Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-03-21


'What is there to be said abouc the
higher class thieves who can not be
called natural thieves?'
"a great many are persons Of rsp-
utablo parentagc, who have had adj
vantages of excellent early training,
of general education, and of business
experience. They fall through family
troubles, Accomplishments or discour-
agoments of some kind. Once
having committed the overt
act that makes them thieves,
their intelligence is such that their
progress in crime is very rapid. It is
much greater than that of the ignorant
persons who perpetrate low, mean
class of robberios. In forgery this is
particularly noticeable. Some of the
mon who are know intern ationally as
the perpetrators of astounding for
geries. are men of good origin and
splendidly educated.
How do thieves look upon their
business? Does it seem legitimate to
themp''
well, you can not tell much about
that. You would have to be thief
or live among them to get at their
ideas in matter like that. They
speak of going to work when talk
ing among themselves in matter-of-
fact way. 1t is the same with conf
dence men. When they set out to en-
snare people and get their money,
they ALWAYS speak of it as going to
work. Every time thief starts out
to do Il job of thieving. he knows that
he tak,s some chance of falling
that is, of being arrested and int
prisoncd. In many eases the job
seems TO be practically without risk.
and however dangerous it may be he
never undertakes one that he does
not expect to get away with.
No man is more Jealous of his
liberty than u profcs sional
thief. More ordinary offenders are
much more reckless in taking chances
of being locked up. Oae of the first
things that a gang of professionals
does nowadays when planning for a
piece of work is to subscribe in equal
amounts what is called fall mo ey.'
This is 10 protect any one of the gang
who may happen to be arrested, and
provide him with counsel and other
necessarieS. 1t protects them against
each other also. A common owner
ship in fund like this helps to keep
them together. And the one arrested
IS protected against the drsertion of
his friends. And if disposed to remain
steadfast, they are we'll protected
against the risk of having to try to
connect with him to help him. Tie
fall money is left in the hands of q
confidential common friend. usually
not a professional Sporting people
an d saloon-keepers are generally the
ones who are we'll enough acquainted
with thieves TO be with them, though
not of Them"
What are the rewards of successful
thieving? Do these men look forward
to a time when they can stop ealing
and enjoy what they have amassed of
other peoples wealth?''
Il do not know a person who has
been professional thief and has ac-
cumulated money who is not ready to
do any thing that he considers safe
to increase his wealth, no matter how
crooked it may be. He may have
enough, with prudence, to live on all
his life. But he will always be ready
to put up for the expenses of job
out of which he can get some profit,
or by stolen property when it can be
done with any assurance that there
is little risk. Their greed for money
is Unsuitable. There are men in this
country and in Europe-I mean Amer,
leans in Europe, for I do not know
much of foreign criminal matters -
who have got pile of money as pro-
fessionals. They have never aban-
doned the ways by which they got
it. But they pursue their ways so as
to greatly redu ce their chances OF
either going to prison or of contribute
ing to the enrichment of lawyers.
Their money gives them position
among their own class. They arc
sought out by first-rate crooks. the
| only kind they would have any thing
to do with, and by paying expenses
and remaining in the background
they can share in the profits Of
thieving at very little risk.''
''That reminds me. Inspector Who
is Adam Worth, who is reported as
living in such great style in London.
somewhat after the fashion you have
indIca tedp'
'Adam Worth is one of the class
have referred to. He is an American,
and some of his people live in this city
to-day. He fled the country on &C
count of a Massachusetts bank rob.
berry. He took over large amount
of money and set up an elegant pri'
| vate establishment in London. His
home is in Piccadilly 1t is frequcnted
by the highest class of English crimi
nails and of American crooks who go
across. He is reputed to have added
largely to his wealth through hi: