The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-13
Handy Andy, the Champion burglar
OF the United states-Bpr Csukiit.

This mysteriously famous house-robber
and exactor of black-mail from the parties
plundered by him" Handy ANDY has
come to grief at last. The operations of
| this notorious character are familiar to our
readers. It was Andy's custom first to
| gut" house of all the valuables he
could lay hands on, and then to strike a
bargain with the rightfu1 owner Of the pro.
perty for its restoration on the payment Of
Q certain sum. .7a:a1 zEi=.r.ss,f- : a.. .l51
A feature in the transactions was TINT
Andy's" personnel was to be Kept o se-
cret: from all inquirers. By this process,
and owing to the want Of pluck on the part
OF his victims, the audacious burglar be-
came terror to the city, and all through
last spring and summer pursued his nefa-
rlous profession with amazing IMMUNITY
| Shortly after the preparation of some more
than ordinary robberies, in the middle Of
Last June, Detectives Dixon and Elliott were
put upon the track of the scoundrel. The
officers had very little to work upon, and as
Andyo had succeeded admirably in
preserving his incognito, the task Of ar
resting him appeared at first almost i'm
possible Of fulflment. However, the de-
tectiyes, by some means, got clue to the in
dividual, but soon afterward they learned
that Andy" had dumped" the city,
and left for parts unknown. Five weeks
ago 1t was ascertained that he stopped a,
the Metropolitan Hotel, of this city, en-
route for St. Louis. The fellow managed
| to get away that time before the detectives
sould secure him. On last Tuesday week
| information reached the officers before men.
toned that Mr.. Andy" had got back te
| Chicago, and was once more denizen of the
Metropolitan. To that establishment the de.
tectives proceeded on the night of the day
stated, and succeeded in surprising and
arresting their long-sought for and slippery
game. Their prisoner gave the name O.
Handy Andy" alias John Holmes, ALA
Doggett, and dozen or two more aliases
He was good-looking and gentleman
ly-appearing fellow, of about five-and- TWEEN
| ty; had dark complexion, flashing blacl
eyes, and q prepossessing countenance
which in conversation wore good-humoret
smile. When arrested he complacentl,
g grinned," and made no resistance what
ever. On his person or in his possession
were found a revolver, "billy," bowie
knife, knuckles," dark-lantern, wax con
dies, chloroform, "nippers," skeleton keys
and corrosive acids. Besides the above, b.
had several things of more cumbrous cha
racter known tothe profession"
In conversation with the detectives
andy" gave his nativity and early his
tory quite freely. He was born in Lancas
ter, Ohio, and was tendcrly cared for By
bis mother; his father died soon afte,
Andy" saw the light. He grew up {
wild and reckless youth, whose spare hour
were devoted to studying the lives of high
waymen and other characters famed in th'
records of criminality. His studies hat
the effect of qualifying him for the Colum
bus Reform School at On early age. H
served with eclat in that establishment
for some years, and on quitting it emf
grated with his mother to California, loca
ting in San Francisco. Being with
out trade, and utterly disin
clined to earn his living in the swea
of his brow, "Andy" betook himself t.
the trade Of burglary, in which he has ac
quired 30 notorious reputation. b
left San Francisco few years since, haVin!
made the city too hot to hold him, and since
his migration has succcs sfully operated il
almost every important city on the Nortl
American continent. His career nigh
have been much more brilliant had he re
mained away from the city for a year or 81
more. The "star of fortune" has, how
ever, forsaken him, and Joliet will doubt
less be his abiding place for many yea
to come. His magnificent black false whis
kers have been secured, and ale in th
hands of his captors. The prisoner is con
fined au secret, and will be kept so until i
suits the convenience Of the police authori
ties to bring him to trial. Detectives ar
busy hunting up the property stolen b.
candy" from the different wealthy estab
lishments in this city. Detectives Dixor
and Elliott succeeded in making the arrest