Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-06-15
WESTERN CRIMINALS

IN THE BROOKLYN, N. ". PENi.
TeNrIARv.
Osy OandIts. Hsls 0sssd Cut
Theeats, Train Robbers aad
cevnts sss.tsps Are Az There.
While IL Is o we'll known fact that
the Kings County Penitentiary, in
Brooklyn, N. Y, IL under contract
with the United States Government
to take and provide for Government
prisoners at . stipulated price per
head, IL Is not generally known to
what an extent the Government has
taken advantage Of this agreement.
Hardly o week goes by without It's
batch OF United States prisoners or.
irving, sentenced oil the way from
one year to life. Out OF the 1000
prisoners now serving at the pen, rs
II 10 usually called by those who have
deallngs with IL either ~ convicts,
keepers or otherwise, about 200 are
United States prisoners. Perhaps It
should be taken % q compliment to
the general management Of the
prison that the majority OF the prls-
oners sent there are the most des.
perate. heartless. cruel and cunning
Of those sentenced by United States
courts, many Of them coming from
Texas and the West. The percentage
Of escapes during the past ton years
has been 20 small, In comparison
with the escapes from other like
prisons, that the United States "a.
thorities have come to have almost
implicit confidence In Ito security.
When there IL q particularly daring
and desperate criminal to be sent
away the Kings County penitentiary
IL among the first prisons mentioned.
One Of the most interesting prison.
ers now ut the pen 10 Kid Wilson,
who IL serving a sentence OF twenty.
four years for robbing q mail train In
Arkansas. Wilson 10 bright look.
Ing lad Of IS years, and II you were
to meet him on the street he would
be the last person you would suspect
OF being desperate. In fact, upon
his Innocent appearance he to great
extent relied in the confidence games
and petty thefts for which he was
we'll known throughout the West
when but o mere child. Young as he
was, however, he was the leading
spirit Of 20 desperate q band OF brig
ands % ever existed in the West. II
10 believed by the authorities that
many Of the acts Of daring In the
West were done by this gang, but
this was never proven until he held
up the train for the robbery Of which
he 10 now In prison. After he had
conceived the Idea OF robblng the
Grain he and his gang piled the
track full Of ties. where It ran
through rocky gorge. When It came
to q stop two Of the gang jumped on
the engine and two more on the mail
car, while those who were left dis.
tributed themselves along the train,
covering the doors With their revol.
vers, 20 that no one should escape.
Then the Kid, pulling from his
pocket . whisky bottle nude In imi.
tation Of revolver, started from the.
first car and walked through tho en-.
tire train, fiourishing the whisky
flask revolver fiercely In the faces OF
the frightened passengers and de-
manding their money and jewels. He
compelled everyone to throw the val
uables into big sack and when he
arrived ct the back platform he
pulled the cork and took D drink
from the supposed revolver before
leaving.
Anothe. train robber at the pen
Who 10 but q boy In years 10 Bob
Stittler, 10 years Of age, who was
Kid Wilson's lieutenant and who,
with his captain. governed . score OF
desperadoes each old enough to DO
his father. He IL serving thirteen
years. One Of the best known train
robbers. horse thieves and probable
murderers which Kansas has ever
seen IL serving . fifteen year SEN,
tsnce In the pen. His name iAHenry
Turner. but he was also .kndWn %
Dynamite Jack. This worthy for
years led 0 double life and fsF even
OF his own band knew who helresllv
was. When with his band he was
never without mask over his face
and cape, which completely hid his
figure. But no was seldom with the
band. excepting to execute some rob.
berry which he had conceived from
Information while acting the part OF
general sport under tho name Of
Henry Turner In some town In the
vicinity Of his bands headquarters.
1t 10 said by people In the pen who
come from the same section with by.
Mantle Jack that he killed the for.
meg captain OF the band to obtain
the command himself. He obtained
his name some years since by using
dynamite to blow open the safe OF an
express car.
Another interesting prisoner IL .
colored man namod Q. w. Lewis, who
10 serving twenty.eight years for forg-
ing pension claims. He was minister
and preached around the country.
His mode OF operation was to find In /.
his travels church members who had
fought in the war but were not
drawing pensions. He would obtain
all the particulars necessary. upon
one pretext or another, and then
forge the requisite papers. He sue
ceeded In carrying on this deception
for years. having forged fourteen diff
ferent claims, for each OF which he
was sentenced to two years impris.
onment. He was ut last discovered
by one OF the persons whose claim he
had f0rnad making nAraOnal Annlica.