The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-08
MINNIE MAYS CAREER ENDED
Said to Have Bee Arrested 1ooo
Times and TO Have Saved 500 900

From the Chicago Times-Herald.
Minnie May well known to the nolioo
of Chicago and other cities as a ola,-s.
and bold thief, has made enough mon,
at her nefarious calling to settle dou1
Tor life. She has retired, as it were. ana
with her husband, Danny Nugent. has
gone to Dayton. o., where she owns a
comfortable home.
The occasion Of Minnie's departiira fr,
chicago Will be remembered for wears -
come BY her companions. A few nigbsS
ago she gave a farewell BANQUET %
which N9hIc all the Leading lights of her set
Danny, who. by 1he way. is one Of anu th11
best diamond thieves in the count us
LETT for their Ohio home. There thev ~.
ioii oa 70 spend the remainder of their lives
It is estimated that in the last ten ve,-,
MIME May has stolen to the value OF M
ward Of 100000 Some policemen nut tbs
amount as high as 10000. Al any W ra s ta
she has laid enough by to keep her and
Danny. without further ado as long AZ
Minnie May is still young woman sha
is not more than q years old. The iss9s
zen years she has lived in Chicago ami
during that time she has been arrastn5i
more than 1000 times for robbery ana a.
orderly conduct She has been calieS
Inc the Wlckedest woman in the world, but
there IS often doubt expressed "a 10 ~
applicability of this term. ~ 'iis
Minnie May was born on farm naa,
MliWaukee. Her mother still lives an 80
oId homestead. When Minnie was abowt
is years old, and an Innocent buf brjetbts
ana energetic country girl, she was an
sageed 70 DC married, but the prospective
husband disappeared two weeks hefors
the day set for the wedding. The nro,Id'
spirited girl felt disgraeed in the ewes ~
her FAMILY and friends, so she left boma
suddenly and came to Chicago. sbS
quickly drifted into the life Of Crime . rs S
winch her shrewdness, and in many va
n ner common sense caused her to be sue,
ting victims money attracted the a +ffenIl
tlon OF the central station detectives
Inc police were at first loath TO believa
mat the innocent looking, rosy-cheeked
girl from Wisconsin could do The dsa6s
accredited to her Nearly every niSh5
some some, man, usually stranger in the CIV
would report to the police that he bsA
stopped TO talk to young woman an ~
street, and after leaving her dfsco,-as
that ne had been robbed. Sometimes h
would be watch that was taken al
again II was diamond stud. or a -
pocketbook. u 4a'
ID, Minnie was arrested before she had been
IN the business month"; to use her own
expression. Her Photograph was tshen
and put in the rogues' gallery. The a..
Iectlves at central station were told Ia
arrest her every time they saw her on tho
street, whether she was with a vicfir, -
Hot. IN TINS way the police hoped ia
drive her from the city ~
But she remained here lust the sapo
uouglng the police whenever she conifi
ana IN spite of the fact that She has hee1
locked locked up at the Harrison street Station
oonda lill ~ IKE IOOO times she has sue,
eSeued IN stealing fortune. For yeara
she was well-known figure in The
eseslghborhood of the Grand Pacific hotel
s 9se al usually selected strangers in town
Tor TINS. II stranger lost a diamond
or his wallet it would usually he a fnan4
eiai loss for him to try to stay there to
prosecute the case. Even If the victim
dld succeed in having her indicted. Minnis
mouIu nave the case continued from term
10 term. and in that way tire the prose,
eutor until, Disguised, he would give un
the attempt to get her punished
one secret of Minnie Mays renarkabla
success, as given by herself many times
sipate. She. seldom drank anything. and
was never known to be under the inful
ence OF liquor But many a time after a
loon. and buy drinks for the ioungeri
until everybody was glorious. Mihnis
would then call a cab and 20 to hes
non nome 1,6 on the west side. The next night
sshe would be down town again looking
Ior victims IN the neighborhood Of Clark,
Adams, jackson and La Sale streets.
-, Mlnnles diamonds and wardrobe were
the pest that money could buy Her
earrings were said to be worth 1850 and
she mad diamond rings galore, enormous
IN weight and value. She had an assort,
i ment OF sealskin coats and NUTS and
wraps, as well as handsome Gowns and
one VINO did not know her might think
ss5 he Ipelonged to a wealthy family Min,
me Mays face is irregular in outline and
tar from comedy, but She has teeth of ex.
ceptional attraetiveness, and her smils
transforms her face into one far from
unattractive.
Capt. Horace Elliott, chief of detectives
sag last night when he heard Of Min!
me departure from Chicago he felt
Ike dancing, jig. ''Shes the cleverest
woman thief in the United States" said
the veteran detective, land I'm glad she5
gone from Chicago. She has been 4
Rlghtmare to the police of this town
for ten years.
nOId uan uV-.....s..---