The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-08
From the st Joseph Herald. 9th u,tlmo

EAIINGIiSlit'D.
From the - Joseph Herald. eth ultlmo.
1t will doubtless bc remembered by the
readers Of the Morning Herald of the arrest
and trial in this city, about three weeks ago,
before Recorder Drumhiller, of ayoung man
who. for several months prior to his arrest,
had been roaming over the railroads in the
State as Il railroad conductor. express agent,
and private detective, under dozen different
aliases. prominently known as Hildebrand or
Ravcllc. ......
On the 18th instant he honorcd St. Joseph
with his presence, doubtless intending to try
some of his games in that city. Our vigilant
police, having received information in regard
70 our visitor. arrested him on the eve of his
arrival in disrcputable house, and he was
on the following morning sent to the Gala
bonsc to work out on the public streets the
fine assessed against him (SlG.,O at the rate
Of fifty cents per diem. He is at present con-
fined in the c:alaboosc. 1t may be matter of
surprise that this accomplished burglar,
for@cr, and jail-hrcakcr. should allow that
trail tenement known as the st. Joseph GALA
booSc to deprive him Of his liberty; but this
is accounted for by the fact that he is at pre-
sent laboring under severe fever. Doubt
less rs soon us he desires to regain his liberty
lie will burst the restraints now upon him
with as much ease us did Samson the SnareS
Of Dclitah before his hair was >horn.
The following is the wonderful story Of
this remarkable ruan as told by him to re-
porter. The words arc Just rs they fell from
his lips:
Hc has assumed at different times several
Glirse-, but savs his rca! name is Charles j..
IIiidehIaud that lie was born in Dearborn,
Wayne county, Michigan, and was stolen
away from houe when. Oily babe Of three
weeks. As 10 who it was that took him from
his parents, or tie reason Of bis being stolen,
lie is in ignorance 10 this day, nor does his
mother. " no is sill living, have any knowl-
edge Of IT, The period from the time he was
stolen from home until lie was about eight
years old remains blank, but at this time,
! which was early in 1S4S, he found himself at
| E.aslllc. H.. where hc fell i'll with two Eng
| li>h burglars or crlck<mcn. who induced him
| to go with them TO st. Louis, where he was
first led into crime hy them. His first offence
was for till-t!uping, or, in other words, roE-
| bing the money-draWer Of store III It. Louis
on the 18th of February, lS!S.
! His first Imprisonment was in Paris, France.
| where he was convicted Of robbery and sell
! fenced to one year i'll the city prison, but
after serving three months lie WIS pardcncd.
| The next place We find him is in London,
where. with the two notorious burglars who
| first led him into crime in this country he
entered into 4 conspiracy to perform heavy
robbery. In committing the deed they We're
detected, tried. and convicted. The two
| burglars were transported to Van D;cnlan's
| Land for thirty wears. and ltildebl1nd, after
being held in the Old Bailey prison for six
months awaiting trial, was blnished TO Alne-
| rica. This was il 1880.
| On leaving England hc went 10 Montreal.
Canada, where, ter ro,hcy, he was sent to
prison for six months. hl:t by liHcral use OF
money and the help Of unpTinciplcd lawyers
he obtained bis liberty at the end o1threc days.
! lie was next sent to the pcnitentiary at King
st0n. c. W., for robbery, sentenced to re-
! main one year in the dungeon, and served
! his l'till term.
| Leaving Canada in 1852 he again turned
! his steps to the United States, and for some
! miSdcmcanor was sentenced TO the Tombs,
! New York city, but was release, l,y means
Of his lawyers af,er staying only three days
! i'll the police station. Ills next offence was Il
more serious unc-tlat Of robbery. Once
he was sent to the penitentiary at Allegheny
! City, PENNSYLVANIA, for two years, serving
| his full term. -Four months Of his term he
was confined in dungeon for violating the
rules of the prison, and received no other
punishment.
He was next sent up in Cuba for twenty
! one years, being connected with murder
| and Il robbery, but managed to get released
at the end Of three mouths. One of his pals
was imprisoned for life, and the other died
| before being brought to trialsfrom the effects
OF wounds received while resisting the Of
icers. From Criba he went to Mexico,
| .l,x,, nd
was tried and sentenced to ten years inn
prisonmcnt, but escaped after being confined
six weeks. and returned TO the States, and
was convicted Of crime in Nashville, Tenn,
and sentenced to eight years in the peniten-
tialy. Lawyers got him out at the end OF
one month.
In 1855 he gave Frank Reno, one of the
noted express robbers, his first lesson in
burglary, and then we find him ut San Fran
cisco city, where he served one month in the
city prison; and next, at Birlning CHAM, Eng
land, lie served 4 term Of seven months; five
months in the dungeon at Lyons, France
lie was incarcerated for six or eight weeks in
Berlin, Prussia. Returning to the United
States he was sent to Jail at Pittsburg, Pa.
for one month, and escaped. Next, sent to the
city prison in Cincinnati for two months
he bought his liberty at the end OF 1iftcel
days and next to Baton Rouge, La, where
he was sentenced for four years, but bought
| his way out within two months. AT st
Louis he was sent to prison for six months
and obtained 4 release at the end OF the tlllrC
| day hy the use of money. For crimes com
mitted in Illinois he WAS sentenced on three
distinct clmrgcs one year each in the peniten'
tial'v at Lacon; served two years, and was
arrested for the third term before he got out
side the prison, and recommitted, but man
aged to escape by locking up the jailor, AND
went to Europe.
Returning to the United States in 1860 he
was recognized III Buffalo by William f.
Phillips, Of L.scon, ILL.,, who arrested him and
took him back to prison. He managed tc
lock the sheriff in the Jail and attempted to
escape, but was recaptured, and served tho
balance Of the year. lie then entered into
the conspiracy of robbing the express COIN:
pany near Seymour, Ind, but was deserted
| by lis "pals" at Detroit, i'll 1866, where nc
was arrested for crime, taken to Milwaukee,
and sent up for five years. Served fouryears
and four months closely confined in small
cell four by seven feet. The balance OF the
sentence was RENTED for good behavior.
lie says that Billy Reno, one of the express
robbers, was innocent, but that all the others
| that were hung were guilty. Coming out OF
| the Wisconsin penitentiary OH the 4th OF last
March, he came to Toledo, where he was ar
J,cnra ctutcI