The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-03-05
CURRY IN HOOK AGAIN.
The Noted wich IA Craftsman Ares, ed For
Roobing POsteniee.

!
John Curry is in trouble again and thi:
! time he is liable to remain in a trouble
some and EMBARRASSING position for con
| siderable length of time.
/ All the old timers know Curry for ne is
a formerly OF Wichita man, having been
! connected with the jewellery interests OF
this city few years ago. Since leaving
here he has acquired fame AS
one OF the most noted and
daring cracksmen in the country
and one who has given more annoyance to
the officers than any other man of his
kind His criminal career commenced
mere by the theft of watch, for which he
was tried in the district court OF this
county and sentenced 70 the penitentiarY
for year. Ate. serving his term he went
into the thieving business again on a
more extensive scale, and II is said that he
is the inventor OF the noiseless powder
less method of cracking a safe He is
now in hook and the following part of a
lengthy article in the Globe-D Democrat,
explains why he is there:
One of the most dangerous, daring and
successful safe-crackers aud postelfiee rob
bers in the United States WAS captured in
this city Tuesday afternoon by Deputy
I nited States Marshal Atkins. when John
b. Curry was placed under arrest and safe
~ lodged in jail at the Four Courts. Curry
IS charged with the robbery of the post
Office at Mound City, Ills, on the night Of
Nov. %. 1889 On that date burglars
forced an entrance to the posrolfice broke
open the safe and secured 81 900. o. which
$500 was IN money and the remainder in
stamps. This daring robbery was com
mitted by one Theodore Heisenfelt. alias
Joe Bennett, and another man. whose
identity remained a mystery until a few
months ago, when Bennett, who is now
serving u term of three years in the Illinois
penitentiary at Joliet, confessed the crime
to fellow prisoner named Rhuby, who WAS
in Jail with him at Mount Carroll Ills.
Bennett is doing time for a robbery he
committed at Mount Carroll GA March 81,
1890, and it was while he was in Jail there
previous TO his conviction and sentence TO
the penitentiary that he took Rhuby into
his confidence and told him of the Mound
City postoffice job. In his confession TO
Rhupy, Bennett said that John B. Curry
was mis- pal Rhuby squealed and the
postoffice authorities put some inspectors
on Curry's track. They got acquainted
with the crook and under pretence of be-
ing his friend. attempted to draw informa
ton from him concerning the robbery
pei Dcttd lCu W Tue 4)CAICtb Sdu. anu al
other gang Of burglars at Wichita, Kan,
under the leadership of James T. Creigh-
ton and l. L. Elliott, but Curry, who is a
bright, sharp fellow proved too shrewed
even for the postottice inspectors. He
gave them false clews and sent them on
several wild-goose chases. On hints thrown
ont By Curry the inspectors investigated
several postofice roboeries that never oc-
Cured
Joe Bennett, who was the principal in
the robbery at Mound City, afterward in
formed Sheriff Phillips of Dubuque Ia.
that Curry was with him and helped to
effect an entrance into the postoffice and
to secure the s., 600 booty. This gave the
inspectors positive clew TO Curry's ident-
ity. aud he has been closely watched ever
since. A few weeks ago he learned that
couple of inspectors had gone to New
Orleans TO locate notorious crook, and
with characteristic daring he quietly pur-
chased a ticket and followed them to the
Crescent city. Arriving there be endeav-
ored through an eX-cOnvict named Tig-
Mere, and Mike Cunningham, a burglar
from Wichita, to warn the crook whom
the inspectors were after that the officers
were on his track. He wrote letter
to Cunningham making an appointment
with him in order to warn his pal, but for
some unknown reason Cunningham failed
to keep the appointment. Later he met
Tigniere and gave him the warning, in
structing him what To do and say. but
Tigniere proved false to Curry and in
formed on him to the authorities. Curry
got wind of this before be could be caught
and left town, coming directly TO st.
Louis. He was followed soon after by the
inspectors, who located him in this city,
but his wherea bouts could not be learned
for several days.
Yesterday Deputy United States Mar
shall Atkins and one of the inspectors
learned that their man was At the saloon
on the corner of Twenty third and Morgan
streets, and went there to arrest him
They entered the saloon and found Curry
there He did not notice the officers when
they first entered, and they supposed his
capture was n mere matter of form and !
would be easily accomplished. The in
spectOrs barely had time, however. 70 iden-
tIfy Curry before he noticed the pres
euce of the officials, and was Immediately
on his guard and ready to make desperate !
resistadce Deputy Marshal Atkins an
ticipated him a few seconds, and before |
Curry cOuld draw his weapon he was upon !
him and commanded him to throw up his |
hands
Curry looked straight into the barrel OF |
the shining weapon i'll the hands of the |
deputy marshal and began to back toward |
he wall Atkins advanced step by step |
as the crook retreated, and, fearing some !
.reacbery, he pushed tue retreating des- I
oerado over the stove. There was hot |
ire burning in the stove at the |
line, but Curry escaped injury in |
hat direction and fell sprawling |,
On the floor. He was game to the last, 4
however. and would even then have made /
bard fight with the officers had not /
Atkins bounced onto him, aud placed the /
landkufTs on him in the Jwinkling of an /
ave The arrest was surprise to every
me in the saloon, none of whom had any
dea that such dangerous man was in 4
heir midst, and for time the greatest .
confusion prevailed. He WAS at once (
AIKEN to the Federal building and escorted 4
nto the presence of United States Com 1
missioner Crawford. He waived exami- /
nation and was remanded TO Jail IN default 4
i bond.