Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-01-03
STORY OF CRIME.
Tine Life of q Noted Burglar. FOrger
and Jail Breaker.


The st. Joseph (Mc.) Herald mentions
the arrest in that city of Charles ID. Hnder-
brand. and his confinement in the work.
house of that place. He was interviewed
by a reporter Of that paper and here IS the
wonderful story Of his life, IN bis own
words:
He has assumed at different times several
aliases, but says his real name Is Charles D.
Hilderbrand; that he was born IN Dearborn,
Wayne county, Mich, and was stolen away
from home when only a babe OF three weeks
As 10 who it was that took hum from MS
parents, or the reason OF his beng StcleH,
he is i'm ignorance to this day; nor does his
mother, who is still living, have any knoWl-
edge of it. The period from the time ne
was stolen from home until he was about
eight wears old remains q blank, but at this
time. which was early in l84S, he found
himself at Lasalle, ILL.,, where he
fell in with two English burglars or cracks
men, who induced him to go with them TO
st. Louis, where he was first led into CRIME
nv them. His first offence was for till-tap
Ming. or, in other words, rObbing the money
| drawer of a store in ST. Louis, on the Zoth
of February, 184o.
His first Imprisonment was in Pans,
France. where he was convicted of robbery,
and sentenced to one year in the city prison,
but after serving three months he was par
| doned. The next place we find him is IN
London. where, with the two notorious
| burolars who first led him into crime in this
| cou1try. he entered into a conspiracy to
perfor1n heavy robbery. In committing
| the deed they were detected, tried and con-
| victed. The two burglars were transpor-
ted to Van Dieman's Land for thirty years
and Hildebrand, after being held IN the
old Bailey prison for six months, awaiting
| trial. was banished to America This was
in 1850.
On leaving England, he went to Toronto
Canada, where, for a robbery, he was sent
tn nrison for six months; but by liberal
use of money and the help of unprincipled
LAWYERS. he obtained his liberty at the enc
| of three days. He was next sent to the
penitentiary at Kingston, Canada West, for
robbery, sentenced to remain one year II
the dungeon.
Leaving Canada in 1852, he again turned
his steps to tie United States, and for some
misdemeanor was sentenced to the Iomos
New York city, but was released by means
of his LAWYERS, after staying only three day
in tbe police station. His next offence wa:
a more serious one-that of robbery. Onc'
he was sent to the penitentiary at Aleghen!
CITY, PENNSYLVANIA, for two years, serving
his full term. Four months of his term h'
was confined in dungeon for violating tht
rules of the prison, and received other pun
ishment.
He was next sent up in Cuba for twenty
one years, being connected with murde
and a robbery, but managed to get re
leased at the end of three months. One
his pals was imprisoned for life, and tn
other died before being brought to trial
from the effect of wounds received Will
resisting the officers. From Cuba he wen
To Mexico, where be committed heaV
robbery, and was tried and sentenced u
. ten years Imprisonment, but escaped afte
six weeks and returned to the States, an
was convicted of crime in Nashville, Tenn
and sentenced to eight years in the peniter
tiary. Lawyers got him out at the>end
one month.
In 1855 he gave Frank Reno, one OF th
! noted express robbers, his frst lesson
, burglary. and then we find him at Sa
Francisco city, where he served one mont
in CITY prison, and next at Birmingham
ENGLAND, he served term of seven months
: five months in dungeon at Lyons, France
he was incarcerated for six or eight weeE
in Berlin, Prussia. Returning to the Unite
! States he was sent to jail at Pittsbur
, | Penn, for one month, and escaped. Mex
2 sent to city prison in Cincinnati for tH
2 months, he bought his liberty at the end
| fifteen days, and next to Baton Rouge, La
= where he was sentenced for four years, b.
!, | bought his way out within two month
t at St. Louis he was sent to prison for 5
months, and obtained release at the 81