Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-10-20

| IlKOT Vi lut nluIlAaA INV VI obhNso
Sheridan this city had been released
for ever from the depredntions OF as
vile gang of lawless scoundrels as ever
picked pocket or cut throat. The
dispatches stated that James Munday,
Barney Aaron, Bill Tracey, Jim Brown,
Edward Newman, famous under the
alias of Dutch Heinrich, and Joe Butts
the bank robber were shot and hung by
the United States soldiers, having, been
caught red-handed in the midst of their
robberies. The receipt Of this news
brought q feeling Of joy TO the heart Of
every respectable man acquainted with
the evil character of these ruflians, and a
corresponding feeling Of regret and fear
among the roughs and thieves of Hous-
ton street and Broadway, with whom they
associated
William Tracy was a young man OF
rather slim build, with light hair and
mustache, about thirty years of age.
He was born in the Eleventh'ward, near
avenue b, where his mother now resides
From his youth up he consorted with
thieves, and drifted into their ways, soon
becoming noted as an expert pickpocket.
He consorted chiefly with the Eighth and
Fourteenth ward gangs of thieves, es-
pecially fFequepting the rendezvous for
them at Houston street and Broadway,
where he distinguished hiMself among
his fellows for his excess In dress. lie
was the intimate friend and companion
Of Jimmy Haggerty, the Philadelphia
burglar, and it was owing to his fighting
with Thomas Draper, the Badger King,
that Reddy the Blacksmith shot Hag
gerty dead in Patsy Egan's saloon, at
the corner of Houston and Broadway on
the morning Of Wednesday, January rs.
Previous to Haggerty and Tracy en-
tering Egan's saloon that morn-
ing they had been on a drunken brawl
at Mace's saloon, THE Capitol, in
West Twenty-third street. where Tracy
severely beat officer McCullagh of the
Twenty precinct Since the death
of Haggerty, Tracy has very seldom been
in this city, being almost all the time
thieving with Barney Aaron and the
Western gang of pickpockets through
the country. While in town he resided
in Twenty-fourth street with his wife,
formerly female shop-lifter.
Barney Aaron was cockney having
been born in London, England. He
was son of old Barney Aaron, the
English pugilist. His age up to week
ago was about thirtyseven years. He
came to this country over twenty years
ago, and boarded in William street with
family named Sickles. He soon be-
came pickpocket, and varied his occu-
patton with prize-fghting. He fought
Billy Edwards and Sam Collyer, and
beat them. He was what Is known as o
feather weight, or the, light weight pu-
gilist. Bat as be grew old Barney found
thieving the moet profitable, and organ
izing q mob or gang OF pickpoekets, who
worked the Southern cotton fairs 10 the
fall, and the Western cities'in the winter
of the year When Jerry Dunn shot
Jim Logan 10 Houston street and .es-
capped from the city he made for New
Orleans, and there Joined Barney and
the mob. And when Detectives Irving
and Dusepbury captured Dunn, near st.
Louis, they found that Barney and the
gang were ubiquitous oyer the .Hest.
This summer while in Cincinnati and
Cleveland the writer heard of Barney
and the gang having been there, and so
on all over. Aaron is about FIVE feet
six and a-half inohes, prominent nose
stell-gray eyes, and light brown hair and
mustache. He was dapper, we'll
dressed man, and so disguised his age
that, though thirty-seven years of age,
he looked to a casual observer only
twenty-five. He was pal or com
panion Of Tracy. ,ilc 100
Jimmy Munday, another Of the slaugh-
tered innocents, is one of four brothers
all thieves. The eldest-Peter-is in
Jail in New Orleans waiting trial for
shooting police officer; Charley is in
Sing Sing for five years for burglary;
and the youngest of the four-Eddie
MnndRy--is in Moyamensing prison, Pa.
Munday was about thrty-fye years of
age, five feet six inches high, well built,
with light auburn hair and mustache. |
Munday was never noted as a Grst-cass
pickpocket, butratber acted as stall
or cover for the more artistic thief.
He served couple Of terms here for
larceny.
Jim Brown is the brother of Walter
Brown, the bank sneak-robber, and
thief ofsthe meanest kind He used to
be bartender for Dan Noble, the bond
thief when the latter kept his saloon for
thieves, in the Eighth ward. Brown is
also a pickpocket, and Is twenty-five
years Of age, five feet nine inches in
height, dark complexion, and was a ma
tive Of Troy.
These are all of the gang who have
actually been killed Dutch Heinrichs
was at his house in Third avenue, with
IL. ,,,fa Tho nav,eis giofar ioot nirbt
and Joe Butts, another bank-robber,
was around Broadway yesterday after
noon; so that the bankers Of the city
SHOULD not be luled into a sense of false
security by the rumor that these pests
have been removed.
The manner Of the removal of the
precious quartette who have been re-
moved, is just this. Aaron and Tracy
went to Chicago and put up in the hos
telry of Tom Foley, on Fourth avenue,
where all the Western mob of thieves
stayed while in Chicago During the
progress Of the fire they, with Munday
aud Brown, who had joined them, went
out to rob. They struck through the
burning streets at the Sherman House.
This was before that magnificent hotel
bAN Aut NNAN
sweeping toward it. There was a large
jewelry store further down, and bank
nearly opposite. The fire had touched
these and the doors had been broken
open to let the fremen run their hose
through the buildings. Tracy and
Aaron went for the jewelry store, while
Brown and Munday struck for the bank
Both parties were captured. Two lamp
posts were convenient, and some Of the
citizens special police elevated Tracy
and Aaron thereon, but n sweeter fate
befel Messrs. Munday aud Brown. They
were captured by some Of the infantry
from Omaha, men who speak TO a thief
with the butts Of their muskeis, and ask
him where he is going with the muzzle
The consequence was natural. Munday
and Brown were stood up with their
backs against the wall of a house, and
the rifles Of the soldiers did the rest. So
ended the Chicago career Of the Aaron
gang Of thieves.
Extraordinary scene at a Railroad