelve Mollies were found
guilty Of murder in the first degree,
four of murder in the second de-
gree four of being accessory to
mrrder sixteen OF conspiracy to
murder; six of perjury, in estab-
fishing the familiar alibi, and many
others for assault and battery.
Eleven of these men were hanged.