Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-29
EXCITING EPISODES
In a Detectives Life Related by
Pittsburg's Noted Thief-Taker.
0'MARA TALKS OF CRIMINALS,
And Tells How a Chicago Crook Came
Near Getting the Best of Him.
STORY OF A sHREwD YOUNG BURGLAR

detective? What an ideal character he is!
Few among us, men or women, have not at
some time admired and envied him. No
books have been so popular, no dramas so
successful as those in which some famous
''thieftaker" has figured as the central char
acter. No other field offers such unparal-
leled opportunities to the sensational author,
opportunities that have not been neglected,
yet the subject is by no means exhausted.
How many in our own well governed city
of Pittsburg stop to consider TO whom or
what power they owe their safety and COM
parative immunity from danger consequent
upon criminal residence? There is prob
ably not another city in the country whose
situation affords so capital q refuge for both
Eastern and Western outlaws as Pittsburg,
and were it not for the incessant watchiul-
ness of the police and detective forces the
city would be overrun and made the head
quarters of the leading criminals Of the
country.
Talking on these subjects with Roger
O'Mara the other day the writer at length
induced the detective to relate some of his
own experiences and some interesting facts
that had come under his observation.
A CLEVER YOUNG THIEF.
"One of the cleverest young criminals I
ever knew" said he. "was Pierre Langdon,
whose career fortunately was compara-
lively brief one. When but mere boy he
robbed Wilson & Walkers safe of 81, 700 in
a decidedly novel and original manner. On
Saturday the wages of the employees of the
firm were made up and placed in envelopes
in the safe to which young Langdon had
made key. Giving up his situation, he
informed his employers that he was going
West, thanked them for their many kind
nesses to him, and bid them good-by. He
was aware that at q certain hour each day
the clerk in charge went out for lunch; so
one Saturday he dressed himself in female
clothes. and in company with confederate
named UrbIn, he entered the Office, opened
the safe, placed the envelopes in pillow
case and escaped unnoticed.
1T was sometime before suspicion pointed
to him, but finally we located him New York,
spending money pretty freely, and with the
aid of Sergeant Kiely, at one time chief of
detectives, we arrested both him and Urbin,
and recovered s., 200 of the money, 81, 100 of
which we found glued around Langdon's
waist, one bill on top of another, like so
manv sticking plasters.
perhaps the boldest attempt at bank rob-
berry was that of the Second National Bank,
corner of Garrison alley and Liberty street.
wall from hallway into the bank, where
they lay in wait for the watchman, whom
they bound and gagged. As they were
going to work upon the safes they were in
terrupted by young brother Of the watch
man trying the door. Believing that they
were discovered they jumped out of back
window. Seeing policeman on the oppo-
site corner, and imagining that they were
surrounded,
THEY INSTANTLY OPENED FIRE
upon him, happily without any serious re-
suit. Had the outside man, or guard, whose
duty it was to give the alarm signal, at
tended to his business, he would simply
have garroted the boy and the burglars
could have taken their time. There is no
more important position, nor one that re-
quires greater presence of mind, than that
of outside guard, and for that reason a man
Of undoubted, courage is generally chosen,
as frequently upon him depends the success
or failure of the enterprise.
ION one occasion that desperate criminal,
Red Leary, twas acting in that capacity, when
observing from his concealment policeman
acting as though his suspicious we're aroused.
he suddenly sprang upon him, quickly |
bound and gagged him and carried him into |
the bank, where he was obliged to look on |
while the burglars forced the vaults and re-
moved $3.50, 900. As they were leaving |
Leary satirically thanked the officer for not |
them, and politely rendered him |
q 81 900 bill, which he placed in his vest |
pocket. The vaults were supposed to be we'll |
nigh impregnable, and the bank officials had |
often boasted that they could not be opened |
by force inside of 48 hours. Yet in less |
than four hours Leary and his gang were
leaving with the negotiable contents.
A.. r
guard against some of these men. Most of /
The big crooks or bank robbers, notably
those who come from England or the con-
tinent, are thoroughly skilled workmen,
masters of their art, in fact. Probably no
better mechanic could be found than
English Bill, one of the shrewdest and |
most daring scoundrels that ever trod
American soil.
A NOTED FEMALE CRIMINAL.
1.-THE notorious Sophia Lyon, the greatest
Temale thief and confidence woman we ever
mad, once paid Pittsburg flying visit, and
Iignalized her advent by robblng Benefits |
ur store of several valuable sealskin sacques,
Ind Biggs, the jeweler, of large diamond
We traced her to Cincinnati and arrested
her. She gave bail, which she jumped and
escaped to Paris where she was arrested for
7ictilnizing some young nobleman. She
had her case brought to the attention of the
American Minister, to whom she told such
plausible and pathetic story that she actu-
lily persuaded him that sne was much
Tronged woman. He interested himself in
Ter behalf and she was released and pro-
.eeded to London, where she now is still
ngaged in her nefarious business.
zone of the most heartless robberies that
ver came to my notice was what is known in
,olice circles as the Catfish affair, in which an
Id couple named Conner were robbed of
20, 900. The robbery was engineered by
celebrated criminal known as Big Archie
Montague, who obtained his points from
elbow criminal while serving term in the
Western Penitentiary. Immediately on his
elease he proceeded with confederates to
he home of the Conners, who were tortured
" fire until they revealed the hiding place
( their treasure. Montague was run down
hortly afterward and sentenced to ten years
n the Ohio Peniten tiary.
IN MADANGERoUs SITUATION.
SIT is not only the greater criminals who
esist arrest; in fact, have noticed that
ONE of the lesser thieves are the more dan
erous when cornered. have had consider
BILE opposition at times, but never con-
idered myself in serious danger but once
'ointer Harris, q Chicago rough of consid-
rable local celebrity, and couple of pals
obbed an old Steubenvilie farmer, who
appened to be in Pittsburg on visit, of
considerable sum. We located them as
hey were leaving town, and boarded
rain on the Southside in pursuit. Just
we were entering the tunnel Harris dis
overed us, and rising in his seat
his revolver almost into our
ices, with no result, however. He then
lade break for the door. sprang after