The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1885-10-09
NO. 6
DYING OF OLD AGE.
Romantic Career of Man Who
Processes Himself Born Thief.

s The history of the inmates of tn
Southern Indiana renitentiary, il
Jefersonville, would furnish man,
a thrilling romance if written up
Out Of over 500 persons, 800 hay,
served more than one term.
Albert Foster is, perhaps, the old
= est convict now in the JefersonYill,
prison. his haIr is white, and hi,
face wrinkled by a life time career
of CRIME. The guards say Foster
takes as naturally to stealing as a
duck docs to water. lie ls rs
years Of age, and was never married.
He Was born in New York city. OF
respectable parents, in 1906. lie
formed evil associations anil soon
fell into the ways of crook. His
first ofense was to steal a watch
from jeweler named Robbins. He
was then nineteen years Of age.
For this he was seEtto Sing Sing for
three years, Upon being released
ne went to Connecticut, where he
bHrglarizsd a house and was sent up.
Instead of haYing a reforming
tendency, his prison llfe only made
him moro hardened. BY this times
he had become an accomplished and
expert thief. lie again went to
New York, and IN short time was
in the clutches of the law.
His sentence expired just rs the
gold foyer broke out, and he turned
bis footsteps to the gold fields of Cali
tcrnia. lie worked as a miner for
about six months, but was unsuccess-
ful, and again took 10 his old meihods
Of obtaining a livelihood. One night
il 1852 a mineC came into the camp
where Foster had established his
quarters. The fellow was stranger,
and dIsplay ed large roll Of mon"y.
He fell an easy prey to the wary
Foster, who got him drunk and
soon relieved him Of his cash. The
miners waited Ola Foster shortly |
and gave him Que hour in
which to leave town. Foster left and !
went to Mexico. Here he was ar
rested and thrown into prison for
some otTense, and remained until
1860, when he was pardoneG.
Returning to the States, he went
into his old bnsincss at New Orleans
1t was not long until he got one year
IN the prison ut Baton Rouge for
robbing a dry goods store. lie then
went to indianapolis, whore he
-or n.itted highway robbery, and
got four years in the JeicrsonvIlle
pcuitentiary for the same. The Old
man was discharged by expiration
# sentence, and having the SIS
which each prisoner is allowed upon
helng released IN his possession, he
concluded TO visit Louisville and
lave a good time. Under the m
1uence Of liquor he soon robbed
nan and went to Frankfort. He
was discharged IN 1881.
lie did mol like the traatmeut he
received at Frankfort, and conclud-
return to Indiana. Going to
Bloomington he soon got himself in
10 trouble, and is now serving three
years sentence.
A reporter cullel at the prison
Yesterday, and upoa inquIring for
Foster was informed thrt he was
IA the hospital, aud had been since
MS incarceration. After being cons
iucted along narrow Silding CORR
.Iors and dark passa &c ways, the re-
porter and his zebra CARRIED guide
reaceei the hospital. Here Foster
was found sitting on q cot, wrapped
I'D in sheet, with bis head bowed
lowD upon his knees. Upon being
told that a newspaper man wished t.
converse with him, he rephed that1
che didn't care a d-ni; ho didn't
feel like raj ing" Finally = coDvrc
OH another cot y0'uLteerod some in
forrnaiiod, and the above s;oFy va
eIicited.
The Old mAn il sIl!en and mnrose.
rarely speaks to anybody, aud s!'ends !
his whole time in thc hospital. lie
slowly dying Of old age, and the
attendants think he can 1--we 10
longer tnan two weeks At the
flrth.st. One day he conlidentlally
r marked to = fellow prisoner that
hs believed he was a b1rn thief
tina he never cav any article, no
matter how insignificant in value,
but what he felt like taking IL; and
usually did 50. He robbed a church
in Detroit once, bat managed to
evade tie law. He has no relatives,
at least he says he has net, and