The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-10-28


brought before the Judge.
Burglary as Fine Aria Wonder ful
story.
Fillainy may long 60 UNPUBLISHED,
long that its impunity may seem dcstIned
TO be pcrpctual-but it is pretty sure to be
brought up with round turn ut last. Mr..
Sanborn, formerly Of Bristol, N, H., hut
more recently the guest Of City Marshal
Phiihrick. of Lawrence, Mass, must en-.
terrain just now lively sense Of this fact.
Mr.. Sanborn has committed no fewer than
thirty hnrelarics. and yet until last week
has never been inside Jail. In fact, al
though on ono occasion in The hands Of an
officer, whence he managed with grcat dcx-
teriiy TO escape, this "champion" burglar
has never before hecn even formally ar
rested. Lost time will, however. he forth
with made up, no doubt. There arc i'll
dictmcnts enough against him to cover, on
conviction, half a dozen ordinary human
lives and Mr.. Sanhorn, unless he proves
rs Great 4 genius at breaking out OF prisons
aS he is in breaking into dwellings, will fol-
low his picturesque profession no more.
There arc several rccullarities about tins
mans career that render it worthy OF note.
IN the first place, it appears to have been
admitted to Sanhorn'S plans TO share the
booty or bctray confidence. Furthermore,
and this is accounted one great secret Of
| his unparalleled success in crime, this bur-
olar worked upon certain irflcxible rrinci-
pics. Ell his operations were conducted
| by night. and from :hiS rule he never de-
waited. During the day he was Invariably
concealed, and stunned, with unremitting
caution, the face OF man. In summer he
slept in the woods or among the noun
tains. I'm winter he generally found some
| oilt-nf tlc-wav deserted house. wherein he
| could take up his quarters until spring.
| Besides this, the officers say he is man Of
| extraordinary coolncss and nerve, who has
preserved for years a kind OF iron mastery
Of himself, never drinking. and leading, in
truth, almost the life of an ascetc; cir
| cumstanceS obviously favorable to all per-
siStent dc icus, whether Of virtue or vice.
So rigid was Sanborn i'm adicring TO his
rules that it has repeatedly happened that
| he has suffered from hunger for days while
havin. thollS uds of'dolIars in his pocket,
and yet would not venture into any neigh
| BORN" settlement for food. He pursued
thuu>c-brcakiug apparently rs 4 fine art,
| aud cared more for the successful accom-
pli>hmcnt of his schemes than for the
| fruits Of them. Sometimes, inhamed with
a noble ardor, he would perform almost
unhcard-of fcatS of professional skill.
Thus on one memorable night he commit
| ted no fewer than seven robbcrieS-four at
McthIcu aud three at Uaverhill-cach Of
| the latter at least involving the torcille
| entry of n house, and got off in safety. To
| facilitate his operations he carried q pccu-
| liar lantern, having Il very narrow slit for
| light, and this capable of being instantly
| and nniSclcSsly covered. He was Shod
\ I,lf In S,,n, Of
/ King Lear. aud lie WAS provided with a
singular revolver that throws four balls ut
one discharge.
\ great many watches and jewels. aSwcl
~ other portable property, were found ut
Sanhor,'s lair. and several thousands of
dollars were taken from his person. lie is
described, however, rs looking on these ma
tclilI tr;faS with contempt. lie prosecuted
| his calling, we arc to infer, for pure love of
art, and found his sole reward i'll an appro-
vim" conscience. 1t Is clear that, III the
absence Of confcdcratcs, no other "ucrdnn
could ne open to him. He must obviously
find rccomrcnSc in mere scll-admirltion.
Let his breast swell with noble citation Is il
might. there was none to share his triumph,
| To glory over his hazardous cmprlSc. Like
KIM Richard, he was himself alone, and
must draw approval, no less than inSplra-
ton. from within. Yet SanborE has not
always been without the sweets of appIO-
baton from his 1, llow-mcn. In youth he
WIS bred Il carria.c-naker. aud became
4 remarkably skiltul mechanic. Jrcpns-
ScSrin" in appearance and bearing, he was
mtIrh liked. and was Thought in his way
quite il brilliant fellow. UnluckiIv, he sig
nhlizcd himself ut the casly aye of twenty
| now sixteen or eighteen years a%n-~by
stealing his employers stock 10 make up
into carriages Ia sell in competition. De-
tccteu, he burst into tcarS-only because
found out, since on the same night he COM
mittcl another con siderable thcit-and was
let OF. His subsequent raScaliticS were
MANY, but none We're ever brought home,
aud during the list few years, despite The
wonderful number Of his crimes, his cun-
ming and luck have hitherto saved him. 1t
is now Sid that several people have known
FROM time to time where Sanhurn was, but
tlI,t their fears Of POSSIBLE vengeance on
themselves has prevented them from taking
ste ps for his apprehension.
None are all evil and it would mp
pear. sadly enough, that the tender spot
in this mans heart was the Indirect occa-
sion, nj last, Of his arrest and destruction.
In his birthplace Of BiStnl lived Sanborn'S
wiit-l dismal life she must have had Of iC,
poor woman-aud his children. One Of
these, the Etvorite, died lately. The father
WAS Win 1t III the Nilal moment, anu 'llef
closing the little creatures eyes in their
last sleep fled to the mountains. But the
officers OF tue law had got on his track,
aud they traced him like slcuth-hounds
until he was hunted down. He was I'M
lr,SSahc rs ice when taken, and fully maln-
tanned his reputation for pluck and steadl-
ness. 1t is melancholy to think of what
Sanborn under other circumstances might
have bccn-of the distinction he might
have won for himself and the good he
might have conferred on mankind. So
striking an example of the msdircctlOn of
fine natural powers IS not often seen, and
il cniorces lesson of painful utility
Nrir TO,'I: Times.