The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-11-26
FAMOUS DESPERATE CAUGHT.
Man Of Many Aliases at Last in the
Hands of the Law.

NhtaAh VI Nlhny AAl8SfS AT lHSC HI Lnc
Hands of the Law.
After an absence of one year and
three months to a day, the much
wanted desperate "Bilr' Monroe, has
been arrested and unless he has re-
peated former exploits and escaped
from Jail within the past week he is
prisoner in the county Jail of I'm
perial county, at Ell Centre, Cal.
This information was received in a
letter by Chief of Police ]. -. Nc
Coach, Sunday from Mohley Mead
ows, Sheriff of Imperial county.
When Chief McCoach, of Orange
county, opened the letter the first
thing he saw was a photograph of
Monroe and he fairly shouted for Joy
because for several reasons he great
ly desired to see Monroe captured.
One of the reasons is that the Mid
dletown police have been the only
ones able to arrest and hold Monroe
and even at that Monroe escaped
from the Jail. Monroe cordially
hates Chief McCoach and has said
that he would never be arrested in
Orange county again. Another rea-
son why Chief McCoach particularly
desired Monroe's arrest is because
about three months age he received
post card dated LOS Angeles, Cal"
which said Come and get me IL you
can. Bill Monroe"
The California Sheriff does not yet
know what a notorious person he has
in keeping, as will be seen by his
letter, which is as follows:
From Mobley Meadows, Sheriff OF
Imperial County, California, El
Centre, Cal, Nov. Is. 1909.
Name-William Harris, alias Jas.
Williams. Will Smith. Nativity:
Born in u. s.. Scotch-Dutch descent
Age about "a years. Height, 5 #.
9 1-2 inches. Weight 1877 pounds.
Hair light. Smooth face. Blue eyes.
Light, sandy complexion. Claims to
be a carpenter. Crime. grand lar
ceny. Arrested October 28, 1909
Erect, swinging gait. Has flesh
colored mole, one inch, right of nose.
General remarks-This man re-
fuses to give any account of his past
is desperate character, took des-
perate chances in attempting to es-
cape; has had load of buck-shot
fred into the right side of his back
one shot was extracted two weeks
ago. Cannot tell how long he has
that he had done time at Albany
N. Y.
Very respectfully, .,
MOBLEY MEADOWS,
Sheriff
On the bottom of the circular is
written:
Later He told a prisoner in
Jail that he was wanted in Middle
town, N. Y, under the name of VIM
Monroe, Leslie Hunt or William
Brown; the fellows were not quite
certain which of those names he was
wanted there under.
The last positive information con.
cerning Monroe's whereabouts was
contained in dispatch from Sar
Bernandino early last summer, which
stated that VIM. Monroe, a despera.
do, who had been staying with 9
sister near San Bernandino, Cal.
had been chased by a posse of police
armed with shot guns. Finding his
escape barred by a river, Monroe
i jumped in fully clothed and swan
across. Instead of following, the
officers emptied their guns at the
fugitive. This is probably where
Monroe received the load of buck
shot in his back.
On receipt of the communication
from Sheriff Meadows, Chief Nc
Coach telephoned to Sheriff Zodot
p. Boice, of Ulster county, telling
him the facts, and later he mailed
him the facts, and later he mailed
him the photographs of Monrot
which are excellent likenesses. Sher
iff Boice will take steps to-day tt
find if the California authoritie,
will give up Monroe or whether they
will hold him for the crime of grand
larceny for which he was arrested.
The career of bill" Monroe ha!
been an exciting one. While he IL
only twenty-four years old, he hal
been arrested innumerable times
but with one exception has alwayl
escaped prison. He served sil
months in the Albany Penitentiar,
several years ago. In the latter par
of 1906 Monroe was wanted at New
burgh for perjury, which he was al
legged to have committed when testi
flying in an important case. TheI
Monroe assaulted his brother-in-lav
at Scotchtown and another warran
was issued for him. Constable
Harry Mcdowell, of Newburgh, wa
given the warrant and went u
Scotchtown and arrested Monroe
He escaped fro mthe constable oil
the way.
The police all over the countr!
then kept lookout for Monroe anC
at midnight on Feb. "a, 1907, Chic
of Police McCoach, officers Faulkne
and Green and Constable Kishpaugl
of Circleville, went to ScotchtowI
and surrounding the house of a maj
| named Redf0rd caDturad Monr0o