Hide Article Text (OCR)
ORGANIZED THIEVESTHE CRIMES OF THE JACKSONCOUNTY GANG.Jr Case in Court the Result of a Quarrel Ax**o»ff the Thieves—They May Get Their Ieserts—The Story of a Bubnque County 5Iwt-A printer from Dubuque county, recently in this city tells the following story of the organized outlaws of Jackson county, which will be read with interest:MA case is docketed in the district court of Jackson county for the December term that is the ending of a aeries of criminal causes that have occupied the attention of the same judiciary at intervals since last spring. In Stie mere charge of larceny, under which head the case is inscribed, there is nothing to attract more than cursory notice* but there is history back of .it that only the persistency of one who delves into tradition and masters research can bring to light. “Early Isst spring Fred Kelsall, leading merchant of Canton, Jackson county, was arrested for con-spiracy^in the burning of a barn.. The evidence-fcpon which Eeleall was convicted and; sentenced to eight years in tHe-penitentiaiy was supplied or procured'through Jack Preston, who with his pal;.Elam Ralston, was subsequently sentenced to two years’ ]penal servitude-for harness stealing. The case cited is State of Iowa vs. John Holub. charged with larceny of II s$fc;of harness. Th# minor partic-ular~are tf no general' interest, butperity Bellevue was the headquarters on the Mississippi river, and all stock and all counterfeit money made in the Canton timber were shipped from that point. It was in Bellevue that the famous Bill Fox joined the Prairie bandits. He was im the employ of a man named Brown and was horsewhipped, together with six others for participation in the ‘‘Bellevue war.” He immediately joined the banditti. After the murder of Col. Davenport at Rock Island he was arrested and imprisoned at Knoxville, 111, He escaped by digging out, and a man supposed to be Fox was afterward arrested and hanged with the three Longs. Brown went to California during the gold excitement and returned a few years later. He confided to a friend in alena that he had met and talked with Fox iH California. Cabel Buck-man, the founder of Cascade, was an intimate friend of Fox and eighteen years ago made the statement that at that time Fox wTas alive and well and a resident of Oskaloosa, Iowa, in affluent circumstances. This assertion was verified by another old resi-bent of Maquoketa Valley, who further stated that Bill Fox died at Oskaloosa. in the summer of 18S6, under an assumed name, that he was a well-to-do and highly respected citizen of that community, and that the man hanged with the Long brothers was named Rogers; that he resembled Fox, but, while a member of the same gang, was in noway connected with the murder of Col. Davenport.The testimony of Brown, Buchanan and the Jones county resident that Fox Escaped the penalty hebeing relative to the’ Preston and---------—- ------^ —Ralston case, become introductory to * so xichly deserved seems to be be-a long line--of criminal history that [ vond contradiction. . It is a remark-stands unri7»led in Iowa. I able exhibition of fealty among“The three eass mentioned' are the I rogues that such an arch villian asoutcome of * gang fight. Ralston I Fox should live to an undisturbed _2_^ ...... _i i •»_* _i ___}i(isT
Newspaper Details
Davenport Weekly Leader
Davenport, Iowa, US
Wed, Dec 05, 1894
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 16 Jan 2020
Other Publications Near Davenport, Iowa
Davenport Leader
Davenport Tribune
Davenport Weekly Leader
Davenport Daily Leader
Sunday Democrat and Times
