
The Church Women's Bonfire — (from W.W. Graves' Tricks of Rascals)
This is an excerpt from William Whites Graves 1905 booklet “Tricks of Rascals.” In his capacity as the editor of the Anti-Horse Thief Association Weekly, Graves published the book to describe some of the tricks that dishonest folks used to fleece innocent people.[1] Here he writes about a very elaborate theft and fencing operation that was conducted during the opening years of the 20th century. It was successful for a while but might have ended the life of a northeastern Kansas town.
This is an excerpt from William Whites Graves 1905 booklet “Tricks of Rascals.” In his capacity as the editor of the Anti-Horse Thief Association Weekly, Graves published the book to describe some of the tricks that dishonest folks used to fleece innocent people.[1] Here he writes about a very elaborate theft and fencing operation that was conducted during the opening years of the 20th century. It was successful for a while but might have ended the life of a northeastern Kansas town.

Introduction (from Graves):
The criminal world has given a new definition to the word “fence” that is not found in the dictionary. Gangs of burglars often own a store which is conducted by one of the members and there the loot of the gang sold. The keeper is called a “fence.” The term is also sometimes applied to the place or store where the goods are sold. Perhaps the most notable fence of recent years was the one discovered at Gerardy [2], Kansas, in the fall of 1903. Gerardy is a small town of about 275 people, in Washington County, Kansas, only a few miles from the Nebraska line. The business houses of the town consisted of a post office, saloon, grocery and general store. The gang owned and operated the saloon and general store. The saloon was headquarters. That was where the work was outlined and planned and men assigned to do the work. They had a secret society among themselves and had signs by which they could recognize each other. A man who was a victim of the gang and helped to break it up said he found that the members traveled in pairs disguised as tramps. They would get their mail from headquarters at certain places and would be instructed to meet at some other point. The salutation when they met was “John.” if the answer was “Bill,” then they were satisfied they could talk business. When they met at the next appointed place there was perhaps a team and light wagon in readiness to make a haul and get the goods to a hiding place. After the excitement had passed the loot was brought from the hiding place and taken to Gerardy where it was sold at the store.
F. W. Whitling was the man who was charged with being the fence of the gang and the general director of the operations. He was the head of the gang. He had charge of the store and saloon. Goods were sold at ridiculously low prices. Farmers came from miles around to do trading with Whitling because of the low prices at which he sold his goods. He did a thriving business. The following story of the gang was told by the papers shortly after the raid was made [3]:
The criminal world has given a new definition to the word “fence” that is not found in the dictionary. Gangs of burglars often own a store which is conducted by one of the members and there the loot of the gang sold. The keeper is called a “fence.” The term is also sometimes applied to the place or store where the goods are sold. Perhaps the most notable fence of recent years was the one discovered at Gerardy [2], Kansas, in the fall of 1903. Gerardy is a small town of about 275 people, in Washington County, Kansas, only a few miles from the Nebraska line. The business houses of the town consisted of a post office, saloon, grocery and general store. The gang owned and operated the saloon and general store. The saloon was headquarters. That was where the work was outlined and planned and men assigned to do the work. They had a secret society among themselves and had signs by which they could recognize each other. A man who was a victim of the gang and helped to break it up said he found that the members traveled in pairs disguised as tramps. They would get their mail from headquarters at certain places and would be instructed to meet at some other point. The salutation when they met was “John.” if the answer was “Bill,” then they were satisfied they could talk business. When they met at the next appointed place there was perhaps a team and light wagon in readiness to make a haul and get the goods to a hiding place. After the excitement had passed the loot was brought from the hiding place and taken to Gerardy where it was sold at the store.
F. W. Whitling was the man who was charged with being the fence of the gang and the general director of the operations. He was the head of the gang. He had charge of the store and saloon. Goods were sold at ridiculously low prices. Farmers came from miles around to do trading with Whitling because of the low prices at which he sold his goods. He did a thriving business. The following story of the gang was told by the papers shortly after the raid was made [3]:
“An inviolate rule of the organization was never to ‘turn a trick” in Washington or adjoining counties. Instead of making its headquarters in the city and operating in the smaller tributary towns, as has been the custom of the gentry, this gang did the reverse; it rendezvoused in the wilderness and operated in the towns and cities.
"And the members of it were looked up to by the simple country folks as very desirable citizens, all things considered. They frequented the ‘joint’ at Gerardy and were addicted to profanity and late hours; these were the worst things that could be said of them. But their generosity covered a multitude of sins.
