The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1881-02-05
A Mississippi Biackleg.
N. Y. Express.


PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 26.--Yesterday
"A solitary wagon rumbled swiftly away
from the Eastern penitentiary, aud an
hour afterward stopped in the NUM-
cipal burying-ground- the Potter's
Field of the vulgar-and in few
minutes plain pine box was lowered
into hole in the earth, and the frozen
clods ratified upon the pine-inclosed
form of Wade Supple, alias Pierce, alias
William Gray, who in his day was
one of the most famous hotel and
sneak thieves i'm the United States.
His end was that of nine out of ten
malefactors, although his fate had not
overtaken him until he had gone be-
yond the allotted three-score and ten
years.
For more than forty years Sipple
had pursued a criminal career and In
that time he had been familiar with
the interiors Of the county prison, the
Eastern Penitentiary, Sing Sing,
Charleston, Mass, Baltimore, Rich
mond, Wheeling and Wilmington, N.
c., prisons and penitentiaries. He
was known to the detectives all over
the land as a daring hotel thief the
stories of whose exploits would fill
books. He was first known here in
1886, when he became an inmate of
the Eastern Penitentiary. In the
great days of steamboat travel
along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers
thirty years ago, when the boats were
infested by regular coalitions Of gam
blers, who preyed upon the Southern
and Southwestern planters who travel
ed between New Orleans and Cincin-
natl and st. Louis, the fine art Of
sneakthieving was adroitly piled.
The thieves stole from the planter
and from the successful gambler alike,
often taking thousands of dollars from
the siaterooms, where 1t had been de-
posted by the card sharpers for safety
during the progress Of the famous
games in which
THE RECKLESS PLANTERS
often staked not only the ready money
derived from the sale OF their crops,
but wagered, besides, their planta-
tons, field hands, residences, ETC., and
lost all to the cunning knaves whom
the blind goddess and skill favored.
Supple had thrilling adventure once
near Natchez, Miss, which is said to
have frightened him into abandoning |
his utilization with Burtis and his
other confederates. A party Of gam
blers had come up from New Orleans,
had 'cleaned out" a number Of plant
ers, and were making merry over their
triumph. The spells Of victory were
supposed to be fabulous.
sipple learned that the money,
which was mostly In bundles OF brand
new, crisp bank notes, was In the room
Of one Of the gamblers. He determin-
ed to possess himself Of 1t, and sue
ceeded In his enterprise, afterwards
the plumber In his own
room. The gambler discovered his
loss in a few hours, and notified his
They fixed on Sipple and
another man as the thieves, and CATCH
ing them ON the upper deck Of the
steamer on a moonlight night, as she
was passing Natchez, they surround
ID them, aud with drawn bowie
knives aud derringers, threatened
hem with instant death unless they
produced the booty or told where Il
vas hidden. Sipple pretended 10 be
frightened into compliance, and told
HIS cAPToRs
o accompany him to his room. On
lis way thither, although encompass
d by cleaning steel, he sprang
through his environment, and plung-
d overheard. An attempt was made
o stop the boat aud capture the thief, ,
tut no trace Of him could be discover .
d even under the moonlight, and he !
vas given up for lost. Not 30, how .
yer. He escaped, and not liking the !
manners Of the Southern gamblers, he }
OrsOok steamboat thieving. as too per ,
Ious. The gamblers recovered their !
money In Sipple's room after fight i
nth his companions. Az age crept I
yer the once daring criminal, he de-
cended lower and lower In the scales :
crime, until he became mere sneak
hief-a snapper up Of trifies. Sus- !
icion was not likely to fasten upon Q :
white-whiskered, nicely 3
ressed old man, and % he subsisted Z
liserably on his pilferings, where :
lousands had been insufficient 10 !,
stisfy him before.