The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-04
MRS. MANDELBAUM'S CAREER
THE INFLUENCE SHE POSSESSED OYER
PROEESSIONsL CRIMINALS.

Tor Tv.sty.avs Year, She M-ss Money
Oct OF stole. Goods srd Protected the
Tbteve- Who Dealt with Hsr-Qunrrsis
with Her Chent- th.t LED to Her Arrest.
Tbs death at Hamilton. Canada. Of Mother
Mandelbsum. who. ten years ago. became no.
torious through the fence" which she con-
Quoted at niyington and Clinton streets. this
city. brings to mind many interesting anec-
dotes coma ected with her career
The fact that this woman eludsd the police
for nearly q quarter OF a century showed how
far superior she was to the average criminal
Not once during her career as receiver Of
stolen goods was she forced to suspend opera
tions for day Her illegal business went on
a. smoothly as the legitimate dry goods trade
which she conducted asa blind. Cool and col
l.cted At all times, she was n thorough busi-
ness woman and at driving bargain had few
,ounls The men she dealt with we're thieves
and criminals. fugitlves from justice who we're
completely at her mercy. but that fact never
deferred them from standing out for their
Price rs they felt that they were "a safe with
Mrs Mandeibaum os II they bad never revealed
their secrets to her. Her chief advantage came
frnm tho fact that the men who came to her
with their plumber were anxious TO get rid OF It.
Sank burglars shonliiters. sneaks aud pick
pockets used to hang around her place. There
vas a magnetism about her which crooks
seemed unable to resist. Although hard at a
bargain and rarely giving more than % per
cent. OF the value Of an article. Mrs. Mandel-
baum went on many bail bonds. advanced
money for the employment Of counsel. and
exercised all OF her influence. which was con-
siderable. to get her customers out Of scrapes.
police official who was one OF the raiders
Of the fence" when it was finally broken up
told SUN reporter the other day that the
linkerton detective who secured tho evidence
against this woman was her own son-in-law
His name was Gustave Frank. and before he
went into the Pinkerton service he was en-
p0ysd at Mays. lie married q daughter OF
Mira. Mandelbaum. separated from her II 10
sad, an thon succeeded In purchasing from
Mrs. Mandelbaum a roll OF silk which had
been stolen from Simpson. Crawford h Simp-
sun. Tho breakup did not leave Mrs Mandsl-
baum penniless however. II was commonly
reported that she had accumulated a fortune
Of s5U0OOo in her twenty-five years as a
fence" When she was put under $1,000
Sai! she did not hesitate to Jump the bond
Mother Maudelbaum's fence was afterward
conducted on a small scale ny u notorious
.as kss ns gaSi as s
tlsck Lena wa. a tall stately woman. who re-
-nbled Mrs. Mandeloaum in many ways sho
,aiksd with German accent. and. liko her al
legged sister. was business straight through.
hhe was ono OF the first shoplliters who used
Of many clever device- for tho conceal lent OF
plumber Few shoplifter- went so Ions. unde-
their csrssrs got away with so much vaiuatIs
stun Her pl9nder; however. went the way OF
Tho rest-into Mrs. MandelrHums hands to 10
fixed up so A. to make identification impossi-
Bile, then to he sold TO dealers IN the West for
three, quarters Of liz value Black Lena was
died about year and half ago.
One q Mrs. Mandelbqum's greatest friends
police as "Sheeny" Mike. He WAS a burglar.
and one OF the clsverest In the business. The
George HOWARD, Alias george leslie. Howard
made brooklyn his headquarters. In the year
made more money than she made in any other
fye years during her career. SO perfect were
ard, and kurtz. who was second In command
Of me gang. that hargnlSs were made Tor the
s b. az ss ss0rs nad been t0isn Tno
macy with Mrs. Mandeibaum. any OF them
gould get money from her whenever he wished.
In the gang were nien who HterWard became
among them were Eddie Goody. Johnny Dobbs
tre.n jack Wilson. alias Dutch Cnris. Mys.
ferrous Jimmy wim, mt. :, Big Frank Mccoy.
,,er E nS rUa l aiaS EAnio fete. George
,as ia, the Gang was broken up by the
b.. Mandri aams ' pes Rs sTa eAp He nS
broke into the elk house of scott & Co.. in
,l"s,op; and finding that he was suspeeted.
1.-The police insisted at the time that It was
Mother handelbaum who sent II to him-und
On March ~ is7z he w Was eonsi S ans ssn
i"nced to State prison for twelve years. While
IL Jail he made himself sick the police say bY
dr.nking SOAP and water. and by swallowing
SINE pTeparntion which caused him to break
nent. and on Oct 10. 1880, he was pardoned
by Gov Butler; When kurtz know that he had
That ' d's o HnaSE SGiG to f ii Sf9 Ss
als all INN a.lf afalw a,,Ik
against Mother Mandei6Sun Tor $1,000. the
value OF The six s,olen hy kurtz He gotta
hight. This was tho beginning q the end Tor
SrA MAndelbaum. she was Disguised with
hat alter That shS atsontey reiussd 10 0f Ssp
many crooks who before had only TO ask for
money IL was her determination to cease be-
Iiondlng criminals that brought about her
there we're two women. both notorious shop
trIs heIween The big dry goods stores and
err. Mandeltaum's fence. The women were
harJ HoiLrook. who married. three times.
saeh time crook with whom she worked
Mother Msndel6Sum and she paid them we'll
Tn March 8, 1874 the HolbroOk woman was
caught stealing poesstb9ok che Was tried.
back wells Island, Just previous TO her arr
rest the woman had had row over some
ead told her never TO come nrar her again.
When che found herself under arrest the Hol-
and asked her to hail her out and employ
counsel for her. This Mrs Mandelbaum re-
fused to do; She even refused to supply the
woman with money enough to buy food out
klde OF that furnished by the prison caterer.
lhsrsupon Mary tiOlbrOok sent for District
Attorney Olney and accused MrA MAndelbaum
OF conducting fence. IL was on inform alton
furnished by her that the indictment was
secured: The hnkerton detective was guided
II MS Efforts to get evidence against Mother
hlnds,bGum by suggestions from the Hoi-
Lrook woman In reward for her services
HoI Cleveland pardoned Mary Holbrook on
Jan. 5. 1856.
Many stories are told Of Mrs Mandelbaum's
BhreMdness in business A crook known as
Led Led MigEiaS came 70 New York from san Fran
robbery. lie could not sell his plumber West.
tnd, having heard OF Mrs Mandelbaum.
bIouRht II to New York Two days alter his
arrival he offered the silk TO Mrs. Mandslhaum
Ior $1,000; She laughed at him and offered
f!oUn He refused to sell at that price aud
isit the woman. swearing that he would throw
tne stun into the river before he would let her
have it, Two days later he called ON Mrs. Man
9si6sum and offered the six for So o0. she
ShoOu She still refused and he went away