The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-10-18

csted in a deal 81 stocks and refused
to go until he obtained his money. A
sudden turn in the market put him in
possession of nearly half million
dollars. and at the advice of his coun
sci he fled to Belgium. with which
country the United States had no ex
tradition treaty at that time. Alto
gether, Shinburn is said to have had
nearly million dollars when he ar
rived in Brussels. With this money
he purchased a mortage- laden estate
from decrepit noblean, the latter
throwing in his title of Count, and an
interest in a large silk mill. Then
Count Shinburn, the American bank
burglar proceeded TO amaze the Bel.
gians by his liberality. He wasted
thousands OF dollars in entertainments.
HIS operations on the Bourse staggered
the native spectators, and his enor-
nous winnings and losings were com
mented on by press and public For
nearly fifteen years he kept up this
pace, and then series Of unfortunate
speculations left him penniless.
At about this time "Piano Charley"
Bullard,, Ike Marsh and Adam Worth
arrived in Paris, having robbed the
Boylston bank of Boston of 800. 600.
Under assumed names they opened
an American cafe at Rue Scribe, and
| Shinburn. having left Brussels, wan
dered in there one day and recognized
in the proprietors his old pals. At
the same time an American detective
recognized the men and informed the
French police Of their identity. This
broke up the cafe. and Billiard and
Shlnburn tied to Mons, on the front Ter,
whore Shinburn unfolded a scheme for
the robbery of the Provincial Bank at
Nivieres, Belgium. Shinbu1n always
claimed that the directors of this
bank got the money he lost on the
Bourse. and there was Il desire for
vengeance as well rs hope Of big gain
in the attempt. The robbery was al
tempted in 1855. The plan was to
make two or three visits to the bank
before finally robbing it, in order to
give Shlnhunl an opportunity 10 rN-
anime and stud, the locks.
An entrance was effected through Il
rear door. an old-fashioned lock being
unscrewcd Shinbum put the lock in
his pocket, So that it might be re-
placed when he and Bullard were
through accommodating. An hour was
then the two men came out. and Shin. /
burn screwed the lock on again. One /
of the screws was missing. While they
were looking for this screw the men
heard footsteps coming up the alley
1t was the Waterman. who. having
found Bullard' S shoes, had started An
investigation. Billiard hauled out a
revolver, and would have shot the
Waterman dead but Shinhurn
hastily ordered him 10 put the weapon
away. and then began rolling around
and singing like drunken man.
Bullard took the cue, and the watch
man concluded he had come across Il
couple of ordinary drunken men. He
Whlstled for help, and two policemen
ran up. AS Il matter of precaution one
of the latter examined the lock ON the
door of the bank, and made the dis
covery that Il screw was missing.
Bullard and Shinburn were searched
and the missing screw Was found in a ,
piece of WAX in pocket of the latter
had used the wax to remove
all traces of his york at the lock. The
men were arrested. tried, and convict
ed. and. while Shinburn was sentenced
to five years in prison, Bullar,l got ten
years. Billiard died in prison.
After his arrest for the Wilkesbarrc.
Pa, Job back in the sixties, Shinburn /
was taken to Whitehayen, where night 4,
after night he slept in hotel hand
cutfed TO a detective Each night his =,
was taken away from him and :
locked up in another part Of the hotel.
The handouts used We're the best Of
the day, yet despite all these precau
tons Shinburn escaped. One morning
the detective awoke and found himself
in bed alone. An examination revealed
the fact that Shinburn had succeeded
in slipping the point Of a steel pen =
into the Ratchet of the handcuti with
nut being observed. so thai while the
1t night. it did not lock. The man
i've to go to sleep. After freeing him G
self he went into another room and ap- =,
lropriated 4 guests clothing. The /
discovery of the pen point reminded !
he detective that during the after {
noon he had observed Shinburn heat ID
ng Il pen over gas jet He had asked Y
lim what he was doing. and the T.
prisoner replied that he was amusing /
himself. The Truth was that he VAS [
leating the pen to TAX" the temper ont Y
# the steel. I
Among the things found un Shin +
,urn when arrested this last time :
we're some keys and some hastily drawn Il
plans. The plans proved to be of Il {
,anll at Bennington. and one Of the t
,evs was found to tit the door of the
,ank. At that time there was $500, 600 y
N deposit in the vaults of the bank. IT
The robbery of the Ocean Bank. ON b
1reenwich street was one Of the big u u