Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-09-08

William Harvey, or, as he was bet
ter known. English Bill, had that
morning pleaded guilty to a crime
which gave him to the State Peniten-
tiary for lire, and NJ TOOK him DacA
TO his cell he told me 70 come aAd see
him the next day, and perhaps he
would tell me something that would
astonish me. We detectives are not
easily astonished, however, and the
of repeated assurances, by hopeless
criminals, that they could and would
astound US with wonderful revelations,
too often tell us little or nothing more
than We know. A few new lodges,
some robbery yet in its infancy and
only conceived, and occasionally some
really useful clues or information.
generally being the substance of the
prisoners confessions, and made in the
hopes Of its being used to mitigate and
shorten the present punishment and
confinement. 1t was not with the ex-
pectation Of hearing anything of conse-
quence that went the next day there
fore to English Bills cell. That he
was celebrated burglar, thief and
criminal l had long known, but as l
said before, it is seldom that reliable
information, which can be made Of use
to us detectives, is furnished by such
men.
Bill seemed none the worse from
the severity Of the sentence which he
had SO lately received, though to q less
hardened criminal, the bare thought Of
imprisonment for life is generally SO
appalling as to age them in a few hours.
But Bill had counted the cost over and
over again, and now that the game
was up, the race run, and all chance
gone, he was prepared to pay the pen
atty and meet his fate like man.
1t is such men as these that alone
make successful burglars or criminals.
The coward when his doom has come
will have been . coward before, and
the chances are that the very innate
cowardice has been the cause Of un-
steadying his nerve or hand, and led
to his detection and capture.
After few words of ordinary con-
versation with Bill, he plunged into
| the matter OF his confession 1t once.
lyon zee, sir, he said, (and l will
give it nearly in his own words), 81
have something on my mind to tell you
that l think you ought to know. You
run me down in this ere game, and
you did it well. 1 amt going to blame
you for that; that's your business, but
it is mean kind Of business, too, this
running on . man down; but some
body has got to do it, 1 suppose, and,
after all, it amt any meaner than q
man like me, doing something that
requires officers to run him down.
However, that's neither here nor there,
and half forgive you for bagging me
Il don't quite forgive you, you see
perhaps that'll come, and it will come
II ven and me pull together in this lit
tie business, and yoa fix the folks a.
fixed me, the d-d villains"
told Bill that / could make NO
treaty or bargain with him, that al
our dealings must consist Of his con-
fession to me, but II he was able to
give me such information q would re-
suit in my getting on the track Of any
rogues, he might rest assured that I
would follow up The trail and arrest
them, and see due punishment meted
ont to them Il it lay in my power.
"Well, said Bill, that II have to do,
I suppose; Ill ] ask i to get them
fixed, and 70 hare goes for Whist the
parson used 70 call an open confession.
Yoo'li remember" ," said Bill, ''that rob
berry o(th Sarf Rank, down On Tide
street, neaR IL fiver. How the bank
got pretty well sts4ppsd, apd how no
one ever got . trass q 9 Lows wio
] hroka IN"