The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-05
TWO OF 4 KIND, IN KENTUCKY.
Charley Sullivan, the Mind Burglar, and
His Devoted wife-"She Was n Hnriot
and I Was n Thief, but we Loved Each
Other Beyond nelteTV

Charley Sullivan, the MIND Burglar, and
His Devoted wire-"she Was n Hnriot
and I Was Thief, but we Loved Each
Other beyond Belief"
LOUISVILLE. Dec. 3-The Louisville aims
house has Just received back two queer in
mates. They are Charley Sullivan. "the blind
burglar" and his wife. After making their
| annual pilgrimage over Kentucky. selling
| lead pencils and watches. they have returned
to tho winter quarters that have sheltered
them for years.
The Sullivans are a curious pair and have h ad
| strange history. They met and loved Mt the
almshousc. and ran away from there to get
married lie was old. blind and feeble She
was past middle age and as ugly ne n WITCH
He had Just come out OF the pcnitcntiary
where he had finished three years term for
burglary. His former friends had died or
moved away. his courage was gone. and rs he
did not care to continue his criminal career. he
became pauper and went to the almshouse
There no met the woman who married
him. She had been a pauper for
dozen yenrs. perhaps. but though we'll ad-
rnnced in years was able-bodied. In fact
when the almshouse was building she helped
in tho work. and did MS much as any man
around tho place. At Der own suggestion she
carried hod, and besides doing It we'll she
probably tho first female that ever t mounted
SSonisntnaSnt until tho Sllnd bHrSl"r found a
sSsseptbe hea Size p sns aHS' soo s.
and 80 accepted her at once. One even.
che procured n license and they were married
" Justice OF tho Peace. 1t was summer ut
to tho aimshoIss they spent tho ho ne s"
~ tramp around tho country At he lrst
sign sign Of winter they retu5neI and lived until
once more. and thus they have continued TO
90 Tor dozen Years or more. They wander
when they can. and. whsa sI tho weathe sr" IS
pleasant sleeping by the roadside They are
thsS rain an hs ne n Is hard
T. aetmai!y hanry. Sullivan is tall, old. and
sullivan is short. fat. and feeble minded. She
has no teeth. and is the trncal pauper bag.
In his early days Sullivan was. hand some
strength and good manners. and his eyes were
as SHARP r as any ones Bnt he mad , bred
used Litter ~ aSoat sho ssoos and love
dives of the worst quarter Of the city. and
made his living by robbing drunken strangers
hhIIs DIOR: lie was q plueky ,i,rh,er and sort Of
pan TaS hi s as o his friends saasH "d sR
and ere he sne to sS
by which he lost his sight. He had been put
s Work IN The quarry and vas selected to
been there before. aud the consequence was
Tint he touched OF II fuse before tho other
man was quito ready. He failed to get ont OF
tho wnv in time. and when tho blast Xpoded
lie WAS knocked down and nearly killed.
Whom Picked up he was in such condition
that he lay for months in the hospital. M oan-
ing. blasrhemng. and cursinS his eyes from
which the light had gone out forever. When
liberated he did not mend his ways. He was
blind. poo. and crippled. hut he met with a
welcome from such friends as had escaped
tho prison. They treated him we'll and soon.
blind man though he was. no was able to get
about the streets again. With the wonderful,
intuition som" sGhtless people possess he
could find his wav anywhere. and It WAS not
long before ~ number Of burElaries were re-
ported. ltseems almost ,eyond belief that he
could break into houses and secmr" amy booty.
but tho police declare ho did. Finally he was
caught in u handsome dwelling near where
| he had made his home for months. He was
tried and sent to the peniten' larry for several
| years When he came out his health was
broken. his courage gone. and no was glad
enough to seek tho amshuuso Strangely
| enough. his life had net ended. for thero no
met thu, woman who has hccn his wife SO long
Cart. Westfnll. the superintendent of tho
place. says the blind burglar" and his wife
are not tho best paupcrs in tho world. but they
might be- worse. and no is not really sorry TO
see them return each year before the snow
| flies