"While they did not attend services in the little mission church, they contributed to its support with a free hand, making up large arrearages in the minister’s salary and pleasing the women with gifts of handsome church furnishings, the source of which no one ever thought to question.
"When one of them, Frank Martin, was arrested, a note was found in his pocket written by the school ma'am. It thanked him ‘on behalf of the district,’ for a copy of the Century Dictionary, and referred indirectly to other previous benefactions.
“The extensive correspondence carried on by the gang with co-laborer’s formed the chief sources of revenue of the Gerardy post office, and their traffic in stolen wares of all kinds made it unnecessary for jobbing houses to send drummers to the town.
“But the most striking anomaly was the social niche occupied by the outlaws. They had entree to almost every home within a radius of ten miles, and not only did they attend barn hops, suppers, literary and debating societies, but were actually central figures at such transactions.
“By their profligate waste of money they awed the country swains and dazzled their sweethearts and sisters. They always dressed well. They were ‘traveled,’ too, in a way, having visited most of the larger cities.
“The question, ‘How do you fellows make your money?’ was often asked and variously answered. They could be trusted to answer in such a way as to avert suspicion.
“The interests of the individual members were made subservient to the interests of the band as a whole, while the organization and methods employed were such as to suggest the hand of a Prof. Moriarty, Conan Doyle master criminal.
“‘Dad’ Monday, one of the shrewdest criminals of the lot, was paid a salary of $100 per month to locate jobs, draw plans of the ‘layout’ and figure on the ‘getaway, of those who ‘turned the trick.’ The bandits did not show up on the scene of their intended depredations until they were ready to make the ‘haul.’
“Two teams and two light wagons were owned by the gang. After robbing a store, bank or post office, the loot was ‘planted’ at some prearranged spot, and the robbers ‘went to cover.’ A few days later a member of the gang drove around, dug up the ‘plant,’ and hauled the spoils to the rendezvous.
“Frank Martin, alias St. Louis Dutch, was the patriarch of the organization. He arbitrated all disputes and exerted a controlling influence in deciding the policy of the band. He was the ‘counselor’ of the ‘Doones.’
“From the common fund raised by levies on the members, money was sent to secure the release from jails and penitentiaries those so unfortunate as to be caught. Fancy whisk brooms, carved books and crosses, inlaid boxes and other goods were raffled off. The proceeds were forwarded to the brethren in limbo, who had made these trifles during leisure hours.
“When the ‘hang out' at Gerardy was raided, the officers found several cases of beef extract in tubes. The robbers carried a supply of this food when executing a coup, and on it they subsisted when close-pressed and compelled to lie in hiding for any length of time. This, to the secret service men, was something new and novel in criminology.
“One of the gang had ‘done a turn’ behind the footlights, and the clever system of make-up employed by these outlaws was one of the secrets of their long immunity. Face paints, camel’s hair brushes, wigs and other disguising paraphernalia in abundance were found in the den. A favorite make-up was that of a Negro. When a job was to be undertaken, one or more of the party disguised himself as a darkey, the purpose being to confuse identification in the event of a surprise.[6]
“Besides these evidences of advanced art, the usual supply of skeleton keys, jimmies and other tools needed by the profession were among the contraband goods confiscated by the officers who made the raid.’ In cracking safes ‘soup’ was used. This explosive they prepared by boiling dynamite in a mixture of water and acids. ‘Soup’ explodes under a pressure much lower than is required when nitroglycerin is used, and for that reason was preferred.
“For a period covering seven or eight years, this band organized to prey on society, confined its operations to the ‘weeding’ of stores and other petty robberies. Several business houses in a small town would be entered, one or two pair of shoes be ‘lifted,’ and the boxes left in place; 50 or 100 cigars appropriated from another merchant and various similar thefts perpetrated.
"By this system the victims did not discover their losses for some time and very frequently never did. The stolen articles were sent to members of the band at some distance and peddled about.
“Long-continued success emboldened the gang, and it came to regard the ‘weeding’ of stores as beneath its dignity. Robbing banks and post offices not only was more ambitious, but also offered greater returns. This increased boldness and the treachery of a comrade who preached in order to gain freedom proved the undoing of the organization.
“Late on the night of Sept. 27, 1903, Frank Martin and Robert Mann walked into Blum Bros.’ saloon in St. Joseph, Mo. and tried to sell some stamps. The proprietor notified the police and the two strangers were arrested. The post office safe at Morrill, Kan., had been blown open two nights before and $200 in stamps stolen.
