The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-21
EDITIO N
REDDY THE BLACKSMITH.

blacksmith. her wickedest criminal, as Allen
was her wickedest man, is in the clutches of her
Jealous officials. The career of Reddy possesses
more than ordinary interest, and these para
graphs from the Gotham journals of this morn
ing will acquaint our readers with some OF its
brightest features.
His Arrest.
SAYS the TjmeS:-
William Varley, alias "Reddy the Black
| smith, arrived in this city yesterday morning,
under escort of Detectives Woodbridge and
Dunno, of the Sixth ward police, having been
brought by them from San Francisco by the
overland route. The arrival of this distinguished
individual caused considerable excitement in
certain circles, and creates a general desire to
know something of the antecedents of n crimi-
nal of such great repute.
Varley is a hero Of crime, who has had great
ness thrust upon him rather than achieved it.
man governed chiefly by brutal Instincts he
has never risen to the first rank as an adroit
depredator, and he has become famous mainly
because of his unreasoning, ungovernable tenn
per, and his matchess impudence. But for that
he would have gone through life rs a very ordi-
nary thief and piclpocket. His intellect is of
very low order, and it would trouble him proba-
bly, to tell when and how he received the alias
of "Reddy the Blacksmith" The name come
from his red hair and ruddy complexion, and
from the fact that in early life he was an appren
tice to a blacksmith, and the aliX was to distin-
guish him from "Reddy the Plumber" another
member of the lawless gang to which he. was
first attached
His First Term.
In 1855 Freddy" fell for the first time into the
clutches of the law, being picked up by John
Jourdan, then as active shrewd, and able
patroman as he is now n poce-captain; but
Jourdan was inexperienced then, and 'Reddy'
slipped out of the trap which had been set for
him, and he was finally discharged without pun
ishment, because the complainant in the case
could not be found.
Very soon afterwards, however, he was ar
rested again for picking the pocket of an English
gentleman in a street car of $400. This time the
fates were unpropitious the complainant was
present at the trial; the evidence was direct and
positive and Reddy, for the first time in his life,
was a convicted felOn. He was sentenced to five
years in the State Prison, and was first sent to
Sing Sing, where he speedily became noted as
the most incorrigible disorderly and disorga-
nizing rutfan that had ever been in the institu-
tion. He was disciplined without effect. The
shower bath, the dark cell, and all other eXpe-
dients proving Intellectual, he at last sent
off to Clinton Prison to eXpend his stubbornness
in the iron mines. There he stayed until the
expiration of his sentence, and although nothing
rs to his demeanor there has come out of that
solitude, he certainly returned to his old haunts
in the city entirely untamed.
He Turns FOrger.
Very soon after his release he achieved dis
tinction in an entirely new line. Resuming his
old profession, he picked gentleman's pocket,
and to his great chagrin found nothing in it but
q draft for f100, payable to order. He must have
been very greatly pressed for money at the time,
was entirely successful. The crime was disco
vered, freddy" was arrested, indicted, gave
bail, and meantime the complainant left the
country, and although he was subsequently, re-
arrested by Captain Jourdan and confined in
the Tombs for some time, the man who had been
robbed could never be found, and he was ulti-
mateiy discharged
very ImporIa.nt heyesTThS Hon. V"rley on
From crime to crime--until his presence in
New York was at the risk of his life from his
quondam associates and discarded pals" and
ut the mercy of the officials. He ran away to
San Francisco, leaving tell-tale traces of his
flight at every stopping place Of his arrest
and return to New York all know. Yesterday
while in the Tombs, reporter conversed with
him and reproduced for the benefit OF an inte-
rested public the following version of the
Reporter-Wel, ,Reddy tell me how you escaped
ReddyoOh! t don't know it's Ia kind of luck I
have. / never tried to keep dark, and 1t wouldn't
done no good if had. Reddys known everywhere;
New York, you know, and walked along the railroad
there, and we spreed it pretty bad When was
cornedn down, the fellows put me on the train for
Philadelphia, and Handed there right side up with
care, you know.
Reddy-Hold on, let me have my say first. Well,
just put up at the best hotel there, staked little
and made next day for Baltimore met the sports
there, and had drink all round, then went on to
don't take two bites to a cherry there, you bet
liked the city, and stayed there six weeks. /
spent all my money there, and teegraphed for funds.
As soon as was reimbursed l started for San Fran
cisco. rode all the way to Omaha with one of our
Congressman. He is a regular brick lie didn't
know me, of course. We agreed In politics. (Here
he detailed the conversation he held with the dstn
guished Republican Senator1 | left the Senator
when went up to see Brigham Young and see his
Reporter-What do you think of the Salt Lake
Reddy-Oh, they are not worth -; they are
not good looking. don't see what Brigham finds in
all Of em. Well left Salt Lake very soon. 1t didn't
| agree with me. When got to San Francisco had
| bully time. gave wine supper two days before
| champagne along with all of US. He didn't know
| me, you know, and 1t was good joke. He had
telegraph in his pocket from Dikes, telling him to
| bag me as soon as arrived. was just going to
| open house out there when was arrested. It's a
| good place for business; smart people in business
but they are very iiterate they murder murder the the
much there you know. Well, two days after had
| drank with the Chief of Police he arrested
me and levelled his pistol at me, yowlng
| raised $500 In gold, and were going to get
me hdbeGS corpus out would have got discharged,
| too But the New York police was there though,
| and they had one hundred and six San Francisco
| policemen to back them, and they would have
| arrested me if had got off, SO Just give myself
| started home. We came along in the Pullman
| palace-car The Indians were all along the route,
but they amt so bad the people make out. Those
| - Canadians are the fellows who are doing all
| the damage and the Indians get blamed for 1t. I've
got good feeling for the Indian he has been badly
| treated, just like me. - - ,.,, . -, -
duct of the Department of the Interior and the
nolicy that should be pursued towards them when
one Of the officers told him to prepare to 60 90 the
Tombs He had another interview with his wife,
and was then led and assigned to cell in the
Sjtv prison where he will remain I(uness moved TO
take another trip until the 1st OF September when
| t-sz A.sol mill tQE