The St. Johns herald., 1890-08-21
A NOTABLE cRAcKsmAN.
One Leaf from the Memoirs of Billy Por- k te-,- Bank Burglar.

 ter,- Bank Burglar. The Anglo-Saxoa race produces all the eminent burglars. The daring of American burglars and of their brethren in the allied profession of train-robbing has a worldwide fame. Englishmen, in their slow, conservative way, show but little less ability. though perhaps less brilliancy. Whenever on the conti- nent mail bags are stolen, banks or great jewellers robbed, Engiishmen do the work. The famous robbery of French mails which took place about year ago was a joint effort of Englishmen and Americans. {
 In many cases these artists are Anglo Americans. Every now and then a theft, usually successful, is made of postal packages passing between the diamond merchants Of HattCn garden, London, and the diamond cutters of Amsterdam. Dutchmen are the losers by the theft, and some Dutchmen doubt less profit by it, but Englishmen carry out the effective part of the work. The conclusion to be drawn from all this is that only members of the great, world enveloping, Anglo-Saxon race possess the resourceful courage required in this method of gaining wealth.
 Probably the most perfect type of the modern burglar is Billy Porter, who has been engaged in bank-robbing in every part of this country. He has several other names of course. His American record is too we'll known to need repeat ing. He made a very interesting ap- pearance in London some time ago, however, about which people may not have read so much. Billy and an ac- complice entered the premises of a rich jeweler at Munich, and carefully se- cured all the stones and jewels of un- usual size and value. What they took was worth 50, 900 marks at the lowest estimate. Entrance to the jewellers premises was effected in the most in- genious manner, and the thoughtful burglars left ropes, displaced flooring, etc, just as they used them, so as to provide an invaluable obiect-lesson for any of the German youth who might wish to emulate them. Then they calmly travelled back to England in irst- class carriages and berths The English detectives succeeded in tracing them and found Porter living with his wife, baby and mother-in-law in a nice house in quiet suburb of London. They found the booty there, too. Porter and his accomplice were accordingly taken to the Bow street police court and their extradition to Germany demanded.
 Porter is a typical gentlemanly bur glar of meloerama, only a little less fashy. He came into court dressed in black cutaway coat, trousers of dark ma terial, patent-leather boots and dark red scarf. His chin was shaven, and he wore a carefully trimmed mustache. He carried silk hat in his right hand and pair of gloves in his left. Although he was repeatedly remanded from week to week, and passed the intervals in prison, he always came into court with the hat and gloves. He is short, rosy faced and of medium height, and he looked like an everyday mid5le-class Englishman.
 Unanswered questions in quiet, un- concerned manner, never growing angry or excited. When tho various imple- ments of burglary were held up to view be smiled sweetly.
 The case ended in Porter's discharge because he was British subject, and the British Government does not extra dite its own subjects for burglary Porter was born in Canada. The jew eler got his stock back, which was lucky for him.-N. Y. Evening Sun.