The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1830-10-07

bout SZtJO OF UtOIC, put " iuto u'S P'S"st
and told his father, II believe | shall spend
election week in Boston" The young man
then started with the two Crown'nshields,
came 10 Boston, but soon made their way
10 New York. In this city they put mp az
one ofo then fashionable hotels in Broad
wsy--sported themselves IS well rs posi-
blo-sttended the theatre, sought such
pleasures as they had taste for-aDd mi
tiatcd Frank into tho mysteries Of q vaga
bond kind oflife. Ii should be recollected,
however, that tho tnste of these chevaliers
was some what low and coarse, Richard be,
ing, though strong minded, acute, Gun
ming man. not particularly refined either by /
educati or socicty. They might be
rcckoned in this city sort Of third or
fourth rate young men Of pleasure, who TO
supply an empty purse would prefer broad |
robbery to fashionable forgery, or piece
Of genteel swindling. Frank admired The |
pleasures furnished by New York gave
loose rein to the irnpctuosty Of his charac
ter-showed his hrmness, his inperiurbablc
command OF counteDancc and feelings in
variety Of little anecdotes which were re-
lated and circulated among his associates
At Salem.
At last the funds which were principally
furnished by the first felony OF Frank upon
his father, became low, and the little bOnd
os brothers were soon reduced To- the eX
tremty Of procuring supplies by stretching
forth their hands little contrary to law
They did so, aud were not discovered i"r
some time, but principally under the guih
ance Of Richard. They committed their
villainics with great address. They lived
in separate hotels. One Of the gang wouid
lookout Tor plumber al the house IN whlrh
he resided, but he touched nothing. lis
associate from another hotel, was invited I"
soc him information communicated how
10 find the property. and the non resident
stole from the hotel Of the resident. l'y
this means, detection was difficult. This
was their sysiom, and they had prac'lsrd
upon il very successfully before they were
discovered by our police.
From this city they went to the Springs
and remained a short time. We believe
they dccampcd rather hastily. In August.
1897, they returned Ia the city, and put up
as formerly, at dffercn, hotels in Broadway.
and commenced their system nnew. II
was during this period Of the excursion,
that they committed several thcfis were
appre hended--aRd had their names enroll
oil on tho books cf the New York Police
Office This enrolment is dated Ang. y
1927, and contains the names OF Richard
Crowpnsheld, his brother George, and
Knapp, who passed by the nliases ofGeorge
J. Brown, and Joseph Fisher. Onc Of the
party had stolen gold watch, a,thc Frank
lin House, another a gold chain o' Mr..
Rockwell, in broadway, while looking at
his wnres. The chain was found IN one
Of the apartments Of the American ho'cl.
Both the Crnwninshields were then put in
Bridewell, and Fisher, alias Knspp, in
private CONVERSATION with one OF the Police
officers, gave such accounts, that this mem
oranhnm was written after their names III
the Police books -"noicd thieves from Sa
lem, Mass: Fisher tells all about them"
1t required the greatest ingenuity OF
Richard to ex,ricats himself aud his &C
quain,ancc. Yet il was accomplished.
When Frank returned to Salem, which was
Immediately on the heels Of the oGvcn,urc
here, he was severely taken To task by hs
father and friends. His decepilon--hs
trick. and his theft Of the money, were.
however, concealed from the world. md At
tcmpts were made 10 reclaim him from his
course by sending him 10 sea. Frank went
to sea several voyages, and gave such cvi.
densc Of his sobrio,y, attention to duty. and
perseverance, Of character, that his friends
believed that q complete reformation had
been effected. He continued so for year,
giving promises of becoming q useFu. man
and q virtuous member of society. notwilh
standing his first lap.es. About year ago
he left sea, probably from the depressed
state Of commerce, aud the decay of trade
experienced in Salem. This reduced him
to comparative idleness, and threw him
second time into the society of the Crown.
inshields, who then lived in Danvers, and
carried ON n sort Of a machine and white
emith's shop, for making the iron work Of
stages, wagons and suc. like articles. THIS
business of the Crowninshirlds was primes
pa!ly made feint for the prosecution of
dangerous plans for the procurement ori
funds whenever they we're in want of them
Secret predatory expeditions were ire
Quently made into the surrounding towns
and yllsgcs, in which he became 8 partner
and an associate. Yet in all his vllainy.
the leader of the gang, Richard, took par
ticular pains to enforce the s'rictest rules, !
and sevcrcst discipline, which he deemed
necessary to succcss. II is said in Salem, !
tha. Richard wns in the habit Of saying, !
"Nu one shall belong To our set who dors !
not adhere to cold wa,er--spiri,s mus, DO
abs,nincd from altogether"
II was only during the moments ofrelay.
alton, when all danger WAS distant, that,hc
pleasures Of the bottle were indugcd in;
and even then they say, M one ever saw
Richard Crownnshield the worse for u
quor. Tie was believed To- be extremely
temperate and ahstelnious and insisted that
his adhercn's should be equally So. Some
Young fellows in Danvcrs used 10 call III"
sct, "Dick Cfowninshicd's Temperance
Society"
The connection which Frank Knapp had
with the murtlor OF Can't. Whnc hns bern