Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-11-19
The Prince Of Burglars.

PArEK CURLEY THs BARRs BANK RoBBsR-
Daring the last six weeks. Broadway has
lacked one Of its hand.Omest. best dressed
l0apgers. and the theatres 0s thsir most
regular attendAnts-Peter Curley. The
reason Is that ne Is in Vermont prison.
awaiting trial A. the leader IN the Barre
Bank robbery. Mr. Curloy has for many
years made business OF burglary. anass-
ing thereby fortune estimated At several
hundred thousand dollars and his money
and eireitness have. until now. got him
cut OF every trouble with the law. HIS un-
dertakings have invariably been OF grea {,
magnitude. like the Waterford, ami other
profitable bank r0bberies. Although many
times arrested. he has never been brought
to trial. In most instances a return OF part
of the spoil, through rogGes among the de-
tectlyes, has been MS way 10 freedom. tils
expl0i, ut Barre. however, - likely u bring
him To- Justice. for the queer reason that he
and his cOnradc- IN the burglary got no
pluuder fhe bank lost nothing, and 50
has no incentive to compound felony
consequently, he can only use his money N
corrupting public officers, and there are no
indications that he Is accomplishing any
thing in that manner.
Peter Curley came from Troy, y. Y,
city that has sent noteworthy company of
thieves and gamblers to New York lie is
an uncomm0nly handsome fellow. about
ihirty-fye years old, dresses elegantly, and
Is in appearance what the masses call "sris-
tOcraiic" He has never mixed socially
with thieves. Is personally doubtless Gu
tirely unknown TO most Of them, and only
during the last four or h5c wears has he
been known with certainty 6 q burglar.
Before that he was only suspected, not be-
cause be had been definitely implicated in
any crime, bat on sec Of his lavish way
of spending money. lie still livei 10 Troy
then, and had NJ ostenSb.c business
He lived luxuriously, bat wIthou, DIS
sipa.ion, was always geutiemaniY 10
demeanor, dressed in careful. good
taste, and was sxcessivsiy generoa-, often
contributing = funds icr iauda5le public
uses. His accumulation OF property W.,
steady and rapid i.a owned the ST Charles
Hotel, in Troy. aoi IesiIsi Is *. occupy
ing suuptuOCs apartments.
Ole night the lote. was -. On IRE lille
/ being Reconstructed, but not badly damsg-
ed. and 1t was found that phosphorus had
been scattered ABOUT It 10 hasten the cDm-
| buStlJn An Investigation showed that the
/ insurance was high and that valuable con-
4 tents included in the schedules had beeu
/ secretly removed. The general belief WAS
| that Curley bad planned. il not executed,
the incendiari.m. but when local news
paper said ~ he pretended 10 be unjns,ly
accused, threatened libel suI,, snd secured
a retracuOn.
His first arrest was for burglary in West
Troy, when be took $40 600 in cash and
Government bonds from safe in the Roy
shawl factory. lie was not punished. how
ever, and the facility with which he got
- ,|s lta- k.,a
ed often lie Is supposed TO have been the
leader IN eleven bank rObbories planning
the crimes. furnishing The money tor heavy
expenses ami hns burglary mac1iuery, d.
recting the work. and taking lion shares OF
the booty The detectives say that he has
never been suspected OF the robbery ol any
thing except safes. and that his enterprises
have Invariably been planned and executed
with great care and skill. often occupying
months Miles. also under arrest Tor the
Barre burglary, has FOR many years been in
Curley's employ and he has provided lucra-
tive work 20 several other subO.disa;es.
Curly lef, Troy soon after acquiring the
uudlubted reputation Of being burglar,
and has since resided in this city. msnag
ing his large property, and adding to il by
profitable robberies lie is well educated,
very intelligent. ard has none OF the orii
nary soclGl RADIUS OF tnleVc+ MS iiAing
of theatres made him liberal patron Of
them. the more 50. he said. as he was cut
off by his reputation from society that
would have been congenial. lie often oc-
cupcd box at the opera, too. and had
considerable skill in music. being fine
pianist, tutored by the best teachers.
The charge upon which he is now in Jail
is regarded a. susceptible OF clear proof.
and he is nearly certain To serve his first
term in State prison. He is said u be
putting his property in tho hands Of an
able lawyer for management. fearing that,
while he is imprisoned. the banks that he
has robbed may sue 10 recover their funds
n. Y. San