The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-11

In December. 1Sf3 He pretsn ie1 to be searching for work in the mines, but soon let certain men whom he suspee- ted of being connected with tue Mol lies understand that he cared Tess for work than other things. To them he confided that he was in reality engag- ed in showing the queer" or passing. counterfeit money. and that what little work he did was merely sa blind to cover up his other acts. This answered several purposes to his advantage. It convinced the men with whom he wish ed to become associated of his criminal tendencies. it gave an excuse Tn their mind for his working little, gave him an opportunity to travel around the mining region freely, and prevented rousing suspicion in the criminals minds at least, because he always had plenty of money.
 He pretended that in Buffalo he had belonged to the secret society under the cloak of which he became convinced the EfollIes committed their crimes. He also let few of the leading spirits know that he left Buffalo because he had Killed man In an elevator and the officials of that city were looking for him.
 Initiated Into the Mollies.
 To prevent the possibility of the of- ficiaIs getting back of him, as might be
 
 card transferring him to another lodge, he suggested that 1t would be better for thim to be initiated into the order again. One of the first Mollies with whom he became associated was Michael or ''Muff Lawier. one of the leaders in the order, and through whose influence McKenna succeeded in being initiated.
 By that time the Moliies had become convinced thnt Nick enan was man af- ter their own hearts. He was roi- licking. carousing young Irishman, ever ready for 8 fight or dance, filtration or a spree. He soon became one of the leaders in the order, and was elected secretary of the Shenan- doah division. position which helped him greatly in his detective work, as it necesstated his travelling to all parts of the district and becoming acquaint- ed with many of the men belonging to the order. Before he began his work he was convinced that it was the Mollies who were responsible for large share of the crimes. that had caused such a reign of terror. Soon after he became a member his suspicious were confirm ed. But he also soon discovered that the men connected with the order were so firmly intrenched that the work of breaking them up would be more difii-
 
 Law officers in Society.
 Many of the MoIlies were miners, but among them were many saloon keep CTS. and even prominent men in the section, against whom no suspicion had ever been turned. When he learned that within the lodge were many con- stables, members of village councils, even burgesses, the mayors of Penn sy1vania villages, a sheriff or two, sev- eral jury commissioners, who had the selection of men to serve on trial jur- ies. and even that a Mollie was nomi- mated, and came near being elected a county judge, it was easy to understand why it had been impossible to secure conviction for the crimes for which ar | rests had been made before that time. He also soon learned that the orga- | nized manner in which these crimes were committed surpassed his expec- | tations. If q member of the order had l a grievance against some man, he would not murder or assault the man in person. Instead he would present the matter to Ais lodge at a meeting where it would be regularly consider ed, and in manner the offending per son would be secretly tried, convicted, and sentenced without his being aware that anything was the matter.
 Then, If the lodge should decide that the man should be murdered, assault cd lis horse or cow killed or maimed, his house or barn burned, or some oth- CT atrocious punishment meted out to him, the lodge reaching such decision usually would not select one of it's own members to carry out the sentence.
 Called on, Neighboring Lodge. Instead requisition would be made on some lodge of the order in a neigh boring city or town to come to the place where there was less danger of Identification than would be the case should one of the local men perform the deed, to carry out the sentence Thus, when Policeman John F. Yost, of Tamaqua, who had come under the Mollies' Dan, was shot and killed in 1875, two Mollies from the small