Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1906-03-29
By CAPTAIN PATRICK D. TYRRELL

lCopyright 1905. by Marion G.. Scheitlin.l
Bridges said that soon after he first
became acquainted with Biebush he
met him on a Sunday while the latter
was on his way to Sunday school, the
old fellow always maintaining an atti
tude of much apparent respectability in
these matters. Biebush said to him:
up to this time | have taken you
at your word; have you any refer
eaces?"
Plenty of them," answered Bill"
do you know Joe Butts and John
sO'Brien?" asked Biebush. Both of these
we're notorious criminal characters.
Sure" said Bridges, and then pro-
,ceded to convince Biebush that he had
such wide and close acquaintance
with noted criminals as to render him
Tit for initiation into the Biebush ring.
Biebush thereupon turned him over
60 Sullivan, showing the great conf
denCe he had in the colored man. From
Sullivan "Hoosier Bill" got several
packages of half dollars, 40 in a pack
age, and three rolls of bills of $10O
Showed turning over the proper pro-
portion of the good money received to
Sullivan. ThieIen, Sullivan and Har-
gate, however, were not the only mem
Ders of the Biebush ring about whom
"HOosier Bill gave me information.
There were William Whalen and Harry
Wood showers, and John Evans and
Mrs. Annie Welch, also showers, but on
q smaller scale.
Bridges was willing to go to St. Louis
to serve as a witness against Biebush
jf the latter were tried but in this we
seemed to be cut off squarely by the
Missouri statute previously referred to
9s one of Biebush's chief sources of
security, prohibiting convicts or ex-
cOnyicts from testifying.
"Hoosier Bills" information concern
ing Whalen and Woods merely con-
drmed what we knew. This pair made
headquarters at Bosses saloon, as did
Hhielen and Sullivan. Gallagher, Ken
noch and | had placed ourselves on
more or less friendly terms with Wha-
len and Woods while we were trying
20 buy "coney" from Biebush. They
had told Gallagher in so many words
that old Fred was dealing extensive
ty in counterfeit money and seemed
anxious TO initiate Gallagher into the
secret ring, plan which had been
checked by Blebush himself.
While the information | received
GrOm Bridges was of great value as in
dicatins the personnel of the band and
Ehe respective functions Of each mem
DER, it had not given US any positive
prOOf, and legal proof was all we want
ed. 1t still remained for us to find
way to prove what we knew. In the
face OF our failure to rope" Biebush
up 10 that time it seemed like we
would have 10 start farther back and
get some OF his subordinates in such a
light place that they would allow them
selves to be used as witnesses against
their chief in order to save themselves.
igtOrmers in criminal cases are OF two
ainds-voluntary and involuntary.
voluntary infOrmers are usually
prompted by motives of revenge or pc
-Uniary gain-more often the former.
Involuntary informers are usually the
smaller fry in a criminal band who are
willing to furnish evidence against the
leading criminals under promise they
olN be lenieutly dealt with as a re-
ward, but they must first be caught in
the tolls themselves. Because such
principals in big criminal couspiracies
30 Fred Biebush. for their own safety.
turn over 10 suboriiuate5 the perform
Iule OF the tangible arIs the gub,rIf-