“E. S. Leland, one of the postal departments secret service men stationed in St. Joseph, went to work on the case. The developments were startling, and he called in other inspectors. They soon secured knowledge of the existence of the outlaw band and its long series of criminal operations.
“On Nov. 4 the rendezvous at Gerardy was surrounded. ‘Dad’ Monday and Fred Whitling, the crook who ran the saloon and remained in charge of the ‘hangout,’ were the only members of the gang caught in the net. The officers had the drop on them before they could reach their weapons. Whitling showed light, but was persuaded to put up his hands before suffering any serious damage.
“In the examination it was brought out that the man Whitling had a cave which ran from the cellar of his joint and in this cave he stored goods and sometimes men—this was when the sheriff or other officers made him a call.
“In the secret cellar they found a great store of plunder—silks, clothing, dress goods, shoes, shotguns, revolvers, razors, a stolen stereopticon and other articles. The professional apparatus was one of the most elaborate collections the officers had ever seen.
“James Snyder, Baltimore Whitney and James Hall were picked up at Endicott, Neb. Snyder had just broken jail at Russel Springs, Kan., where he was being held for the robbery of the Oakley, Kan., bank. The trio caught at Endicott had burglarized a jewelry store at Carleton, Neb. Hall was released only three months before from the Kansas penitentiary.
“James Smith, alias K. C. Billy; Pat Murphy, alias Octonberg Slim, and Thomas Scotty were captured at Alliance, Neb. They were held for the robbery of a bank at Hebron, Neb., three weeks before. Smith was also in the Oakley bank robbery and escaped from the Russel Springs jail.
"Five members of the gang were captured on an island in the Arkansas River, near Newton, Kan. They blew open a safe in a Burrton, Kan. bank on Oct. 22, 1903. The alarm was given, a posse of the Anti-Horse Thief Association pursued, three of the bandits were wounded and the quintet took refuge on the island. They surrendered the next day. W. H. Walker, James Bell, Thomas White, E. J. Johnson and George Oleson are the names given in by these members.
“The most serious crime laid to the door of the Gerardy coterie of criminals is the murder of a Grand island brakeman at Hanover, early in September. One of the band became involved in an altercation with the proprietor of a Hanover restaurant. In the fusillade which followed the railroad man was killed.
“The consternation among the gang members has not been as great as it was among the members of the little church when they discovered that they had been receiving the assistance of a gang of outlaws.
“Some thought that it would do no harm to continue to use the articles which had been donated to the church by the members, but the majority of the women agreed that they could never worship in the church again unless the sanctuary was purged of the presence of the gift of the robbers.
“The women had their way, of course, and it was arranged to burn the pieces of furniture in a formal and ceremonious manner.
“A bonfire was built on an adjacent vacant lot and the women, who had gathered at the church for the purpose, carried the offending furniture to it and threw it into the flames.
“They lingered to see that it was reduced to ashes then dispersed. The church is not so well furnished as it was, but there is no furniture which represents stolen money and the women are well satisfied with their work.
“One of the peculiar features which came out in the trial was that Whitling had been sending money to the men of the gang in the different penitentiaries. The records at the post office at Gerardy show that more than $2,000 had been sent to the men. Another peculiar feature showed that the men in the penitentiary at Hebron, Neb., had been making brooms in the penitentiary and had been sending them out of the prison without the knowledge of the prison guards. The brooms were put under a dray which was taken to the prison in a regular way.
“It also developed that the gang included a great number of ‘hummers,’ that is, tramps, who went about the country looking for easy things where the real tough element could do the work.
“The best evidence that the gang was thoroughly organized and that they worked together is that they send money to their pals who have been caught and are in the penitentiaries or jail. The fact that so many money orders were sent from Gerardy was one of the points which drew the attention of the post office inspectors to the matter."

