New Ulm weekly review., 1878-07-17
PROUD OF HIS CRIMES.

lKnightstown (Ind.) Correspondence Indianap-
oils Journal.
Your correspondent attended meeting of
the Red Ribbon club in this city a few even
ings since, and listened to an address by
Charles D. Hildebrand, reformed drunk
ard. At the conclusion of the address the
speaker promised his audience, If they would
only come to hear him the next evening,
that they would learn something in relation
to the close connection of whisky to crime,
the inner history of penitentiaries, and the
punishment received there which would
astonish them.
The bronzed face, the nervous glance of
the eye, so often seen in criminals, and the
peculiar bitter tone of the speaker when he
referred to prisons, attracted nay attention,
and an indefnable something in his general
appearance led me to believe that his life
had been a supremely bad one. So, after
he resumed his seat I handed him my card
and invited him to accompany me to my
room at the Shipman House. He consented,
and, after we were comfortably seated, he
':did tale unfold which, if true, entities
him to place in the annals of time, along
side of Claude Duval and Dick Turpin.
H1LDEBRAND S STORY.
Twas born in Detroit, Mich. When only
ven months old I was stolen from my
mothers bosom by a neighboring woman,
who, with her husband, Joined tribe of
Indians living in the vicinity. I remem-
ber little or nothing of my childhood,
except that when I was seven years old
the woman whom had called mother, on
her death-bed confessed to her attendant, an
old hag, that she had stolen me. and gave
the name and address of my parents. She
also obtained from the nurse her promise to
see that I was. sent home. This promise
was never kept.
1 then fell into the hands Of two PR fes-
sional thieves, and was taken to Paris. Since
that time have served in eleven peniten
tiaries, eighteen years close confinement,
not including short confnements in numer-
GUS station-houses, city prisons, and county
jails. My first sentence was in Paris, France,
two years in prison for pocket-picking. Was
released after three months confinement on
account of my extreme youth, being then
only years old. Was sentenced next to
six months imprisonment in Bailey Prison:
London, for the same offense. There I
learned the alphabet for the first time. I
then went to Canada, and was sentenced to
one years confinement in the Kingston's
Penitentiary for burglary, and for refusing
toobey prison orders was confined during
the whole term of my sentence in dungeon,
and for nearly 365 days did not see the
light of day. When I was released from
Canada begun my regular occupation, viz:
my particular line of business, and seldom
did any work outside of this, which is decid-
edly the best branch of the profession.
From 1852 to 1854 served in Allegheny,
Pa, where learned to read and write. Went
then to Havana, and received sentence of
twenty one years for a red-hot bank rob-
berry; was released after three months,
through the intercession of the American
consul.
In 1856 was sentenced eight years to the
Nashville, Tenn, State prison, but was
s'flush,' had some powerful friends and good
lawyers, and served only thirty days. In
1857 ! was sentenced four years to the Lou
isiana State prison at Baton Rouge, but the
same influences which secured my release
from Nashville we're used with like effect in
Baton Rouge, and saw the inside of the
walls only two months.
Mynext sentence was in 1858, for three
years, in. Illinois State prison at Alton.
was afterwards transferred to Joliet, and it
took me seven years to serve my sentence.
escaped four separate times, and was recap
tured each time. My partner, George Chase,
was hung at Joliet for killing Deputy War
den Clarke. Clarke was brutal fellow, and
tyrannized numerically over Chase. For
some trifing disobedience Clarke undertook
to whip him, and when he took hold of him
to lead him to the whipping post, the con-
vict drew a slung shot, which he had made
of stone and some leather, and killed Clarke
with single blow. was released from Jol-
let Feb. 13. 1866.
In May, 1866, / made my escape from the
Indianapolis Jail, where had been locked up
On charge of bank robbery, and the Indian
apolis city court was the only place where /
ever gave my true name.
In the fall of 1866 i was sentenced for five
years Mt Wisconsin State prison at Wau-
pun, and for refusal to work / was confined
. in cell four feet by seven, with ball and
chain to my foot, for four years, four months
and seventeen days. Was released March
1871.
o4 / was sentenced at Terre Haute
q. flee rs confinement in the Indianapo-
lis State prison at Jeffersonville, but had the
sentence curtailed four months on ac-
count of good behavior. Was released Oct.
%, 1877 4 ].
was arrested in Indianapolis in 1872, on
charge of completely in the Meridian street
bank robbery, but no evidence was offered
which could hold me. I was Immediately
taken to st. Joseph county, Michigan, on
charge of robbingthe county treasurer's safe.
/ trumped up q charge against my captor,
Detective John Funday, got him in Jail, and
leared myself. I was never sentenced twice
nder the same name, and the aggregate