The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-05-26
4 VERMONTER HANGED IN CALI
FORNIA.
Account of His Life az n Burglar.

HIS OPERATIONS AT KEENE, n. H., BELLOWS
FALLS, MONTPELIER, ST. JoHNsBURY, NEW
BURY, BRADFORD, BRATTLEBoRo AND
OTHER PLACES.
Probably very few people in this part of
the country who read of the execution of
Charles +. Flynn alias Charles Mortimer,
at Sacramento, last week, were aware that
his early steps in crime were taken in this
immediate vicinity, and that he made vari-
Gus New England towns the scene of his
depredations for several years, learning
his trade, as it were, therein. He was
born in Vermont in 1884, passed his youth
and grew to manhood in Lynn, Mass, and
in 1858, went to California, where he be-
came one of the most notorious criminals
ever known, even in that state, where great
criminals have somewhat abounded. His
life was constant succession of burglaries
and larccnies, for which he received an
occasional short term of confinement, but
he escaped punishment for two or three
murders of which he is now known to
have been guilty. In September, however,
he killed Mary Gibson and conviction fol-
lowed, and, in due time, his execution.
The details of his crime and execution have
been previously published, and it is only of
volumlnous, written confession, left to
his counsel as the sole remuneration in his
power, that we now wish to speak. 1t is u
very full criminal autobiography, and fur
nishes considerable interesting reading in
this vicinity who may be familiar with
some incidents of the narrative.
HIS EARLY LIFE.
Up to the age of 10, when heperpetrated
his maiden burglary, his life was like that
of any boy in the busy town of Lynn. At
that time, he had conceived passion for n
girl called Ada, and, lacking funds to take
her on pleasure-trip to Portland, he APP
Piled in his emergency, to his friend, Dick
5. That individual suggested that they
break open the store of a certain Mr.. b. and
take the needed funds from his till. After
some demurring, Flynn asscnted, and they
succeeded in getting quite sum, FLYNN
taking the lions share. Having plenty of
money, he soon became young rough,
and, for participation in a saloon fight, he
was sent to the reform school at Westboro.
lie soon escaped, by means of skeleton
| Keys maue OF knlttlnp-neeuleS, but was re-
captured and made to serve his time out.
Mention is made of the "good strapping -
he received at the hands of Superintendent
Lincoln for his flight, He considered il his
misfortune that his term of confinement
was so short; had it been years instead of
months, his reformation might have been
effected. From the reform school he re-
turned home and went to school until he
/" graduated with honor" as he phrases
it, for the rather questionable pleasantly
of stealing the clothes of some girls who
were bathing. From this time he COM
menced to run wild" with Dick. In a
Salem gambling saloon he was so fortunate
or unfortunate, one night, as to win money
enough to take him to New Hampshire
and Maine for the summer. Returning to
Boston in the fall, he fell in with some of
his old ''chums' of the reform school, and
with them he perpetrated a series of bur
glarles in that city and its suburbs, obtain
ing in this way watches, jewelry, cloth
ing, etc, of considerable value.
HIS VERMONT OPERATIONS.
After brief visit to New York, to re-
cover from the fright of a narrow escape,
he visited Fitchburg, and at one of the no
tells there he succeeded, by very cunning