Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-06-14
STORY OF HILDEBRAND.
How he was First Led into Crime,
and how Many Times he has been
Umnris0ned

I
trial, in our city, on the 10Th of April, o.
man who had forged a letter on the
Superintendent of the Pennsylvania
Central railroad, and by means Of it OBJ
tained a pass over the D. and M. rail
road to Cincinnati; and that he was con
victed Of the crime and sentenced to oui
county jail, is also well known. Las
Tuesday he was released from prison
and, meeting with our reporter, stated
that in an article published in the Com
mercial, which was composed mainly Of
extracts from Milwaukee papers, the day
following his trial at the police court
there were many errors, and that he
wished to be allowed to tell his own story
to the public. The following sketch has
been formed from the words as they fell
from his lips:
He has assumed at different times sew
eral alieses, but says his real name is
Charles d. Hildebrand that he was
born in Dearborn, Wayne county, Michi
gan, and was stolen away from home
when only babe of three weeks. AS
to who it was that took him from his
parents, or the reason of his being stolen,
he is in ignorance to this day; nor does
his mother, who is still living, have any
knowledge of it. The period from the
time he was stolen from home until he
was about eight years old, remains a
blank, but at this time, which was early
in l848, he found himself at Lasalle,
ILL.,, where he fell in with two English
burglars or cracksmen, who induced him
to go with them to st. Louis, where he
was first led into crime by them. His
first offense was for till-tapping, or, in
other words, robbing the money drawer
of store in st. Louis on the 2sth OF
February, l848.
His first imprisonment was in Paris,
France, where he was convicted Of rob
berry and sentenced to one year in City
Prison, but, after serving three months,
was pardoned. The next place we find
him is in London, England, where, with
the two notorious burglars who first led
him into crime in this country, he entered
into a conspiracy to perform a heavy
robbery. In committing the deed they
were detected, tried and convicted. The
two burglars were transported to Van
Dieman's Land for thirty years, and Hill
debrand, after being held in the old Bal
ley Prison for six months awaiting trial,
was banished to America, in 1850.
On leaving England he went to Mon
treal, Canada, where for robbery he was
sent to prison for six months, but by a
liberal use of money, and the help of
unprincipled lawyers, he obtained his
liberty at the end of three days. He was
next sent to Kingston, Canada West, for
robbery-sentenced to remain one year
in the dungeon, and served his full term.
Leaving Canada in 1852, he again
turned his steps to the United States,
and for some misdemeanor was SEN
fenced for six months ix the Toombs,
New York city, but was released by
means of his lawyers, after staying only
three days in the police station. His
next offense was more serious one
that of robbery-and he was sent to the
penitentiary at Allegheny City, Pa. FOR
two years, serving his full time. -Four
months of his term he was confined in
the dungeon for violating the rules Of
the prison, and received no other pun
ishment. There was no shower bath
Wlllllll Tut pTlSOii HOA wac hN NiioiHSNi
ETC.. as heretofore stated.
He was next sent up in Cuba for twen-
ty-one years, being connected with muir
der and robbery, but managed to get re-
leased at the end Of three months. One
of his pals" was imprisoned for life,
and the other died before being brought
to trial, from the effect of wounds re-
ceiyed while resisting officers. From
Cuba he went to Mexico where he com
mitted heavy robbery and was tried and
sentenced to ten years Imprisonment,
but escaped after being confined SIX
weeks and returned to the States, and
was convicted of crime in Nashville,
Tenn, and sentenced for eight years in
the penitentiary. Lawyers got him out
at the end of one month.
In 1855 he gave Frank Reno, one OF
the noted express robbers, his first les
son in burglary, and then we find him
at San Francisco, California, where he
served one month in city prison, and
next at Birmingham, England, he
served term of seven months, hve
months in dungeon. At Lyons, France,
he was incarcerated for six weeks, an d
eight weeks in prison in Berlin, Prussia.
Returning to the United States, he was
sent to jail at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania,
for one month, and escaped. Next
sent to city prison in Cincinnati for
two months, he bought his liberty at
the end of fifteen days and went to
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he was
sentenced for four years, but bought
out within two months. At st. Louis
he was sent to prison for SIX months
and obtained q release at the end OF
the third day by the use of money. For
crimes committed in Illinois he was
sentenced on three distinct charges, one
year each, in the penitentiary at La
con. Served two years and was arrested
for the third term, before he had got
outside the prison and recommitted,
but managed TO escape by locking in
the taller, and went TO Europe.
Returning to the United States in
1865, he was recognized IN Buffalo by
VIM. E. Phillips, Of Lacon, ILL.,, who ar
rested him and took him back to finish
his term in prison. He managed to lock
the Sheriff in the Jail and attempted to
escape, but was recaptured and served
the balance of the year. He then en-
tered into the conspiracy Of robbing the
Express Company near Seymour, Ind,
but was deserted by his pals at De
roit in 1866, when he was arrested for
crime, taken to Milwaukee and sent up |
for five years. Served four years and
four months, closely confined, in cell
four by seven feet. The balance of the
sentence was remitted for good behavior.
He says that Billy Reno, one Of the ex-
press robbers, was innocent, but that all
the others that were hung were guilty.
Coming out Of the Wisconsin peniten-
tiary on the 4th of last March, he came
to Toledo, where he was arrested as be-