The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-02
DODGED FOR YEARS
KING OF BANK ROBBERS NABBED
AFTER TWENTY YEARS


and Engages In Bus tness. Fbut Failing
Goes into the Stealing Vocation Again
and is Taken-He is Aerested by the
Pinkertons Who Work fcw 1.-The Ameri'
can Bankers Association.
Chicago, July 1.-The American
Bankers association has inaugurated
its fight against criminals who commit
depredatbons against its memb els by
the arrest of MAMMALIAN Shin burn,
alias Max Shinburn, alias Mark iohin-
burn, alias Count" Si1inburn, alias II.
H. Baker, alias NJ. II. ZimmeTm an,
alias 1.-THE Dutchman," who from / lis
history as shown by the Pinkerton S
records is undoubtedly the first profes
sionaI criminal of the age. Robert A.
Pinkerton speaks of him as the great
est bank, safe, and vault burglar that
has ever been known in police history.
Shinburn is a, well-educated German,
who came to America in 1860. Previ-
ous to his turning crooked he was
mechanic. 1t is said when he came to
the United States he left his own coun-
try as fugative. Arriving in New
York he associated at once with the
leading gamblers there stopping at the
principal hotels on Broadway, Canal,
and Houston streets. In a short time
he became acquainted, through his
gambling associates, with some Of the
principal criminals at that time max
ing New York their headquarters.
Among these professional criminals
whose acquaintance Shinburn made
and whom he engaged with him in sub
sequent burglaries from time to time
were George Bliss. Fairy" Mcclure,
Dave Bartlett, Rory Simms, Billy
Maher, Charley Billiard, alias piano"
Charley, big Ike Marsh" Harry Ray
mond, alias Adam Worth, Dave Cum
mings, Dan Mole, Pete Curley. big
jim Brady, Sam Mccormick. Jesse
and Martin Allen. big Bill McDavid,
Ed Hughes, Jim Mccoy, Tom Kenyon
alias Clark, and Sam PERKS, alias
Wooster Sam All of these men.
with the exception of five. all are dead
or IN prinson in this country or Europe
The few still living and out of prison
are old men nearly or past 60 and
broken down in health.
Shinburn selected as his SECULAR as
sociate in crime George Bliss and Fairy
Mcclure TIE perfect his knowledge re-
garCing the mechanism Of combination
locks and safes Shinburn for some
time worked under an assumed name
IN the works of the Lilly Safe company
Shlnbufn made fortunes during 1860
and 1869. when he was obliged to fee
from the United States, but he reck-
iessly gambled and invested in stocks
and on one occasion, with his English
confidential agent. by a. lucky turn in
the market they cleared about half a
million dollars. This, with the money
he made from his various burglaries,
Shinburn is said to have left the coun-
with nnt.1,-
tanned that Belgium had no treaty
with the United States and went to
Brussels, where he remained for MANY
wears. Finally he purchased an esta tie
and interest in a large silk mill The
news reached this country that he was
living as Count Shinurn in Belgium.
Here for a long time he attended to his
business, enjoyed his fortune, severed
his connection with all his previous
criminal associates, and aside from the
young Eniishman he kept his where
ebouts unknown to his former asso-
ciates, and only by accident in later
years did one OF them run across him.
bringing the news back to the United
States. For fifteen or twenty years he
IS supposed to have lived respectable.
but operated heavily in the exchanges
and gambled, and, losing his fortune,
he went back to burglary again. About
this time his old associate. Charley
up Shinburn, who was looking for a
partner.to aid him in some robberies
One of these being the Provincial Bank
of Verviers, Belgium, which robbery
was attempted by Shinburn and Bull
ard in 1888. The were captured in the
bank. and on being searched the
screws from the lock through which
they entered by the rear door We're
found on Shinburn. This and other
discriminating circumstances secured
their conviction. Among the banks
robbed by Shinburn from 1860 to 1869
was the Walpole Savings bank. Wal
pole, n. H. April q, 1866. His partners
in this Were George Bliss. Fairy Nc
CURE, and it is supposed Dave Cum
3 mings. alias Little Dave" For this
robbery Bliss and Shinhurn were ar
rested in July, 1865, at Saratoga. N Y.
In Shinhurn'S possession at the time
was found seven 81 900 bonds. all being
identified as a portion of the proceeds
of the robbery. Bliss was acquitted
and Shinhurn was sentenced TO ten
years in New Hampshire state prison
The night following his conviction. by
the aid Of confederates. he escaped
from JAIL and was not retaken until
1858. when with Others he attempted to
rob the St Adams bank Of St Albans.
Franklin county, VT. This was about
the time of the Fenian invasion to
Canada. There was great excitement
around st. Adams. and the watchman
surprised the burglars in the bank
opened fire on them, and they fed
Shinburn boarded a train of the Ter
mont Central railroad out OF st. Al
bans and hid himself in a car. He
was captured, but escaped and went to
Belgium.
Shinburn was one of the best filters
in the burglary line in the United
States. 4 filter is one who makes i'm
49, # -
kind IF locks. He was also a fine tool
maker. and the tools used in his burg
larry work were the nghtest and finest
tempered. Before Shinburn's time Ii
would take a half dozen men and a
wagon to carry a set OF tools with
which to rob n bank or a good safe.
while the tools that Shinhurn used
could be carried by one man in A
valise or small telescope bag. Other
hurglaries committed by Shinhurn were
the burglary Of the bank at Ca6es, O..
of about $50. 400. Shinburn was the
leader of the gang of burglars who rob
bed the Ocean bank on Greenwich
street. New York Tn 10 this time the
Ocean ank robbery was the heaviest
that had ever occurred in the Cnited
States. II was claimed that together
with the money and securities. they Sc
cured in II e neighborhoOd of 81 600 600.
After this robbery Shinburn remained
in hiding until he and others robbed
she West Maryland bank Of money nd
securities amounting TO S25e00. Shin
burn returned to New York and as
usual attempted to negotiate the Sc
ourities through an attorney. This at
tlrney or one Of his associates with
y HON he quarreled informed John s.
! Dung. then chief IF detectives Of New
y ork. who arrested Shinhurn. and by
Il reatening to take him back to New
Hampshire made him give IN the Sc
a ,,-.s -