Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-06-03

WILLIAM HARVEY WANTS THE PUBLIC
TO KNOW SOMETHING or HIS LIFE.

WILLIAM HARVEY WANTS THE PUBLIC
TO KNOW SOMETHING or HIS LIFE.
Seems To he Clever In His Small Way,
but In Hard Luck Most Of thu Time.
HIS Father . Missionary In Montrssi--A
Had Man.
A shabbily dressed young man, with q
had face, one bad front tooth, had hat
and q breath red0lent of bad whisky enter
ed the New York Recorder Office on q re-
cent afternoon, laid q badly written man.
uscript and badly taken photograph upon
the city editors desk and hastily took his
departure. His eyes had . sh;fty look his
mouth was cruel, and altogether no re-
sembled nothing 80 much az an all around
thief In hard luck. A perusal Of his man
uscript told the reader that the fellow was
at once thief, drunkard and gambler,
and as for cool impudence Il has rarely
been equalod. We reproduce 1t as an OBJ
ject lesson:
To the Editor:
SIR-I have Just come from the penitentiary
mt Snake Hill In New Jersey. and as walking
has stiffened me up q bit 80 that couldn't
u
little professional work and a cop show mp,
took IL into my head TO let you newspaper peo-
pie know something about the real life OF q
thief. Did you ever meet a thief socially2 i
don't suppose you ever did. Well, I'm one
have been one since was 10 years old-and II
can get the kinks out OF my legs I'm going to
do a little thieving this afternoon, 80 l can
have q bed and some rum tonight.
love rum playing bank and the girls, but
as I'm too shabby to suit the girls, and as the
banks are all closed, I'm obliged TO stick to
rum aionc. But runs pretty nearly enough,
II you can get plenty Of 1t.
Now, Tm going to tell you my story. and you
may print II or not Just as you see 1T. I'm
used to being thrown down.
My name Is william Harvey-or at least
that's the namc give when ! get the collar by
the cops-and was born in Montreal % years
ago. My father ss In the gospel business, q kind
OF travelling missionary, going about In the
slums with the Pilgrim Brothers. He doesn {
know I'm crooked, and every now and then he
sends me money. Sometimes IL comes when
I'm In the cage, but he never gets the address.
III he did, IL would break his heart.
had good common school education and
learned trade, and when / was IL came to
the states and went to work polishing spoons
in Reed q Barclays faatory In Essex street in
Boston / stuck at this ssteadily for two years,
and then ] began to think I'd like something
easier.
So one morning chance for haul came as
J was passing through Cambridge street. On
= stoop stood two trunks, and ! says to myself,
says !, ~ could nab them easy
j had plan in minute. Right around the
corner was cab stand, and into cab Jump
ed, telling the driver where to 60. It was
risky, but was dead sick Of work. On getting
back to the house I had the driver put the
trunks in the cab, and then we drove to the
Providence depot, as though intended leav.
ing town. checked the trunks for few min
utes, went around to Church street and hired
room and then had the things taken there.
They were full Of women 3 clothes. but in one
was q watch and S67 ! pawned the watch, and
with the woney received and the $67 prompt
'y got drunk and then began to play bank.
OF course lost everything, and then I hook
ed the trunks for $3.50.
On going back to my room at night found
two detectives waiting for me. ~ thought so F"
said one; "the fox comes back to his hole"
That little adventure sent me to the House
Of Correction for six months. Fortunately 1t
was my first offense, or would have gone to
state prison. The detectives thought, however,
that was an old timer because had done the
job so we'll.
In the House Of Correction met some pro-
fessionals who really taught me something,
and when / came out met Jimmy Baxter,
who told me he would put me on to a good
thing. He advised stealing overcoats from Of
fees aud following his suggestion / got from
30 to 50 q week for several weeks and always
had plenty of money. Then things got too hot
for me, and came to this city, intending to be
honest. looked up rich acquaintance in
Brooklyn, but he gave me the cold shoulder,
so went to Providence and got in with some
safe breakers. We touched one factory for 81,
800, but my pals would only give me $780, and
that disgusted me, so that came back to New
York and took to robbing flats.
Then started up the river and near Buffalo
got acquainted with jewelry drummer, who
had his sample cases with him. We took rooms
together, and while he was out got his cases
from the depot and started for New York
again. / sold a lot of stuff, but was nabbed in
Kingston and got a year in the Albany peni-
tentiary. When my time was up, came out
along with negro, who had $40. 1t didn t take
me long TO rob him Of that after getting him
drunk, and the money brought me here very
comfortably. Here / did pretty well robbing
flats, making on one occasion as much as s2,-
800. But in time got careless, and the result
was a year on the island.
After that went to Boston and stole until a
six months dose sickened me, and / thought
Of the metropolis again. From here / went to
Jersey City, where started in to rob fiat, and
to get more room was pushing a baby car
riage out OF the way when policeman came
in and accused me Of trying TO steal the car
riage. was mighty glad to admit it, for If he
had ever caught me forcing the door it would
have meant a long stretch
AS IL was got six months
/ was set free on Tuesday. What could dor
Nothing but steal, for / was broke, and
couldn't get work.
On Wednesday got an overcoat in Sixth
avenue which pawned for So rs and got drunk
Yesterday caught on to q woman's dolman
and a pair Of shoes that brought me in 81. 80
but that's gone now. hope III have some
luck this afternoon.
Had No Hard Feelings.