San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-11-29
TRYING TO DEFEAT THE LAW.
Clever Imitation of an Idiot Given by a
Shrewd Professional Crook.


Shrewd Professional Crook.
They were talking of the shrewdness of
thieves and criminals when brought into
the central charged with any offense, and
in the course of the conversation Detective
Mckeogh spoke of Louis Fisher.
''There was the toughest guy ! ever had
to handle" said he. From a really good
boy he developed into as vicious a criminal
as ever saw. Years ago, where the Chi.
cago Opera house now stands, was the old
Tivoli, and Fisher, ST., once had the lease
of the place. In those days beer gardens
were fashionable, and there was always to
be found a great crowd of pleasure seekers
seated about the tables Here it was that
Louis was brought up, and as matter of
course he met many clever crooks who
would visit the place for graft
'When the boy was Is years old he one
day disappeared with two stylshly dressed
fellows who had been hanging about the
place for several weeks. On inquiry it was
learned that the men were skilled burglars
and that they wanted the boy to climb over
transoms. So well did he succeed in his
new duties that he became noted as an ex-
pert. His father was well to do, and
though he tried in every way to locate his
boy he could not do it.
Things ran along after this fashion for
four or five years, when suddenly came
face TO face with Louis, now a man, on
Clark street. / arrested him, knowing
him to he a thief Then told the old man
and he came over to the station to see the
boy. But it was useless. The young fell
low refused to give up his life, and said in
a sullen way to me: You can't prove any
IL. r
work in Chicago took him into court,
and there on his own confession he was
given hours
''He didn't leave the city, however, and
I determined 10 hunt him up again, be-
cause | knew he was dangerous man TO
run at large.
FINALLY, in company with two other
officers, we located our man on Van Buren,
and Clark streets in a dingy room with
several of his pals. We waited for him to
come down, ready to pounCe on him on
sight \ few hours later Louis and his
chums showed up and we nailed them.
But we had fight on our hands before we
got them to the station. Then, going back
to their den, we made the women wefound
there tell us where the plumber of the rob-
bers was hidden. After threats and per-
suasion we were finally shown over 81, 900
worth of jewelry, clothing, cloth and truck,
the result of sneak work in residences.
'When we showed the stuff to the pris-
oner he suddenly became idiOtic-that is,
he appeared to. But my cbiefs-Capts.
John Shea and Joe Kipley-knew the fell
low and they laughed at him. They tried
to catch him in various ways, but could
not. Once before in the east he had played
the dodge so well that he was sent to an
asylum, from which he soon after made
his escape. He was trying the same thing
here in Chicago. He would bite his fingers
until the wounds ran with blood, and he
would laugh hystericallyat the blood as it
dripped to the floor. He refused to eat,
and instead would throw himself on the
floor and lick up the dirt with much gusto.
"But it failed to work, for his eastern
experience had been investigated, and so
clear a case was made outagainst him that
he was sent to Joliet for ten years, many
of the owners of the stolen property giving
their evidence. Besides one of his pals
turned states evidence, and that settled
him.
"He then gave up his shamming and
threatened to kill both myself and his pal
if he ever lived to get out of prison And
guess he'll try it, too, when he gets out
But he played the crazy dodge fine, and |
have not the slightest doubt if we had not
discovered his scheme when we did he
would have gone to Kankakee and thence
to his liberty. "-Chicago Mail.