Some Reference Information:
1. In 1905, three years after he secured the Anti-Horse Thief Association Weekly Newspaper Contract, W.W. Graves published Tricks of Rascals. In his own words, it was a breezy little pamphlet that described some of the tactics used by criminals to steal from honest people. In his introduction he says “In my capacity as editor of the official paper of two great fraternal protective and detective organizations, the Anti-Horse Thief Association and the Central Protective Association, I have naturally given some particular attention to the wiles and mysterious ways of the criminal world. I found such a great number of tricks and decoys practiced on honest people I thought I might save at least a few good people from becoming victims of these rascals.” The book does not limit itself to horse or livestock thievery. Graves covered a pretty broad scope of crime, swindles and debauchery some of which seem almost familiar even in today’s world of identity theft and internet fraud. It even deals with the darkest side of crime such as child abuse and what we might call human trafficking today. But the book also shows a lighthearted side of Graves’ writing not seen in his other work. Graves loved to write and this is another small product of that love. Follow THIS LINK for more information about the remarkable man.
Graves intended the book to be a teaching tool for A.H.T.A. members but he also sold several to other law enforcement officials. In all, he published about 3,000 copies. The book is out of print and very few copies are known to exist.
1. In 1905, three years after he secured the Anti-Horse Thief Association Weekly Newspaper Contract, W.W. Graves published Tricks of Rascals. In his own words, it was a breezy little pamphlet that described some of the tactics used by criminals to steal from honest people. In his introduction he says “In my capacity as editor of the official paper of two great fraternal protective and detective organizations, the Anti-Horse Thief Association and the Central Protective Association, I have naturally given some particular attention to the wiles and mysterious ways of the criminal world. I found such a great number of tricks and decoys practiced on honest people I thought I might save at least a few good people from becoming victims of these rascals.” The book does not limit itself to horse or livestock thievery. Graves covered a pretty broad scope of crime, swindles and debauchery some of which seem almost familiar even in today’s world of identity theft and internet fraud. It even deals with the darkest side of crime such as child abuse and what we might call human trafficking today. But the book also shows a lighthearted side of Graves’ writing not seen in his other work. Graves loved to write and this is another small product of that love. Follow THIS LINK for more information about the remarkable man.
Graves intended the book to be a teaching tool for A.H.T.A. members but he also sold several to other law enforcement officials. In all, he published about 3,000 copies. The book is out of print and very few copies are known to exist.

2. It appears as though Gerardy, Kansas, had a fairly short lifespan. An 1878 map of Washington County does not include Gerardy. In fact that county map shows a different township arrangement than the current Washington County map. A 1906 map shows Gerardy in Independence Township in the northeast corner of the Washington County. Later maps do not. Post office records show that a post office was opened on January 1, 1895 and discontinued on November 14, 1903. With the gang controlling at least two of its few businesses, I have to wonder if the arrests and the post office investigations helped do Gerardy in.
3. There are newspaper stores about the Gerardy affair. If you want to dig in more, my best results have been with Googling "F. W. Whitling" with other search criteria. Whitling was the ring-leader and he has his name on several stories. I found articles in the Wichita and Dodge City newspapers as well as others. It seems like one of the main issues relate to him was post office theft and his use of the postal system.
4. All illustrations shown here were added by A Catholic Mission. The cover illustration show above was edited from my photo of a heavily damage copy. The 1906 map of Independence township, Washington County, Kansas is clipped from a map on www.historicmapworks.com. The dot-map near the top of the page was edited from a standard Kansas base map from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at the University of Texas, Austin library map collection — https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/kansas.html
5. The above is an opening article from a section of the book called “Fences.” The Gerardy story is the longest and most complicated.
6. The language of the block quote above, includes what would be considered a racial slur (para. 15) — and in fact, it is. I considered removing or replacing the word "darkey" but retained it in the quotation for historical relevance. It is not a pretty word but it reflects the sentiments of the early 1900's.
3. There are newspaper stores about the Gerardy affair. If you want to dig in more, my best results have been with Googling "F. W. Whitling" with other search criteria. Whitling was the ring-leader and he has his name on several stories. I found articles in the Wichita and Dodge City newspapers as well as others. It seems like one of the main issues relate to him was post office theft and his use of the postal system.
4. All illustrations shown here were added by A Catholic Mission. The cover illustration show above was edited from my photo of a heavily damage copy. The 1906 map of Independence township, Washington County, Kansas is clipped from a map on www.historicmapworks.com. The dot-map near the top of the page was edited from a standard Kansas base map from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at the University of Texas, Austin library map collection — https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/kansas.html
5. The above is an opening article from a section of the book called “Fences.” The Gerardy story is the longest and most complicated.
6. The language of the block quote above, includes what would be considered a racial slur (para. 15) — and in fact, it is. I considered removing or replacing the word "darkey" but retained it in the quotation for historical relevance. It is not a pretty word but it reflects the sentiments of the early 1900's.