The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-09-29
= MODERN JACK SHEPPARD.
90. Las. Of His Many Bold Crimes-He Is
Captured while Making on with q WACO"
ana Three Bales Of Irish Linen.
fPhi!sdclphia Times.l

fPhiisdclphia Times.l
Exprcssman David Prcttyman was h~iiea
nm DOCK street near Walnut yesterday noon
hy dapper young man, who inquired
.:herc he was going. The eSpressman
80 hts destination rs Tenth and Market
sircets' .well, II you want 20 make sew
sn,v.fiye ccnts,r said the young man,
..vou can do so by taking bundle for me
,oRroad and Walnut" The expressman
agreed and jumped OF his wagon: lie was
asked 10 step into the old Stock EXCHANGE
buihling for n moment whue tne Young
man wrote note frett,naan abandoned
his wagon, containing three eases OF lnch
belonging 10 Granville Is flames 70,
OF lOi. Market street. ana s'eppeu
into the Exchange 10 wait ior 'hc nooc.
The Young man was SO long composing III
,,;Ss,ye that he aroused the expressmans
snsn;c,ons. He stepped out OF the Ex-
chanoc in time 10 see his team disappear
inc around the corner at n trot. and Sec
ond dapper young man on the box. Pret-
tvmon started In pursuit without raising
an outcry. Springing on the wagon, he
praspcd the driver and yelled Tor ponce
man Officer Lewis Priolc, OF the Second
district, responded. and the man was taken
20 the police headquarters. The other
youny man escaped. On being arraigned
before Magistrate Martin the prisoner gave
his name ms James Robinson.
During the examination an old detective
xv.ILod INTO the room. and. after surveying
the prisoner with wide-open eyes, ejacu-
lated 0Well, Pm bowed il ii amt Jack
Sheppard" The wiry little prisoner
hooked at the veteran thief-catchcr for
moment and sneered, YOU'RE d fly,
amt your"
The evidence in the case was taken and
the prisoner was held TO answer at court in
bonds OF $500.
FAMOUS TBIEF's CAREER.
The prisoner is one OF the best-known
thieves that ever operated in Philadelphia.
His photograph is in the Rogues' Gallery
in this and half dozen other cities. As
he looked yesterday he is OF medium height,
well proportioned. and wears 4 little black
moustache. He is about forty years old.
and OF good address and progressing ap-
pearance. In New York he is known as
John III. Matthews, which is supposed
10 be his right name. On July o,
1879, he was arrested in New York while
driving of dray from warehouse on
West Broadway, at the corner OF Reade
street. The dray contained several bales
OF cotton, valued at $1,000. The robbery
YVES committed in an ingenious manner.
A teamster was hired to convey the cotton
10 a given point. The dray was backed up
before q warehouse. the cotton loaded on
the wagon. and the driver sent TO get the
bill OF lading. During his absence Mat
thews drove Off On July 18th two cases of
Italian cloth, valued at 81 800, were stolen
i'm similar way. Suspicion was directed,
by the character Of the theft, to "Jack
Sheppard" but the thief proved to be a
pupil and confederate Of the master.
He subsequently came TO Philadelphia
and committed a heavy burglary in q
Chestnut-street dry-goOds house. He cs-
capped from the city and was arrested in
New York. lie served a term OF imprison-
ment for this crime. After gaining his
liberty he participated in a burglary in Jcr
sey City and took the plumber TO New
York. He sent for q receiver OF stolen
goods, and while awaiting his arrival the
police made descent. Sheppard escapedby
jumping from second-story window. The
receiver was arrested and sentenced to ten
months imprisonment. In the fall Of 1879
he was arrested in New York in company
with "Red-Nosed Barney" while breaking
into house on Prince street. lie was dis
charged at this time for want of evidence.
A few weeks later he was wanted TO an
swer the charge Of stealing Il tiye-hundred-
dollar case OF tootb-brushes from the New
York custom-house.
SOME OF BIS MANY CRIMES.
On November /, 1879, he was arrested in
This city for the cotton robbery in New
York, and arraigued at the Central station.
At that time he wore moustache and i'm
pera. He was asked, "What is your
business!" 81 have no business now"
be coolly responded, "but | think l will
20 to Congress next year." /" Yes. or to
the penitentiary," said Magistrate Smith.
He was at that time known as Mahony.
He gained the Soubriquet OF "Jack Shop
pard" from the facility he possessed Of
breaking Jail. When boy he escaped
from the TombS, in New York. At an
other time, while awaiting examination at
the New York police headquarters, he was
locked up in a room opposite the detec-
tives' Office. He induced the doornan to
30 for some cigars, and during his
absence wrenched leg from the
iron bedstead, with which he pried of
the door. When the doornan re-
turned he dashed out and escaped.
Some OF his most clever theits were
committed by assuming the guise Of a
clerk. Attired in linen buster, with a
Ith ms tthis NV NNuiN i'SNN HUN ~
warehouse from which carman was re-
moving load OF goods. Hailing the dr-
yer in quick and business tone, he would
say: "IIere. there's mistake about those
goods; let me see your invoice" The dr-
yer would deliver the invoice and accom-
pany him into the building. In the mean
time confederate would put in an appear
ance and drive off with the vehicle and
contents. Jack Sheppard has served terms
In almost every penilentiary in the Union.