Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-10-07
AN ACCOMPLISHED THIEF.
Wooster, taao Pigeon Hole Ssvtslsller.
and IA: Csreer-He a safely J"ss>d

ana a: C.:eer-Hele safely jassti
From tho San Francisco Alta.a3 r y
Tho skeleton Of first class novel exists
in tho annexed narrative as given from the
lips of q veteran detective: "A. year ago
robbery of bonds tb.the. amount of Il, 600
was committed upon Messrs. Whelan l. Co.
bankers, doing business on Thisd street,
square up along the margin OF the Barbary
coast. A man named Christopher Wooster
in The opinion Of the veteran detectives,
was the guilty party. Wooster il not only
one of tho most daring. but ono of tho
meanest thieves now extant. He has serv.
ed out two terms of imprisonment. in tho
Eastern Peniteutiary: Above year ago
he opened an office on Gold, street, ,above
Second, ostehsibly for the purpose Of SELL
ing patented cork solea, to DO used i'll shoe
ing horses. The Office was fitted up with
exquisite taste; the furniture was Of the
handsomest description. There was II row
OF pigeon holes back OF tho counter. which
contained numerous papers One OF these
apartments could be opened from the 9th,
or sido by tho moving OF slide In tho
partition which divided the Office into two
parts.
Wooster called ut the banking house Of
Whelan 4 Bros. and purchased SIS, Nworth
of bonds, which he ordered to be sent to
his Office. where they would be paid for in
gold. He. with confederate, was in his
Office when tho bonds arrived. lilo took
them. and, after examination, placed them
in tho pigeon-hole already described, re-
marking, IAN right" Stepping to desk,
he wrote something on paper blank. par
porting to be An order for gold. This he
gave to his confederate to present some
where or other with instructions to make
O. much haste "a possible, as he had other
important business to transact. An un-
usual length Of time elapsed; Wooster be-
came impatient, and wondered at the delay.
The gentleman from the banking house
Thought everything Was right; the bonds he
had given to Wooster were still in sight in
The Aforesaid pigeon-hole. Finally, Woos-
Ter asked the gentleman to take charge Of
H. M ono oiSce Shils hs tWooster) would 60 to
ASCERTAIN the cause Of the delay.
This'was readily essented to. and Woos.
ter started nom til" o6ce. He did not
return. His confederate, instead of going
after gold, - Indicted, simply got in to
the APARTMENT In The rear Of the pigeon
holes, and dexterously removed tho bonds
by aiding. beck the panel, while Wooster
engaged tho Attintion at the lepf6sSntative
Of The Third street banking house. In or
der to avert any suspicion, the bonds were
leplaced by other papers similar in appear
ance.. Finally the gentleman, becoming
impatient, thought he would take the bonds
back to the banking house, al he could
wait no longer. he took the 9documents
from the pigeon hole. and it was not long
before he realized the astounding fact that
10 had been dpped 15.tl. Yt:,.
Wooster, since that period, has operated
In number OF places. He obtained By
the some method froM, Alfred Wilkins, q
Detroit, Michigan, Sc, 600; from BANGING
house in Kansas City, 5000; from house
In Boston, $500; aud, similar sums from
several parties in Canada.
About ten years ago he consorted with q
Remarkably shrewd and very pretty, lady
like woman, in Green's :court, now called
Griscom street. She led an unsuspectiHg
man, who had lots of money in his pockets,
10 her house, and by what Is known as the
ispanel game. he was robbyd. II This wo.
man vas)aihSted. so WI Wooster: both
were convicted and sentenced to prison, he
for term Of Ave years, and she for three
years. Both served their time out, but
since that period the woman has died.
Previous to this time, Wooster had served
Hars :tc,s irsthF Meade Chestnnti street
H. NJ ~s es.'1 .iso orrested on one occasion
charosd with staaiina pair of horses from
! i;-e-t stshia Th% Iatfap vss comnro.
o;sE Hs nevaS "a ts;ed ior The offanse.
n,r;~o a nart of Iis oareer he was the
anaT" 81 Rph Pharo' a Celebrated i,horse
p"at Ttho iattar fa,iow died a few wears
sne =. .,o ,,r;so~ ~ HortforS conn
sw ~ s.o pa.s..,ea mani, ~ Nos r., hi.
4.. "U"s; 'S ~;tS WhaIan ERro Ia re,re.
sented the business title Of Bernard 4 CO.
Alter his release from prison for the second