Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-04-15
THE EDUCATED CRIMINAL.
Tho story Of u Quartette of Criminals VIII
Figured In New York City.

IL IN uuouB proiesslonal IorSerSi
confidence men," and bank thieves,
not burglars, says the Times, that We
find the educated criminal. Such was
the quartette of criminals who con.
ceived and executed the celebrated rail
road bond forgeries, by which they real
ized some hundreds of thousands Of dol
lars in New York city and other places.
OF tho four men who composed this
gang, Spence Pettus and Walter Sheri-
day, alias Ralston, are best known.
Pettus is serving out heightened term
of imprisonment in the Massachusetts
State prison, and Notwithstanding the
ployed to get him released, no has a
very excellent chance of remaining
there. Two others are also wearing the
convicts' garbs; and lastly, Sheridan has
been captured in New York city after
three years Of incessant pursuit by the
police.
This man has about run out his career,
reckoning on the usual average of Il
criminals professional life. He is forty
five years of age, and has figured i'll
criminal records since he was thirty-two.
OF the thousands and thousands Of dol
lars he has made during that period,
all that remained to him at the time OF
his capture was seventy-five cents-a
fact which he pathetically deplored to
his captors. This man is a native of
New Orleans, and when young was re-
garded as lad of excellent promise.
What he did up to the time when, at
thirty-two, he turned up as Missouri
horse thief is not known; but from that
date to the present time all the circum-
stances of his career form part of the
criminal annals of this and several Eu-
ropean countries. From horse stealing,
he went to hotel robbing; but this did
not pay, SO, after serving short term
in the Alton Gill; penitentiary, he turn
ed his attention to banks, anu soon be-
came known MS one Of the most danger
GUS of bank thieves. Aided by con-
federate, he robbed the First National
bank of Springfield, ILL.,, was captured
and tried, and while his comrade was
convicted, he escaped by the liberal use
of money. lio came to New York, and
operated about Wall street. The rob-
berry of a large amount of bonds and Sc
curities from Mr.. Blatchford, was one
of his more notable achievements; an
other was the purloining from the Mary
land Fire Insurance Company, of Ba!ti-
more, of a bundle of notes amounting
to 1920, 900; and again, in the same way,
he robbed Scranton bank of A7, 900,
and Cleveland bank of $40, 900.
He was partner Of Mcdonald, the
Bank of England forger, and was one
of the original investors in the capital
required for the execution of the for
geries; but on learning that Mcdonald
had a female confdant, Sheridan, with
the other partners, drew out. His last
great exploit was the placing Of the
forged railroad bonds in New York city,
when he obtained two loans of $4,000
and 100000 on the ouuterfeit securi-
ties. His partners in this scheme were
equally successful in raising money on
their share of them. 1t was for this
crime that Sheridan was most vigorously
pursued. He left the country, went to
Europe, wandered about there plying
his profession; cane home, and again
went back, and finally returned some
months ago, when he went West to Salt
Lake, and marked his track by number
of small felonies, quite contemplate in
comparison with his previous doings.
With all his success in robbery, the man
evidently was little removed from abso-
lutte poverty, and had turned his face
once more to New York as offering the
best chance Of bettering his condition.
His fate met him as he stepped ashore
from the ferryboat, in the shape OF
squad of detectives. Being taken to the
police court, he pleaded to eighty two
Indictments, and as he has usel up all
his funds, there is every prospect Of his
taking speedy and permanent de
parture for Sing Sing.