Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-19
STORY OF SAM f. PERRY.
The Degenerate Grandson of the Re-
n0wRsd Com. Perry,
Condo mined as n Common Thief In ,,,e
Michigan Penftentfary.

The Detroit Post says that by the impris.
onment of Samuel F. Perry, alias PAXTON. in
| the Jackson prison Tor term of FIVE wears
on the charge OF being implicated in the
| robbery of the county treasury last spriug
of $40 disappears for the time being one Of
those remarkable characters who are DUE.
zle TO social scientists. Perry was a grand
son OF the immortal Com. Perry of naval
| fame, and was man of more than ordinary
intelligence, all OF which placed him among
the ranks of the more dangerous class of
criminals. He was a graduate of the Naval
| Academy at Anna polls, and at one time
| promised to ornament an homo able profess
sion and perpetuate the fame of his heroic
ancestry. He was, however, more or less
inclined to vicious practices from early
youth, and began his downward career by
becoming frequent visitor at the gaming
table. In his native city, New York, he soon
became noted "a q reckless gam bier, and
| when he had squandered his patrimony,
which was considerable, he became a conf
| dence operator. 1t was an easy descent from
that profession 10 that Of thief.
Through all the various grades from gam
bier to thief Perry passed, and according to
his own confession 10 a reporter of the Post
and Tribune vino interviewed him the day
previous to his departure for prison, it did
not take him long 10 reach the lowest round
of the ladder OF iufamy. Said he, as he
! meditatively chewed the end of a cigar the
reporter had given him: "Young man, I'm
going to give you pointer"
"Well, what is it?"
Gambling, wine, and women of easy viz
tue will down any man. They have finish
ed me. Look at me-what l am and what |
was-no sermon, however eloquent-tongued
the orator, was ever preached from pulpit
| that teaches as forcible moral lesson as the
history of my life, and the Sunday readers
Al
proft-espec ally the young. No man can
violate the laws Of God and man and escape
punishment"
"What induced you 10 adopt such lite?"
"Oh, everything came in its turn easy
enough. Love of excitement aud of gaming.
Then 1 took to drink and associated with
disreputable women. All this cost money.
When l could not get it in one way soon
became hardened enough to procure il by
other and unlawful MEANS"
"By the way, you were associated in the
great Baltimore bank robbery few years
sincer'
81 don't mind confessing now that was"
allow much did you and your confederates
get in that AFFAIR.""
ain all about 81 100000. It was the largest
and most successful piece OF work performed
in the United States. We escaped with
every dollar of the amount 10 Canada, char
tered a tug 10 Liverpool, and went direct TO
London. From there we visited the CONT
nent, gave grand dinaers in all OF the princi-
pal capitals of Europe, and had a grand
time generally. Billy Pinkerton, CT Chicago,
was employed by The bank TO follow us and
induce us to return portion of the money.
But we were not in that line of business. |
shook hands with Pinkerton in London, but
that was all the satisfaction he or the bank
received from his trip"
''How did you rob the bank"
were at work for months before we succeeded
in working through and getting possession of
the money. We remained in Europs thrse
years. In the meantime the only witness |
against Us died Then we returned TO |
Ameries, and had just meaAs-enopgt-irir 10 |
get US back again. 1t didn't take us long 20
go through 81, 100000"
"You were also connected with Col Corri- |
gan's Fenian expedition TO Ireland in 1865, |
were you not?"
ayes. j am a sailor, and / was engaged |
10 sail the vessel. AS we neared the Irish |
coast we were sighted by British man.of-
war. Some of the sterriers'-ss they call the |
Irish n board The chip took TO he small
boats, aud l ran the vessel on the rocks
C1rrigan and escaped, but several men
were captured and imprisoned"
"What have you TO say relative to the
county treasury robbery for which you have
heen sentencedP
"Now the whole thing Is over, ! don't
mind telling you all about it. The job was
pu, up in Tom Bigelow's Board of Trade
Cafe saloon on Congress street, near Girls
void. There were seven of US in the Job
altogether, but two Of us did the work. /
am the man who called Crosby's attention to
the south end of the Office. Crosby SAYS /
wanted to see about paying my taxes in the
Twelfth ward. / asked him about certain
bonds that l wanted TO buy. The scheme
was TO have my partner get into the safe /
while held Crosby's attention. Instead of
so doing he went for the money-drawer, and
the climbing noise made by either opening
or shutting the drawer caused Crosby to look
around He dropped on the thing at once
and ran towsfd my partner, who also ran.
L walked leisurely out of the office into the
corridor and out of the building through the
east door. did not run at the Fort street |
door,"
at is pretty hard to be locked up for five
years?"
''Yes, but can stand it. reckon that L
won't stay The full time"
In concluding his interview with the re-
porter, PAXTON said he had wife and daugh-
ter-the latter in her sixteenth year-resid-
in New York City.