Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-06-23
Special to Times-Republican.

veg, OK tllS city, VINO returned COUdy
from visit to the federal prison at
Leavenworth. Kan, had an interesting
interview there with J. c. Mabray, the
arch conspirator Of the great Mabray
organization which the United States
postal department is still prosecuting in
various end Of the world, and which,
the heads of the postal department de-
clare gulled victims out of 100000 in
the three years Of it's active operation
in Council Bluffs and other cities.
Mabray. who has now served nearly
twelve months OF his two-year term of
impris onment. is now engaged in driv-
ing team and is granted some of the
privileges accorded TRUSTEES. Naturally,
the garb he now appears in is quite
in contrast with the silk hat, gloves
and other raiment which adorned his
handsome form while a familiar figure
about the hotels. bars and other places
Of Council Bluffs and Omaha.
Has Hopes Of Parole.
"Mabray has hopes of a parole" said
Marshal Groneweg, but it IS not con-
sidered likely that the pardon board
will reach his case. Mabray, however,
does not realizes this fact, and Is buoy
ed up by his hopes. Mabray, when I
saw him in the prison office, where he
had been called at my request, was not
looking or feeling the best. He had
been mixed up in smashup about
wagon load of iron having fallen partly
upon him. His right hand and right
leg were cut and quite badly bruised.
The colony Of members OF the 'Mabray
organization at the federal prison at
Leavenworth is constantly growing and
now numbers nearly thirty. Others will
follow soon"
Gibson a Good Catch.
Next to Mabray some of the most In
teresting and important personages IN
the organization have only recently
been arrested or have tired Of hiding
and have surrendered to the United
States authorities. w. S. Gibson, Eddie
J. Dun and Jimmie Griffin are three
In this class. Gibson is a former foot
racer and was the one who won in the
fake races pulled off by the gang. In
the last few years he has been proprie-
tor of the Hotel Louise at Los An
geles, Cal, which he disposed OF soon
after Mabray's arrest at Little Rock
IN February, 1909. He also owns a
suburban tract of land in the city linn
its of Los Angeles and altogether Is
quite a parsonage In that western me-
tropolis. The land, however, is In his
wife's name. After his indictment IN
the state court of this city on March
20. 1909. Gibson disappeared from his
ranch and had been fugitive until his
arrest At that time he was not un-
der any charge in the United States
courts and efforts were made for his
prosecution in the state courts. fhe
requisition papers had been issued by
the governor of Iowa but when the Los
Angeles police We're requested by tele-
gram to arrest and hold him they re-
ported that he had disappeared. His
recent temperance for sentence has
been reported Gibson's biggest exploit
while member of the Mabray organi-
zation was TO steer his friend, Eugene
Schnitt, from Los Angeles. to Denver in
1908 where he helped Schnitt to drop
$4,000 to the gang. He also brought
DR.. c. G.. Vanderbeck from st. Louis to
Council Bluffs and the syndicate re-
lieved him Of $4,000 on June 10, 1907.
DR.. Vanderbeck tried to sell his home
in st. Louis to secure more money to
take with him but failed to close the
deal in time and this saved his home.
The doctor was also friend of Gibson,
as he states. and had entertained him
at his home, both being Germans The
doctor has since been very urgent and
active against Gibson and was the
complaining witness who caused the
indictment in the state court in this
city.
Other Star Crooks Captured.
Ed Dunn, another recent arrest, has
the reputation of being a professional
confidence man and dropped into the
Mabray organization with ease. He has
served time and has family in Chica-
CO. He has been implicated in num-
Der Of swindles, particularly that In
which Joseph J. Lessen OF Menominne'
Mich, was relieved Of $4,000 at Coun-
ell Bluffs on June 8; 1907, and in that
in which A. S. Johnson, farmer near
Streeter, ILL.,, lost $4,000 at South Bend,
Ind, in 1908.
Jimmie Griffin is perhaps the best
known of the recent arrests in Iowa.
Council Bluffs has for years been his
home and he has had close relations
with Ben Marks, the wealthy citizen
and reputed gambler king Of this city
who, because Of illness has never been
arraigned for trial on the charge
against him growing out of these swim
UleS. MdTh 5 lSpdcISu lliACSoCS, oaA 80 .
the last session Of United States court
here when others Of the organization
were up for sentence, caused united
States Judge Smith MCPHERSON to re-
mark upon Marks peculiar recurrent
illness, which. he said. was more mark
cd at certain time Of the year.
Griffin q Jockey.
Griffin was jockey and rode In the
race in which John Hemelbrecht OF
Bancroft, Neb., dropped $1,000. on APP
I'll :, 1908. and also in deal in which
s. Pierpont Of Maryville, Mo, lost all
that he owned. $4,000. also. in the first
part Of 1908. Jimmie 10 known to have
furnished the chicken blood for some
OF the events which the supposedly In
jured jockey allowed to ooze from his
mouth after having been thrown. He
was traced by Postoffice Inspector
Ranger Of st. Louis, thru another
woman than his wife. and thus arrest
ed after having been fugitive since
before his indictment in the United
States court in Council Bluffs in Sep
TENDER, 1909.
Connors and Dunn, who recently ap-
peared in Des Moines and announced
that they were tired Of being hunted,
gave bond for their appearance In