Evening journal., 1893-08-14
THE TWO "BIG FRANKS.
BOTH OF THEM HAVE BEEN BURG
LARS IN THEIR TIME.

franklin Carr Is Preaching Under the
Title which Really Belongs to the Man
Whom Delawareans Know So Well.
Two reformed burglars, both Of whom
are well known by reputation In Philadel-
phia. says the Philadelphia Inquirer and
both Of whom lay aim to the alias Zig
Frank, nave given rise TO a great deal
of confusion in the public mind and in
the police headquarters as to the identity
Of the particular big Frank" who hap
pens to clam attention for the moment.
For several months past, in fact since
his release from the Eastern Peniten
tiary in December, 1891, Franklin Carr,
1.-THE converted burglar" has been doing
evangelistic work In this city and at
near by points, advertising his appear
ance as big Frank"
Now although Carr has spent, as he
| frequently says, twenty-five years in
varions jails. he is not the notorious
big Frank" who, during his criminal
career, became known as one Of the
most ingenious, daring AID dangerous
bank burglars that ever changed
his policy and became an honest
man TO the great relief Of the detective
forces.
Warden Cassidy, at the Eastern Peni
tentiary, gave forcible idea Of the
jealousy with which an ex-burglar
guards his record, when he said yester.
pay that the real Big Frank woula feel
inclined to be ugly should be ever meet
with the man who the warden said, ''is
impersonating him. Carr was concerned
in a burglary at Scranton in go for
which he served seven years in the East
ern Penitentiary, and since then b. has
served two years for a larceny His
other Jobs we're done in Ohio Missouri
and the Western States, and they were
generally Of a minor charcter
Big Frank Mccoy is chiefly remem
bered In connection with a daring aud
nearly successful attempt to rob the
National Bank of Delaware, In VIII
mington, on November 2, 1878 He
was leader in a gang comprising
Jimmy Hope. Ike Marsh. jim Brady,
George Bliss and Tom Mccormack.
Mccoy had been concerned in robblng
the B .nefcial Savings Fund and other
monied institutions in Philadelphia
He was finally arrested near Suffolk.
Va, by mob Of citizens, who tracked
hin 70 his tent in dismal swamp by
means Of bloodhounds.
He was returned to the New Castle
Jail. but again his knowledge Of lock.
and metal working aided his escape. Hs
then transferred his operations to New
York, where he met with great success
until November, 1885, when he wal
tripped up and again sent back to Della
ware to serve out his sentence OF tel
years
Mccoy was the originator of thu
butcher cart business" which con
sisted Of robbing bank messengers and
others in the streets and quickly making
off with the plunder by jumping into
butchers cart and driving away He i
said 10 have stolen over s., 100000 dur
ing his areer
Carr's operations have been on seal
so much smaller that naturally the ori
I ginal big Frank" is unwilling to hay
his alias traded upon. In the records a
: the Eastern Penitentiary Cars height i
, given as 3 feet. 10 inches and his weigh
12S pounds, whilst Mccoy is 6 feet II
height aud weighs 176 pounds. Car
wears light brown mustacLe. Will
McCoy's features are adorned With lonI
h, avy red whiskers and mustache.
Both Of the men have shown by thei
/ recent lives that they have really re
formed, and the public generally hs
accepted them as having reformed, S
that the title Of "Blg Frank" imay nc
appear upon the police records agai
until third claimant appears for th
noted alias.