The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-28

heavy gain with reasonable assurance
against detection will be the true test
When they have passed this then | will
believe in their reformation
"One OF these men was a high class
couuterfeiter When he had served out
his term he came to me and said, 4 have
resolved TO square myself. No more of
the old life for me have little money,
and ! am going TO start shoe store and
raise my children as the children of an
honest man."
"'All right, Sam, 1 said, go ahead. 1
wish you well, but don't think hard of me
if keep an eye on you
~ believe that man meant to do right
He became well known and respected
here. ! watched him quietly for fourteen
years. When | heard of an old partner Of
his being in town. / renewed my vigil
lance.
"A lot of $40 gold pieces worth about
Sl.50 were turned loose upon the commu
nifty One night | made a sudden dash
upon my reformed shoe dealers house
and found him and his old part
ner with their sleeves rolled up turning
out $40 gold pieces at the rate of 81 900 an
hour, and there was a partially engraved
plate for a 500 note and a completed one
for a $40 note in their stock This man
had lived square fourteen years all but
four months.
sThe next case was that of handsome
public official, who embezzed public
funds. He was sent to the penitentiary.
great deal of sympathy was wasted on
his case He was mere sinned against
than SHINING, people said.
when he came back from jefferson
City it was by general consent decided 10
give him chance to redeem himself.
People went out Of their way to give him
business When he had succeeded in
gaining the confidence of a lot of people,
who ought to have known better he
wrote their names with recklessness to "a
variety of paper, raised all the money he
could by whatever means he could, and
then left town between two days
'"rhe third case ! need not mention in
detail at this time. The crime for which
the individual served time was forgery,
and in that artistic crime he seems TO be
an adept. I could note a hundred cases
of small-fry criminals, but what we were
discussing was the absence Of modesty, so
to speak, among thieves.
There are some very striking in
stances of thieves who have made no ex-
hibition of their plumber for a long time.
The brakeman who murdered and robbed
a Chicago and Rock Island messenger
four or five years ago and remained in
the employ of the company three months
dlb5l. OAbGiA EbiiS Ou1 WIN bAb ochhlC NehA
which was the scene Of his crime, was a
striking case in point.
''But the thief-takers follow q code of
rules in dealing with the criminal classes.
The brakeman had been suspected from
the first He was watched night and day,
but he gave no sign of the possession of
wealth. When at last he left the road and
moved to Philadelphia he was Swallowed.
''He went TO work there. hard work,
too, and still no show of money. The de-
tectives began TO think they were on a
false clew, but the fellow lost his Job.
Then he began to drink. He soon appeared
TO be flush.
Gle was traced TO a gambling house.
At last they swooped down upon him. and
it was well that they did, for he had
learned somehow that he was being
watched, and at the moment of his arrest
he was about to put s., OO0 into burning
stove, 10 follow 81 200 which he had
already destroyed
There is police story Of a Baltimore
and Ohio messenger who robbed himself
of S12,0 600, and who produced the money
in equal installments Of 800 per month,
which was supposed to be the rent paid
for row Of houses in Baltimore belong
ing to his wife, and inherited from her
mother
1t was not learned until after his
death that the houses in question did not
belong to his wife, but did belong To an
elderly widow of exactly the same name.