Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-07
CAREER OF HORACE HOvAN.
Was Born. Reared, and BeGnn Ills
Career Of Crime In Richmond.

"If YOU can't become famous. become
Infamous" seems to have been the guild
inc principle In the life of Little Horace
Hovan," crook OF many aliases. whose
arrest at e-Main was duly
chronicled in thes. columns yesterday
morning
Hovan, who IA about Is years old. was
born lust outside the city limits or Iflch-
mond, and spent his childhood on Union
and Maddox hills. He started upon a
career Of crime, which has earned Tor
him the soubriquet of king of Sneak
Thieves" I'm the 10th year OF his age.
when he was convicted, with one Tom
Turpin of snatching a lady's purse IN
the Old Market. and sent to jail his COM
panion being sentenced 10 five years IN
the penltcntlary.
Shortly after his release he was arrest
cd on a similar charge in Charleston,
S. c., but. by dint OF bleeding his gums
with toothpicks and decorating himseI
he lost so much blood that he was acie
TO deceive the authorities into belleVihs
him TO be consumptive. and was re-
leased A little later he was implicated
In n robbery of the Southern Express
Company. by which the company lost
81. 500. In 1870. with big Ed Rice" Rule
Minor. and Kate Doherty. he stole sZo,VUo
from the vault of a bank in Halifax, ~
s. Rice escaped with the money, but
Uoyan was arrested. The money was re-
turned 10 the bank, and he was released
He was convicted under the name or
W. w. Fisher alias Moran for job IN
Pittsburg, Pa. on November -, lSls, 10
TWO years ana eleven months in the West
ern penitentiary. at Allegheny city. lie
was again arrested on March H. 1879, III
Charleston. :. C., for the larceny or
$4,000 of bonds from a safe in tn, First
National Bank, In that city. When he was
detected he dropped the bonds on the
floor and feigncd sickness. He was sent
10 the hospital. and he escaped from
there. He was captured in New York on
October &c. 1850, for robbing the Middle
town Bank, and was discharged June, 1881.
FOR having the property returned. lie
was arrested in Philadelphia with Frank
Buck alias Buck. the Tailor for steal
ing securities TO the amount OF SlO,5D
from brokers in that city. lie was con-
yicted. and sentenced 10 three years In
the Easton penitentiary. He was pardoned
on October 80. 1883, on condition that
he 80 10 Washington, ID. C., to testify
against officials who were on trial lie
agreed to so il the authorities would have
the case against him in Charleston set
tied, which was done. H gave testimony
at Washington. which was discredtcd by
the jury He remained In Jail there until
May TO- 1854
June IS. 1884, Hovan and Buck Taylor
were arrested in Boston, ana after their
photographs had been taken for the
Rogues' Gallery they were shipped out
of town.
His chief strategem when arrested, In
order TO escape conviction. was to en-
deavor to prove an abb, basing his plea
on his remarkable resemblance 10 his
brother Robert. Hovan left this continent
in 1885. and has since been working"
the European side Of the Atlantic 10 q
pretty lively tune.
He married Richmond woman. who
died before he left this country. He had
three brothers and one hister His brother
Robert was given twenty-one years in
New York for shooting two detectives.