The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1870-01-13

from tbe parties plundered Dy him
-"Handy Andy"-hAs come 20
grief at last. Tho opefatIons of
this notorious character are famil.
lar to our readers. II was Andys|
custom first 70 ''gutP 4 house Of all
the valuables he could lay hands
on, and then to strike a bargain
with the righual owner of the prop.
erty for its restoration, on the pay.
ment OF q certain sum.
A feature in these transactions
was that "ADdy's" personnel was to
be kept 4 secret IRON all inquircrs.
By this process, and owing TO the
want Of pluck on tho part Of bis
victims, the audacious burglar be-
came terror to the city, and all
through last spring and summer
pursued his no.arions profession"
with amazing impunity. Shortly
after the perpctration of some more
than ordinary robberies, in the
middle of last June, Detectives
Dixon and Elliot were put upon
the track of the scoundrel. The
officers bad very little to work up
on, and as ''Andyp had succeeded
admirably in preserving his incog
nito, the task Of arresting him ap
peared at first almost impossible Of
fulfillment. However, the detec
tives by some means got a clue to
the individual, but soon aiterward
they learned that sandy" had
dumped" the city, and left for parts
unknown. Five weeks ago it was
ascertained that ho stopped at the
Metropolitan Hotel, of this city, en-
route for st. Louis. The fellow
managed to get away that time be-
fore tho detectives could secure
him. On last tuesday week, in-
formation reached tho officers be.
fore mentioned that Mr.. sandy"
had got back TO Chicago, and was
oncemorc a denizen ofthe Metro
politan. To that establish meDt the
detectives proceeded, on tho night
of the day stated, and succeeded in
surprising and arresting their long
sought for and slippery game
Their prisoner gave the name of
"Handy Andy alias John Holmes,
alias DoggetL, and dozen or two
more aliases. lie was good look
ing and gentlemanIy appearing tcI-
low, of about FIVE aud twenty; had
dark complexion, flashing black
eyes, and a prepossessihg counte..
nance, which in conversation wore
a good humored smile. When ar
rested he complacently "grinncd, =
and made no resistance whatever.
On his person or in his possession
were found q revolver, "billy,"
bowie knlte, "knuckles," dark Ian
tern, wax candles, chloroform,
"nippers," skeleton. keys and cor
rosive acids. Besides tho above,
he had several things of q more
cumbrous character, known to the
profession. 'ali5a .aa asm-lag'
In conversation with the dctec.
tives, "Andy" gave his nativity
and carly history quite freely. lie
was born in Lancaster, Ohio. and
was tendcrly cared for by his
mother; his father died soon after
ANDY" saw the light. He grew
up q wild and reckless youth, whose
spare hours wore devoted to stud
ying tho lives of highwaymen and
other characters famed in the res
cords of criminality. r His studies
had the effect Of qualifying him for
the Columbus Reform School at an
early age. He served with ecldt in
that establishment for some years,
and on quitting it emig-atod with
his mother to California, locating
in San francisco. Being without
trade, and utterly dislnclined to
earn his living in the sweat of bis
brow, sandy" betook himself to
the trade Of burglary. in which he
has acquired so notorious q repu.
tation. He left San Francisco a
few years since, having made the
city TOO hot 10 hold him, and since
his migration, has successfully op.
Grated in almost every important
city on the North American Cont.
ncnt. His career might have been
much moro brilliant had he rer
mained away from the city for q
year or SO moro. The ''star of for.
tuno" has, however, forsakcn him
and Joliet will doubtless be bis
abiding place for many year to
come. His magnificent black false
whiskcrs have been secured, and
arc IN the hands OF his captors.--
The prisoner is confined au secret,
and will be kept so until it suits
tho convenience of the police au
thoritics to bring him to trial. De-
tectivos are busy hunting up The
property stolen by "Andy" from
tho different wealthy establishments
in this city. Detectives Dixon and
Elliott succeeded in making the ar
rest. tfa wog a
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