News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-18
A PIckPocKET's CAREER.
A Poor Orphan Boy who Rose to
be a Notorious Thief.

81 see Mollie Matches has done his
stretch and is out again, remarked q
communicative reformed thief to a
Kansas City Times reporter. ''John
Larney, or John. Delaney, for he has
worn both names so long in private life
that he doesn't know which one he
OWLS" said the formerly hard man, sis
now between fifty and fifty-fiye years
old-ncarer the former figure. He be-
oan life as street boy in New York at
the age of eight years, 10th of his pa
rents having died on the passage from
/ Ireland. The infant proved adequate
| to the task of taking care q himself, and
early evinced the possession OF traits
| destined to make him famous. 1t was IN
New York that he gained the name OF
'Mollie Matches beiaW~1nier, and,
with fresh and fair complexion, at the
| age of sixteen, in womal's attire, he
readily passed as girl, and with "a bas-
ket of matches infested the crowded
fcuy-boats. He had partner with him,
and as Larney solicited customers
among the passengers his fingers chung
to the pocket-books, jewelry-any thing,
in fact, that was in sight, valuable and
easily carried. His stealings were pass
cd over to his companion, who did no
work on his own account. In his earlier
operations he was frcquentlyeaught, but
his youth and virtuous appearance and
stalwart lies secured release OF light
punishment. In general he was very
successful, as men upon discovering the
loss of pocket-book or watch were slow
to suspect an innocent poor girl who
had matches for sale As Larney grew
his field of operations widened and his
ambition scared. Before he was thir-
ty-five years of age he had served eleven
years in penitcntiaries and reformatories,
had amassed an honest fortune of $20,-
600, consisting principally Of real estate
in Toronto, Canada, and Cleveland,
Ohio, and diamonds. In the matter of
gems he was equal to an expert lapidary
III discrimination, and it was his mod
est boast that he never stole paste dia-
mond in his life. Nor did he waste any
time on silver watches, and when he did
steal one through error he made haste
to return it to the owners pocket.
''During the war new opening for
his talents presented itself, and between
Sumter and Appomattox he had enlisted
in numberless regiments and jumped
S1I 200 worth of bounties. He always
lived high, and when at leisure or trav-
cling on busines S, he spent money like
merchant prince. His clothes were
of the finest, and from his cape chin
chilla overcoat to the silk of his under
wear there was nothing low-priced or
vulgar about him.
'IIarney was a great actor, and fire.
Quently, although pocket-picking was
his legitimate business, he would, for
exercise, try another branch. At bunco
steering, being a charming talker and
of gentlemanly appearance, he was al
most the equd of Hungry Joe, but
always felt as if the industry was low
down. Sometimes he doctored his eyes
with red pepper and, putting on blue
goggles and otherwise Disgusting HIM
self, would go to n Wholesale jewclry
store and call for loose diamonds. These
it is customary to display velvet in
an excuse in his detective vision, when
a number of unset sparks were before
him, he would examine them ut Il very
close lange, and convey one or two of
the most valuable to his mouth with his |
tongue.
cat the Centennial, Matches stole
himself into comparative opulcncc. He
realized bushel of gold watches, but |
the market was g,utted. and he did not |
get as fair return for his time as he |
felt he ought. He complained a'so upon |
his return home that he had to square |
the detectives with 20 per cent. instead
of the customary tithe of his earnings.
This was probably libel, and the out
growth of gall and Bitterness.
"For six years prior to his last con,
viction Larney lived in Cleveland, and
advertised himself as leading u life of
honesty and integrity, and did no steal
ing within It radius of two hundred
miles. His last robbery ut Gaylesburg
was committed early i'll July, 1881.
The great sorrow of Larney's life
was his lack of elucation, concluded
the ex-thicf. "Hc could write his two
names, John Darncy' and John Dolan,
and nothing else He could not read
at all. He often mourncd over his carly
and felt sure that he
could have paralyzcd the world i'll the
forgery line if he had only been given
proper educational facility when young.
''IIc was surely thoroughbred and
the best known among crooks of any
man in the country. omitted to say
to You that Larncy still owes thirteen
years time to three penal institutions
from which he has escaped.