Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1883-11-14
GREAT THIEVES.
The Distinguished Characters In the
Rogus's Gallery.
Aa Interyiew vita q Detective.
Cool and Daring Thieves.
Career Of Old Chauncey
Johnson,

rLeander Richardson in Boston Heraldl
What is tine most desperate sort of A
thieff
swell, a river thief IS ab,ut the worst on
general principles. He thinks nothing Of
boarding vessel, giving the lockout wnack
on ths head and rolling him overheard. He
holds human life pretty cheaply. burglar
is pretty lively when you corner him, though
he wont often hurt anybody il he can get
away without it Sneak thieves and pick.
pockets are the meanest They will always
ran, and not once in . thoisapd times viii
they show tight As for confidence men, a
fellow that watches them carefully soon
makes up bis mini, not that they are 50
mighty clever, but that the bulk Of human
kind are pretty 6evilish stupid Mot of
these chaps who fiy for big game make a
great deal Of money. The higher tine STAKES,
the less danger Of bcing found out, because
rich man, or one who stands high, So
eiaily or politically, hates to admit that he
has been skinned. There was Miller, the man
who was killed By Tracy. He had loads OF
money, kept carriages, servants aud all that
sort of thing, bought his furs and fancy
Things at knoxs, and was a general high.
hyer Then there's Hungry Joe, who was in
that party we passed few minutes ngo
'~S 'iPPVA' hAu ID pIeltS Wsl uNeu. Inc
boys say ne met his match, awhile back, In
man from Texas Joe picked this man up at
tne Fifth Avenue hotel, where he was spend
ing some money, and where he was looked
upon as granger. The man lost couple of
hundred in the bunco business under Hungry
joss tntion, hut he WAS 60 Innocent that ha
didn't tumble at all. Then be got hard up
AMI wanted ~ mortgage u big tract Of land
in Texas, He showed plans, inrstions, deeds
and everything Of that sort till you couldn't
rest. joe took him 90 his lawyer, and the
deeds and things seemed all right. so one of
the finest confidence mon in the country ad-
vanced Si $40 or 50 in cold cash. Afternafti
he went TO Texas to see his lani, bat no
hasn't found It yet. The fact is, that bcnevo-
lent granger was cleYerer than Joseph"
what other sorCs u sharp criminals are
tberer
We'll there ere few men who work sim
ply by cold nerve, aud take anything they
can lay hands On just as though it belonged
TO them You would b. surprised 10 see how
successful they are Take the case OF old
Chsnncey johnson, who has Just been ar
rested over in Philadelphia. There's record
tor you. Now G5 years old, or something lika
that, and lac has stole barrels OF money in his
time. Ohe day there was big stack OF bills
all done up ia parcels lying in the open safe
OF the Fifth Avenue hotel Johuson lett his
hat in the baT-rooln, walked straight into the
Office, coOlly helped hiinssls TO the money,
walked back to tue bar-rooin, put on his hat
ami sailed out, 1hure were several thousand
dollars in that haul believe he did the
same thing over again az another hotel in
this city, and got another heavy pile. He
got ten years Tor it. EarliSr in his career he
had nipped as high as s75, 90 in securities at
one isnn wealthy lady had jest
box of bonds, aud was about to drive
OF, when yOaEg man in linen coat and
with pen behind his ear appeared at the
window. He said the cashier wanted the
bonds so as to take the numbers, and had sent
him for the box; he would detain her for q
moment ouly. The foolish virgin gave up
her securities to the bareheaded young clerk,
who went into the bank by one door, came
out ct it by another and melted or into the
mellow distance bonds box and all Mr..
johnson got SI0, 900 and no questions asked
to return the bonds. he made another i'm
mense haal in Philadelphia. Entering a safe
deposit establishment, where brokers mes
seugers Deposited their employers boxes Of
securities, he laid his cap down like the
others, picked up big case containing over
900 worth Of papers, and slid gently, but
irmly, away. l reckon johnson has stolen
$1,000, 90 in his time; but be is pretty poor
just now. He has served about twenty
years Of his life in prison. The offenso for
which he was captured the o.her day
VS. n pretty small one. A man had
bought a package OF paper, and had subse-
quep;ly drawn about S250 from the bank
The money was put into the bundle Of sta
tionery, and the man started for home. On
the way he stopped to be shaved, and laid
the package on the table. johnson followed
him into the shop, picked up the bundle, and
while the man was being lacerated in the
most Philadelphian style OF the BARRIERS art,
johnson went out He was subsequently ar
rested, identified and sent TO await trial He
will either die IN prison or 60 the old road
10 poverty. There is one Jewish thief named
Worth, who has lots Of money. He lives in
London In good style, but doesn't dare come
home. His home over there is thieves par
adise; but he does nothing technically out OF
the way, and is let alone. A big thief named
Kelly got s20o,0O0 out Of one of the Je.
romes at a single whirl, but died in an
insane asylum in France. He left some
valuable real estate in Boston. Lots Of these
men go crazy from dissipation and excite
ment. It's a tough life, and doesn't pay,
Look at the case OF George Howard. who is
supposed to have been in the big Manhattan
burglary. He was found dead up in West
chester county, and they say his pals killed
him because they suspected him OF treachery
Howard was amechanical genius and clever
planner Of robberieS Every time anything
new in locks msde its appearance Howard
used to buy one Of them, shut himself up In
his rooms and study il until he had mastered
every detail. He was poor when they killed
him. Scott, ono Of the Northampton
men, must have left SONS m0nsy,
somewhere He got pretty nearly $i,OOo.cO
as his share Of the proceeds Of the gangs
died in urisoa."