CHAPTER II.

ELLIOTT LAYS ANOTHER UNSUCCESSFUL PLOT-MISREPRESENTATIONS BY THE PRESS-FIGHT BETWEEN HAMAN AND MCGEHEAN.

E

LLIOTT having thus been foiled in his designs

against McGehean, again lays a deeper and more villainous plot to accomplish his ruin.

In order to verify his previous slanders against him, and at the same time gratify his malice, he secures the services of Edward Preston, a man of similar type to himself, and sends him with spurious money to McGehean to induce him to buy. McGehean declines. Elliott now becomes desperate, and goes to Cincinnati and hires two detectives of notoriously bad reputation-Stephen Haman and Alexander Delzell-and takes them to Hamilton. The three walk into a public room, where they find the object of their search. We may here state that all three were under the influence of liquor. Elliott says:

"Gentlemen, this is Thomas McGehean."

The two advance upon the latter, saying: "You are our prisoner."

He inquired, "What is the charge, and by what authority do you arrest me ?"

Haman replied: "The charge is counterfeiting, and I am going to arrest you;" at the same time drawing his closed hand from his pocket, and as quickly as possible attempting to thrust it into McGehean's trowsers pocket.

McGehean immediately cried out: "See here! this man is attempting to put counterfeit money into my pocket."

Haman then returned whatever was in his hand into his side coat pocket, and drew out a slung-shot, and threatened to strike him for thus charging him.

After this he did not appear to want to make the search, but wished McGehean to go with them. This the latter refused to do until he was searched; at the same time emptying his pockets upon the counter. One of the bystanders counted his money, finding forty-six dollars in genuine bank bills.

McGehean then called Haman a coward, and added: "I will wager this forty-six dollars that you have been hired by John C. Elliott tò arrest me, and that you have now counterfeit money in your pocket which you attempted to put into mine."

The trio then held a consultation, and no doubt would have been glad to have dropped the matter altogether, but McGehean demanded that they should proceed with the

arrest.

Elliott and Delzell then slipped out of the room, no doubt thinking that Haman would follow them. Haman, however,

was too drunk to see the situation, and took McGehean to jail.

These men were so sure of their game that all was in type before the arrest was made, which took place at eleven o'clock p. m., and the following morning the Cincinnati newspapers were teeming with the news of the arrest of Thomas McGehean, and the finding of a large amount of counterfeit money upon his person. Then going on to narrate how adroitly John C. Elliott, the marshal of Hamilton, assisted by "our detectives," as they were pleased to call them, had worked up the job, and succeeded in arresting, and would surely convict, "one of the most daring counterterfeiters in the western country!" Another instance in which Mr. Mc Gehean has been made to suffer through misrepresentations by the prcss, nor was any correction or apology afterwards made for this blunder.

While this was being read by thousands, McGehean was brought before the court, and of course no one appearing against him, he was released.

The

Some time after this, McGehean and Haman accidentally met. Hot words were exchanged, followed by blows. result was that Haman received a sound threshing at the hands of the justly indignant McGehean, although the latter appeared to be no match for the former, as Haman was a man of six feet in height and weighed about two hundred and twenty pounds. No doubt McGehean re

ceived super-natural strength from the recollection of the injury that he had sustained from Haman.

Subsequently Haman was arrested for larceny in Cincinnati, and committed suicide by poison. His companion, Delzell, died in the same city while laboring under a fit of delirium tremens.

CHAPTER III.

ELLIOTT REGARDS MCGEHEAN AS A FORMIDABLE ENEMY-RESULT OF RENCOUNTER BETWEEN MCGEHEAN AND ELLIOTT-— DEATH OF ELLIOTT-EVIL EFFECTS OF ELLIOTT'S MALICIOUSNESS UPON MCGEHEAN.

E

LLIOTT having been so completely frustrated in

his attempts to put McGehean out of the way, now began to view him as a formidable enemy, and kept his envenomed tongue continually uttering slanders against him. If a burglary was committed, a horse stolen, or counterfeit money passed, and the perpetrator of the crime was unknown, the first question Elliott would ask, was, "Was Tom McGehean seen near where the offense was committed ?" And then proceed to tell his old story, that McGehean was the sharpest rascal in the country, and that he (Elliott) would fasten him yet.

About this time Elliott's wife and three children died very suddenly, and it was whispered about that they had been foully dealt with, as it was generally known that Elliott and his wife did not live happily together, for he was a notorious roue. Elliott accused McGehean of originating and circulating this report. This the latter denied, but ad