The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-26
A HIGHLY GIFTED THIEF.
WIGHT THROWN ON A WONDER
FUI, WOMAN'S CAREER.

.,f hadn't the pleasure on landing" she
soid ITO meet one Of Inspector Byrnes'
o.trte detectives. Yes, 1t was Mr.. Byrnes
-ybo made me out such dangerous person
% the Paris police; but it was too late for
hose Partisan fellows. Ever been in jaill
n Yea Now, I've had some experiences
that most people would call dissgreeable in
nv two years. term"
"rve a remarkable faculty OF getting into
i,il there every time so abroad. But
have an even more remarkable faculty Of
getting out every time get In. 1 was never
known to be caught doing anything wrong.
They catch me after the thing is over and
they can't prove positively that I've done
ANYTHING That's the way it was in Paris.
Candidly. now, person who doesn't see the
inside of European prison while abroad
misses a very interesting experience"
The styllsh-looking woman who talked
that way TO a reporter as she stepped or
the IJmbria. is a remarkable person. She
had lust returned from her last trip to
Europe. For some time past even her init
mate friends had not known where she was.
we'll. quite recently, Billy Burke, alias
"Biu the KID was walking out Of the
biggest bank in Mount Sterling, KY. with
S46,O zoo of the banks money in his hand
money which he had no right to-when he
was taken in by the police. A fine-looking
and fashionably dressed lady who had been
seen with him was also arrested. When
Supt Byrnes heard of the occurrence he
mt his patent lenses to work and it didn't
take him long to see in Billy Burke's CON-
panion the lady who talked 80 glibly when
she stepped off the Umbria.
But who is she9 That was what the Re
corder man wanted to know when he called
upon the superintendent yesterday, and
that was what the Paris police wanted to
know a few years ago when a Nine. de Var
ney was arrested near the Arc de Triomphe
as a pickpocket. That arrest came very
near making trouble between this country
and France. Anyhow, the United States
minister's attention was called to it; the
French high authorities made a special In
vestigation; a newspaper over there pub
lished in English denounced it as IAN out
rageous arrest" and finally Nine. de
Varney was released. This was the decision
Of the French detectives: IAN informa-
ton about Mime. de Varney's antece-
dents was quite satisfactory" Yet Nine.
de Varney has been a thief since she was
child. Her father, mother, sisters and
brothers were thieves. Her two Husbands"
were thieves. Her only son died In state
prison and her legitimate husband is now
son and two daughters were at one time in
different prisons for various offenses. Many
years ago the father and son were in the
same prison in New Jersey for blackmail,
and shortly afterward the mother was sent
to the penitentiery in this state for shoplift-
ing. AT the identical time the eldest daugh-
ter was on Blaokwell's Island for keeping a
disreputable house in this city, and her sis
ter, the one recently arrested in Mount
II hn Inn 10 Nor Of
Paris-was in prison for picking pockets.
Yes" said Supt. Byrnes yesterday, "the
Kentucky authorities have got hold of one
Of the most remarkable women of her kind
and she is the very Nine. de Varney' whom
the Paris police released after having re-
cefved information that was satisfactory
as to her antecedents. When l got a de-
scription of her from Paris at that time,
! saw without a doubt that she was an
American. More than that Identified her
as one of the cleverest criminals on record.
know her well. OF course, my informa-
ton to the French police arrived over there
too late-she had been released before her
'antecedents' had been made unsatisfac-
toryw
do you think Mr.. Byrnes. this woman
will 20 to Kentucky state prison now that
she Is jailedY' was the question put to the
superintendent yesterday by the Recorder
man, and it made the great detective
laugh.
at doesn't follow, by any MEANS" he re-
piled, because that woman is arrested now
in Kentucky that she will be convicted of
what she is supposed to have been u party to.
There is some truth in her boasts about es-
Gaping arrest and getting clear In those
cases where she is arrested
"For instance, look at the way, as Mime.
de Varney, she got out of the clutches of
the Paris police with almost an apology for
having arrested her. Why, the woman is
a wonder as a criminal. 5he has been en-
gagged In the most extraordinary works of
villainy which have been carried out with
unparalleled skill and audacity and she has
at times so entangled men of prominence
within her web that il is not surprising
that she has so often escaped the law.
Why, even Sing Sing one time couldn't
hold her after she had got there"
How was thatm
"Sophie-yes, that's her first name
Sophie Lyons is the name her friends know
her by better than any other ever since she
was married to Ned Lyons, the bank
burglar That fellow had little money
when he married her, and he actually per-
suaded her to discontinue stealing She
had four children, and apparently for q
Tune led quiet life. 0, no, that wasn't her
first marriage. When she was only 10 she
married Aaury Harris, notorious pick
pocket Before the honeymoon was over
Maury, for plying his trade and getting
caught at 1t, was sent to the state prison for
two years. She afterward became the
companion of Henry Newman, alias
Dutch Heinrich This was before she met
Lyons.
When did she begin to be known to the
ponoel Well, really don't know what she
dld when she was babe in arms, but when
she was IL years old she was known as
sophie Levy, and she was found picking
POCKETS with woman named Kate German,
Alas Red Kate, who was supposed to be the
wife Of Red Leary.
Some time after she married Lyons he
was sent to prison for a short term, and on
us expiration he learned that Sophie too
had oeen sent to Sing Sing. Ten days after
"dro ne and his confederates formed plan
Ior ner escape, and escape she did. By what
Hletnod that plan was carried out the prison
record, saith not"
.byrnes has face well schooled|to hide
MS thoughts; but the reporter thought he
uetected the slight trace of a smile at the
words prison records
nut let us continue with Sophie.
Durlng the year 1872 Sophie was arrested
way.
.. was then captain of the Fifteenth pre-
oLuct, said the superintendent. son her
was 3 found property belonging to the late
a. l. Stewart and also goods stolen from
lake a McCreery's store, then at Broad
way and Eleventh street. She was sent to
olS Sing for five years for that little mis-
~ lot