The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-11-24
MICHIGAN AFFAIRS.
A Distine uished Thief.

THE CHEoKERED CAREER OF GRANDSON OF
COMMODORE PERRY THE STORY or CRnn-
NAILS LIFE Told BY HIMsKIT.
From the Detroit Postl
BY the imprisonment of Samuel +.
Perry. alias Payton, in the Jackson
prison for term of five years on the
charge of being implicated in the rob-
berry of the county treasury last spring
of $770, disappears for the time be-
ing one OF those remarkable characters
who are puzzle to social scientists.
Perry was a grandson of the immortal
Commodore Perry of naval fame, and
man of more than ordinary intelli-
gence, all which placed him among the
ranks of the more dangerous class of
criminals. He was graduate of the
Naval Academy at Annapolis, and at
one time promised to ornament an hon
orable profession 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 a
frequent visitor Mt the gaming-table. In
his native city, New York, he soon be-
came known a reckless gambler, and
when he had squandered his patrimony,
which was considerable, he became
confidence operator. 1t was an
easy descent from that profession to
that of thief. In fact there
is scarcely a dividing line be-
tween confidence operator and n
THE and it has become motor Gus
fac, nowadays, that with few excep-
tons the gambling fraternity may also
be classed as thieves. Said we'll
known gambler few days since: Il
regret to say that legitimate gamblers
of the old-time sort are becoming
scarcer every year, and consequently
the business is growing nto greater dis
repute. There was time when some
of our greatest public men were reck-
less gsmblers. Henry Clay was the
habitue of the CANINE table and was a
reckless gambler. Even Webster was
fond of fl ng at the pasteboards, and
Southern politicians and private gen
tlemen have been known to lose vast
plantations, slaves and all, in single
night at the gaming table. Now, every
thief claims to be gambler. The fact
is nine-tenthS OF the thieves do gamble,
and nowad VS. they are mainly looked
upon as the producers the suck
ers as it were-of the gaming table.
High toned gentlemen as a class no lon
ger appear regularly at The gaming
table. They have dropped onto an
I, at hn ri
of Trade, and baseball, election and
racing pools. These are the places
where young men and business men are
dropping their money"
well, as to thieves, how do you
work them ?" asked the reporter.
"Oh, we have 'steerers out-men
who know thieves. Let thieves like Ed
Rice, Harry Floyd and Sam Perry
men of the first rank-who make hauls
OF thousands of dollars in a single
transaction, get fairly under cover,
and the first point they will strike for
is faro bank. They are generally the
rankest kind of suckers If, on the
other hand, men of that kind are back
ward in coming forward, certain pre-
liminaries are gone through with, such
as wine supper. The average thief is
a high liver. Nothing is too rich for
his blood. Af'er he has eaten well,
and is reasonably drunk, he becomes
an easy victim, and is steered straight
to faro bank. 1t does not take long
to pluck him clean, and, what is re-
markable among the fraternity, there
are few squea ers among Them
Through all the various grades from
gambler to thief Perry passed, and, ac-
cording to his own confession, it did
not take him long to reach the lowest
round Of the ladder of infamy. Said
he, as he meditatively chewed the end
of cigar the reporter had given him
Young man, I'm going to give you a
pointer"
well, what is it p
Gambling, wine and women of easy
virtue will down any man. They have
finished me. Look at me-what / am
and what L was-no sermon, however
eloquent-tongued the orator, was ever
preached from pulpit that teaches as
forcible q moral lesson "a the history of
nv life. No man can violate the laws
of God and man and escape punish
ment."
"What induced you TO adopt such a
life?'
"Oh, everything came in its turn,
easy enough. Love of excitement and
Of gaming. Then 1 took to drink and
associated with disreputable women.
A ! this cost money. When could
not get it in one way 1 soon became
hardened enough not to hesitate to Sc
cure it by other and unlawful means. "
by the way, you were associated in
the great Baltimore bank robbery few
years since?"
II don't mind confessing now that !
was"
"How much did you and your con-
federates get in that affair"
an all about 1000, 900. 1t was the
largest and most successful piece OF
work performed in the United States.
We escaped with every dollar of the
amount to Canada, chartered tug to
Liverpool and went direct to London.
From there we visited the continent
gave grand dinners in all Of the prin-
cipal capitals of Europe, and had a
grand time generally. Billy Pinkerton,