Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-01-18
From the st. Joe Herald, Dec: 2Tth.l
The History OF "a Noted Criminal.
HILDEBRAND, TIE BURGLAR, FoReER AND
JAIL BREAKER-HIs OPERATIONS IN TWO
coNTINENTs-JACK sHEPPARD's FAME
ExTNGUIsHED.


ExTNGUIsHEp.
Il will doubtless be remembered by
the readers of the Morning Herald, of
the arrest and trial in this city, about
three weeks ago, before Recorder Drum
hillsr, of a young man who, tor
several months previous to his arrest,
has been roaming over the railroads IN
the State as railroad conductor, express
agent and private detective, under doz-
EN- different aliases, prominently known
las Hildebrand or Ravelle.
On the 18th inst. he honored st. Jo-
seph with his presence, doubtless in
tending to try some of his games in that
city. Our vigilant police, having re-
ceived information in regard to our visit
or, arrested him on the eve of his ar
rival in a disreputable house, and he was
on the following morning sent to the cal
aboose to work out on the public streets
the fine assessed against him, 1878, at
the rate of so cents per day. He is at
present confined at the calaboose. 1t
may be matter of surprise that this ac-
complished burglar, forger and Jail
breaker should allow that frail tenement
known as the st. Joseph Calaboose to
deprive him of his liberty, but this is
present laboring under severe fever.
Doubtless as soon as he desires to regain
his liberty he will burst the restraints
now upon him with as much ease as did
Sampson the snares of Delilah, before
his hair was shorn.
The following is the wonderful story
of this remarkable man, as told by him
to a reporter. The words are just as
they fell from his lips
He & has assumed at different times
several aliases, 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
e)arents, or the reason of his being stolen,
he is in ignorance to this day, nor does
his mother, who is still living, have any
D 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 1648, he found himself at Lasalle, ILL.,,
where he fell in with two English bur
glars or cracksmen, who induced him to
go with them to St. Louis, where he was
FIRST led into crime by them. His first
Soffense was for till-tapping-or, in other
words, robbing the money drawer of
Store in st. Louis on the 28th of Febru-
airy, 1S48.
His first imprisonment was in Paris,
France, where he was convicted of rob-
berypnd sentenced to one year in the
Getty Prisonp but after serving three
moEhs he was pardoned.
Abe next place we find him is in Lon
don, where, with the two notorious bur-
glars who first led him into crime in this
country he entered into a conspiracy to
perform heavy robbery. In committing
the deed they were detected, tried and
convicted The two burglars were trans
ported to Van Dieman's Land for thirty
years, and Hildebrand, after being held
DIN the Old Baily prison for six months,
awaiting tfial, was banished to America.
q This was in 1859.
0On leaving England he went to Mont
sal, Canada, where for a robbery he
was sem 20 y ision for six months, but
by H'..'. ufa If money and ~. .~
-t I.a ..@ Z .'-vya~s, \ oh ... O..
, o -.. a'Q1l # tn
~ 10 The p" F1
20 c. W, To- Obj v ne.
TO -4 ua.. one yaar in the du4E2.1 al.
sev@ his full term.
Leaving Canada in 1882, he aroir-
turs:}d his steps to the United ates.
and for some uisdemeanor was sentonc-
ed to the Tonbs, New York City, but
was released by means of his lawyers,
after staying only three days in the
Saolio@statio6 His next offense was a
more serious one - that of robbery.
Once he was sent to the Penitentiary at
Allegheny Qty, Pennsylvania, for two
years, serving his full term. Four
months of his TeHn he was confined in
dungeon for violating the rules of the
prison, and received no other punish
meIt.
He was next sent up in Cuba for
tventy-one years, being connected with
a murder and robbery, but managed to
get released 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-
seived while resisting the officers.
From Cuba he went to Mexico, where he
committed a heavy robbery, and was
tried and sentenced to ten years impris-
onmeet, 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 Penitentiary. Lawyers got him out
at the end of one month.
4
the noted express robbers, his first lesson
in burglary, and then we find him at
San Francisco city, where he served one
month in the city prison, and next at
Birmingham, England, he served a term
of seven months, five months in the dun
geon at Lyons, France he was incarcer-
cerated for six or eight weeks in Berlin,
Prussia. Returning to the United States
he was sent to jail at Pittsburg, Penn,
Cor ane month and escaped. Next, sent
to city prison in Cincinnati for two
months he bought his liberty at the end
of fifteen days, and neXtto 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 a
release at the end of three days by the
use of money. For crimes committed in
Illinois he was sentenced on three dis
tinct charges, one year each, in the peni-
Tertiary at Lacon. Served two years
and was arrested for the third term, be-
fore he got outside the prison, and re-
comitted, but managed to escape by
locking up the jailcr and went to Eu-
rope.
Returning to the United States in 1865
he was recognized in Buffalo by Will
liam E. Phillips Of Lacon, ILL.,, who ar
rested him and took him back to prison
He managed to lock the sheriff in the
jail and attempted to escape, but was re-
captured and served the balance Of the
year He then entered into the conspir-
acy of robbing the express company near
Seymour, Ind, but was deserted by his
pals" at Detroit in 1866, where he was
arrested for crime, taken to Milwaukee
and sent up for five years. Served four
years and four months closely confined
in small cell four by seven feet The
balance Of the sentence was RENTED for
good behavior. He says that Billy Reno
one of the express robbers, was limo
cent, but all the others that were hung
were guilty. Coming out of the Wis
D.. 1 =. 1. ~ z