The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-01
DYING OF OLD AGE.
Romantic Career of Man Who Processes
Himself Born Thief
Louisville Courier Journal.


Louisville Courier Journal.
The history of the inmates of the Southern
Indiana Penitentiary, at Jeffersonville would
| furnish many a thrilling romance, if written up
Out of over 500 persons, 300 have served more
than one term.
Albert Foster is, perhaps the Oldest convict in
the Jeffersonville prison His hair is white and
his face wrinkled by lifetime career of crime
The guards say Foster takes as naturally to
stealing as duck does to water. He is seventy
nine years of age and was never married.
He was born in New York City, of respectable
parents, in 1906 He formed evil associations
and soon fell into the ways of crook. His
first offense was to steal a watch from jeweer
named Robbins. He was then nineteen years of
age For this he was sent to Sing Sing for three
years. Upon being released he went to Con-
| uecticut, where he burglarzed house and was
again sent up
Instead of having reforming tendency, his
prison life only made him more hardened By
this time he had become an accomplished and
expert thief. He again went to New York. and
| in short time was once more in the clutches of
the law.
His sentence expired just as the gold fever
| broke out, and he turned mis- footsteps to the
| gold fields of California He worked as miner
| for about six months, but was unsuccessful and
| again took to his old methods of obtaining live
| lihood. One night in 1852 miner came into the
camp where Foster had established his quarters.
| The fellow was stranger, and displayed large
roll of money. He fell easy prey to the wary
Foster, who got HIM drunk and soon relieved
him of his cash. The miners waited on Foster
| shortly afterward and gave him one hour in
| which to leave town. Foster left and went to
| Mexico. Here he was arrested and thrown into
prison for some offense, and renamed until 1860.
when he was pardoned.
| Returning to the States he went into his old
business at New Orleans. 1t was not long until
he got one year In the prison at Baton Rouge for
robbing dry-goods store. He then went to
| Indianapolis. where he committed highway rob
| berry, apd got four years in the Jeffersonyille
penitentiary for the same. The old man was
| discharged by expiration of sentence, and having
| the SD which each prisoner is allowed unon be-
ing released in his possession, he concluded to
visit Louisville and have good time Under
| the influence of liquor he sccn robbed man and
went to Frankfort He was discharged ia 1881.
| He did not like the treatment he received at
| Frankfort and concluded to return to Indiana
| Going to Bloomington he soon got himself into
| trouble, and is cow serving three-years' SEN
tence.
reporter called at the prison yesterday and
| upon inquiring for Foster was informed that he
was in the hospital, and had been since his in
generation. After being conducted along mar
| row winding corridors aud dark passaee-zyavs
the reporter and his zebra-garbed guide reached
the hospital. Here Foster was found sitting on
| a cot, wrapped up in a Sheet with his head
! bowed down upon his knees. Upon being told
| that newspaper man wished to converse with
| him, he replied that ''he didn't care a d-n: he
| did not feel like talking" Finally convict on
another cot volunteered some information, and
| the above story elected.
| The old man is sullen and morose. rarely
speaks 30 anybody, and spends his whole time in
| the hospital He is slowly dying of old age. and
| the attendants think he can live no longer than
two weeks at the furthest. One day he conf
dentially remarked to a fellow-prisoner that he
believed he was born thief; that he never saw
any article no matter how Insignificant in value.
but what he felt like taking it; and usually did
| So He robbed a church in Detroit once bnt
managed to evade the law He has no relatives
at least he says he has not. and never before had
visitor except lawyers and turkeys This is
the old mans last offense, and he will soon be
laid to rest in a convict's grave