Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1895-12-13
MINNIE HAS RETIRED
SHE HAS BEEN ARRESTED 900 TIMES
AND HAS SAVED 100000.

The Cieverest Female Thief In America
Has Gone "Out Of Business"-Gave n
Farewell Banquet-somethinE Of Her
Remarkable Career.
Minnie May, well known to the po-
lice Of Chicago and other cities as o
clever and bold thief, has made enough
money at her nefarious calling to settle
down for life. She has retired, as 1t
were, and with her husband, Danny
Nugent, has gone to Dayton, o., where
she owns q comfortable home.
The occasion Of Minnies departure
from Chicago will be remembered for
years to come by her companions. A
few nights ago she gave a farewell ban
quet, at which all the leading lights Of
her set were present. The next day she
and Danny, who, by the way, is one Of
the "best" diamond thieves in the coun-
try, left for their Ohio home There
they intend to spend the remainder of
their lives in ease and luxury.
II is estimated that in the last ten
years Minnie May has stolen to the
value Of upward Of 800, 900. Some po-
icemen put the amount as high as
$500, 900. At any rate, she has laid
enough by to keep her and Danny with
out further ado as long as they live.
Minnie May is still young woman.
She is not more than 28 years old The
last ten years she has lived in Chicago,
and during that time she has been ar
rested more than 900 times for rob-
horr aud Isaor1arlwy
been called "the wickedest woman in
the world, but there is often doubt ex-
pressed rs to the applicability of this
term.
Minnie May was born ON farm near
Milwaukee. Her mother still lives on
the old homestead. When Minnie was
about 1S years old and an innocent but
bright and energetic country girl, she
was engaged to be married, but the
prospective husband disappeared two
weeks before the day set for the we'd
ding. The proud spirited girl felt dis
graced in the eyes Of her family and
friends, go she left home suddenly and
went TO Chicago. She quickly drifted
into the life of crime In which her
shrewdness and in many ways her COM
mon sense caused her to be successful.
Quickly her cleverness in getting a VIC
TINS money attracted the attention of
the Central station detectives.
The police were at first loath to be-
heve that the innocent looking, rosy
checked girl from Wisconsin could do
the deeds accredited to her. Nearly
every night some man, usually a stran-
ger in the city, would report to the po-
lice that he had stopped to talk to a
young woman on the street, and after
leaving her discover that he had been
robbed. Sometimes it would be watch
that was taken, and again it was a dia-
mond stud or a fat pooketbook.
Minnie was arrested before she had
been Sin the business a month, to use
her own expression. Her photograph
was taken and put in the rogues' gal
lery. The detectives at the Central sta
tion were told to arrest her every time
they saw her on the street, whether she
was with victim or not. In this way
the police hoped to drive her from the
city.
But she remained just the same,
dodging the police whenever she could,
and in spite Of the fact that she has
been locked at the Harrison Street sta
tion something like 1000 times she has
succeeded In stealing a fortune. For
years she was we'll known figure in
the neighborhood Of the Grand Pacific
hotel. She usually selected strangers in
town as her victims. And there was a
Co. kkfa Tf 10
mond or his wallet, it would usually be
Q financial loss for him to try to stay to
prosecute the case. Even If the victim
did succeed in having her indicted Min
ME would have the case continued from
term TO term and IN that way tire the
prosecutor until, disgusted, he would
give mp the attempt to get her punished.
One secret Of Minnie Mays remarka-
bic success. as given by herself many
times In conversation, was that she did
not dissipate. She seldom drank any
thing and was never known to be under
the influence Of liquor. But many a
time after q good nights work she
would enter q saloon and buy drinks for
the loungers until everybody was glo-
rious. Minnie would then call a cab
and go to her home on the West Side.
The next night she would be down town
again looking for victims in the neigh
borhood Of CLARK, Adams, jackson and
La Sale streets.
Minnie's diamonds and wardrobe
were the best that money could buy.
Her earrings were said to be worth
ol 500, and she bad diamond rings ga
lore, enormous in weight and value.
She had an assortment Of sealskin coats
and nuns and wraps, as we'll as hand
some gowns, and one who did not know
her might think she belonged to
wealthy family. Minnie Mays face is
irregular in outline and far from come
ly, but she has teeth Of exceptional at
Effectiveness, and her smile transforms
her face into one far from unattraotive
Captain Horace Elliott, chief of de-
teotives. said, when he heard of Min
nie's departure from Chicago, that he felt
like dancing Jig. "she's the cleverest
woman thief in the United States, "
said the veteran detective, land I'm
glad she's gone from Chicago. She has
been nightmare to the police Of this
town for ten years. Chicago Times
Herald.