Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-09-28
copyright. 1905, by Marion G. scheislin.l
(COntinued).
By CAPTAIN PATRICK D. rYRRELL

copyright, 1905, by Marion G. Scheielin.]
(Continued).
It required some time to accomplish
my purpose, but the time came when
! felt safe in revealing my true identity
to these men and in showing them the
trap into which they had walked. They
found themselves face to face with i'm
prisonment on one hand and turning
against Biebush on the other. They
chose the latter alternative. These ne
gotiations were conducted, of course,
with the utmost secrecy and 1t was
stipulated that they in no wise 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 information which
later proved Of much value-that In
the Chester, ILL.,. penitentiary was one
John Mitchell. alias Jacobs, a former
intimate Of Biebush, who probably
would be able to give the authorities
desired information.
Mitchell, 1t seemed, was in Chester
for the cure Of the same habit that had
brought "Hoosier Bill" to Joliet-that
of getting his own horse confused with
those of other people. He had boarded
with Mrs. Woods and had revealed to
her his association with Fred Biebush
in handling counterfeit money. l con-
sidered the lead a promising one and
went to Chester. / was amply repaid.
II have told how Biebush escaped from
the court when confronted by William
Shelley, the counterfeit engraver, in
1870. found 1t had been Mitchell who
had met him at the foot of Perry street
with skiff, in which the Great South
west Koniacker" made his escape to
Cabaret island, and that Mitchell had
been arrested for stealing the horse
and buggy with which to further aid
his chief to escape the law. He had
passed counterfeit money for Biebush
in 1877 and 1878, recently enough to
time.
OF course, secured from Mitchell all
the information l could, and among it
was this fact: While serving a pre-
vious term in the Joliet penitentiary
Mitchell had formed the acquaintance
of a fellow convict named Thomas.
who was doing time for the theft OF
harness. Thomas had told Mitchell that
he combined preaching with larceny
and mixed the duties of singing reviv-
alist with those Of "koniacker" Sub
sequently Mitchell had carried written
communications from Biebush to
Thomas, and the latter, Mitchell said,
was then in st. Louis following his in
congruous occupations of saving souls
and passing bad money.
But little time was required to To-
cate Thomas. A man answering our
description Of him was found to be
preaching at the Methodist church at
Morgan and Twenty-fourth streets. To
all appearances Rev. Andrew Jackson
Thomas sometimes known as Austin
j. Thomas) was sincere preacher ano
was doing good work in the vineyard
1t was found that he was living with
G3S WAAS ~ AAhSJ C%NSAoSs "SSS VI
Grand avenue The couple had no chill
dren, and, so far as could learn, they
lived much to themselves, SO far as
their neighborhood was concerned. A
shadow" was placed on the house
and Its occupants. The police beat on
which the Thomas residence was To-
Gated was patroled by Officer Weigman
of the st. Louis force, most compe
tent officer. From him it was learned
that some time before peddler haG
complained to him that the ministers
wife had given him counterfeit coin:
for vegetables This had happened
often enough to convince even the
thick-witted peddler it was not a co.
incidence, and he told his troubles tc
the policeman.
The Shadow" carried on his investiga-
ton in the stores in which Mrs Thorn.
as traded, and several instances Of the
passage of bogus silver pieces were
found. therefore decided some one
should be selected to gain the minister!
confidence, and almost as quickly de
cided that the one should be Woods
Before long the two were doing bushes:
together, Sullivan having been the in
termediary. Woods and Sullivan
planned to go to his house on one occa
sion for counterfeit money, but tn
preacher objected to the place of trans
fer. He also objected to the plan o
meeting Woods in Bosses saloon, be
cause the church of which he was pas
tor was SO close to the saloon that mem
bers Of his congregation might see hir
entering or leaving the drinking place
1t was arranged, therefore, that Wood
should attend night services at the MOI
gan street church whenever he wishe
to make an engagement with the minis
ter, and they could select a meetin
place while the preacher ostensibly wa
exhorting the sinner Woods to roper
of his evil ways and become Christia,
1t was one of these occasions describe
in beginning this narrative.
Woods reported to me that he wa