The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-11-09
THE PRINCE OF BURGLARS.
INTER BSTTNG CAREER or 4 FASTI-
DIOUS BANk ROBBER,


The Reason WHY MIR. Curiey Docs Not
Lounge In Broadway and the Theatres ms
Of Oid-Entangiedi In an Improbable Crime.
During the last six weeks Broadway has
lacked one OF its handsomest, best dressed
louDgers, and the theatres one Of their most
regul r attendants-Petc Curley. The reason Is
that he Is In Vermont prison, awaiting trial as
the leader In the Barre Bank robbery. Mr.. Cur
icy has for many years made a business Of
burglary, amassing thereby fortune estimated
at several hundred thousand dollars and bis
money aud adroitnoss have, until now, got him
out of every trouble with the law. His under
takinRs have invariably been OF great maRni-
tude. like the Waterford aud other profitable
bank robberies. Although many times arrested,
he has never been brought to trial. In most in-
stances a return Of part OF the spoil, through
roeues among the detectives, has been his way
to freedom. HIS exploit at Barre, however, Il
likely to bring him tO Justice, for the queer
reason that he and his com RAJ "a IN the burglary
got no plumber. The bank lost nothing, and 30
has no incentive TO compound felony conse-
uuently, he can only use hts money In corrupt
Ing public officers, and there are no ind ications
that he Is accomplishing anything In that
Peter Curley came from Troy, N. Y, city that
has sent Noteworthy com oany OF thieves and
handsome fellow. about thirty-Hve years old,
dresses elegantly. and Is In appearance wat the
masses call g aristocratc." He has never mixed
"
tlteiy unknown to most OF them, and only
during tue last four or Ave ye RS has he been
known with certainty as a burglar. Before that
he was only suspected, not because he had been
definitely implicated In any crime, but on ac-
count OF hts lavish Wy OF spending money. He
still lived In Troy then, and had no ostensible
business. He lived luxuriously, but without dis
sipation, was always sentlemanly In demeanor.
dressed IN careful, good taste, and was excess
sivelv generous, often contributing TO funds for
laudable public uses. His accumulation OF prop
erty was steady and pid. He owned the St.
Charles Hotel, In Troy, and resided In It, occu-
pyinR sumptuous apartments.
One night tho hotel was set on IRE while being
re constructed, but not badly damaged, ana II
was found that phosphorus had been scattered
about It 20 hasten the combustion. An invest.
that valuable contents included IN the schedules
had been secretly removed. The general belief
was that Curlev had planned, " not executed,
the incendiarism bat when local newspaper
said so he pretended tn be unjusty accused,
thTgasn,d D.' SUIT snd secured Tetrsc Won,
Troy, when he took $4,000 In cash and Govern
ment bonds from safe In the Roy shawl fac
tory. He was not punished, how ever, and the
facility with which he got out Of that difficulty
has since been repeated often. He IA supposed
TO have been the leader in eleven bank rob-
berries, sannnR the crimes, furnishing the m oney
for heavy expenses and nne burglary machiner' :,
the BOOTY. The detectives sa, that he has never
been suspected Of the robbery Of anything ex-
cept safes, and that his enterprises have inva.
riahly been planned and executed with great
re and skin, often occupying months. Miles,
also under arrest for the Barre burglary has for
MANY wears bttil III buTitf eUployt anu ne Nus
provided lucrative WORK to several other sub
ordinates.
Curley lett Troy soon after acquiring the un-
doubted reputation Of being a burglar, and has
since resided In this city managing his large
prouerty, and adding TO IL by profitable rObber-
les. Ho Is well educated, very intelligent, and
has none Of the ordinary social habits OF thieves.
His liking OF thea res made MIN liberal patron
Of them, the more so, he said he was cut OF
bv his reputation from society that would have
been congenia. He often occupied box at the
opera, too, and had considerable skill In music,
being a 1T the tPACDPrA.
The charge unon which he IL now In Jail Is
regarded as susceptible OF clear proof, and he Is
nearly certain to serve his first term In late
prison. He Is said to be putting his property In
| the hands Of an aole LAWYER for amusement.
fearing that, while he Is imprisoned, the banks
that lie has robbed may sue to recover their
funds.