The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-05-20
The True story OF .hs why crack.-

=
man.
Through the kindness Of M4rshsl
CTesry some days ago the STATES GAN
reporter was permitted to interview
Henry Wilson, aliss Henry Cox, alias
HeEry Grace, the crecksmsn that COM
mitted tue robbery at Milano several
days ago. At that time certain facts
were ia possession of TIC marshal, and
Is was deemed pTudent 10 withhold the
publication OF the interview. The ru-
mors thst were IA 1Rt then were manu-
factuged out OF whole cloth, as no one
except the msrEhsl and Officer Chene-
vile had even been permitted to see
the prisoner. The following is the
substance of the interview Sc far SIS 1t is
deemed prudent to make public, and
contains sill that effects or is likely 10
effect any robbery that has occurred in
this city:
He says be worked at Barnes 6 Ray
mono's On Saturday before the burgls-
y aud FIRE, helping 10 csTry IN and pile
up 4 our and coffee. Late IN the even
ing il seems the willy cracksmsn be-
came sleepy and calmly went up stairs
goods laid down and began to snooZe
the hours away. While doing this he
save the house WAS locked and the
clerk left. Some time after he woke
up, and having nothing else 70 do set
about opening the 5 sic to pass away
time. He says he turned It around
! snd, with an old sxe, Ratchet aud chisel
he found 10 the buildings cut it open
and found the "slsg" consisting almost
entirely of silver coin, in small strip
ped bag. There WAS one five dollar
bill. During his operations he had q
lamp burning on the floor and under
the counter nesr the drug store, and
Just before he left the building it was
overturned and the oil ran out upon
the floor, whereupon the
Willy CRACKsNAN
says he dropped lighted match into
il and il began to burn. He then left
the building by the way of the back
door next to the barber shop and went
down the yard to the adjoining Smiths
opera house and up to Pecan street.
He then proceeded down Pecan and
crossed the Avenue and went down TO
| monds'. When he reached this point
lie heard the alarm of fire and waited
until the engine turned out, when be
assisted in pulling it TO the fire. After
the fire he losfed around the streets
and down in Mexico until "Wednesday
morning, when ne buried portion of
the money near the International
freight depot and got on the train and
went to
ROCKDALE,
where he stayed day or two, and came
back TO Austin, and fell into the ways
that are peculiar to the fakir. This
burglary netted him $50, and it was
soon spent having good time with
the boys. On April 3, about IL O'Clock
at night, he concluded TO burglarIZe the
store of Mr.. Carpenter, on Pecan street.
he visited the locality and made in
gestigstons, and about or 3 O'Clock
in the morning commenced operations
by procuring from a sCksmith shop
near by large iron axle with which
he opened the cellar grating,
through when he passed and gained
admission to the store. While exsmiu-
ing the stock he aCcidently set fire TO
lot OF ,kiTts, and, for fear the odor
would alarm outsiders, he carried them
| down into the cellar and extingu'shed
the fire with q bucket of water. He
then used the iron axle to turn the safe
around and commenced the pleasing
tack of forcing an entrance into it by
cutting out the back with pick be
found among the rubbish in the cellar.
While ct work he went once to the
back door and looked around, and
resumed operations, but after one or
two blows had been struck, heard some
one walking up stairs and imme iistely
he went to the door and out upon the
| sidewalk and struck off towards
Paggi's buggy establishment. About
the time ne reached the rear of the
saloon adjoining the Milburn wagon
company's ware. room he heard the re-
port of pistol. He turned the corner
Of the alley near Pagg's ami crossed
Pecan street at the five cent saloon aud
went up towards The colored Methodist
church and over 10 the wcmen's house
where marschsl Creary arrested him
and stayed all night. After this it
seems he looked around town, keeping
company with the. fakiTs and OCCASION
ally paying q visit to r lckdale. His
robbery at Milano was conducted SINH
lar to the one.here in the city. He
asserts that the fire at Milano and the
burning OF Barnes q RIymond's re-
suited from accident. the repor-
ter however, is satisfied that both
fires were intentional and be believe :
that after the safes had been got in
condition to be easily entered the fires
were started so az to get under heed
way by the time ne succeeded in get.
ting his hands on the "slsg." The
fire at Barnes & R4ymond's could not
have gained the hesdway 1t did during
the time he walked from the ware
room down to the saloon opposite Bre-
mond's. 1t was difficult thing to
start fire in the cellar of Carpenter 3
store and the odor of burning rays
alarmed him and he eXtinguished it.
He never would have carried two or
three burning skirts to the cellar to put
them out when he could have extin-
guished them up stairs. He says bar
tender II. Houston learned him how to
take the back out OF safes. He stoutly
denies having any connection with or
knowledge of any burglsries save the
three mentioned above. He is rather
stout, dark complexion, large eyes that
are difficult to catch, is about FIVE feet
eight inches high and is a negro OF
more than ordinary intelligence, and
has undoubtedly been engaged in many
robberies with those who understood
the business.
If the man who don't believe there
is divine Providence watching over
things, will stay at home day and
carefully watch his two or three-yesr.
old coy, he'll be convinced there is nj
mere rule of chance to successfully
fi0ure ont the narrow escanes from sc.