Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-05-14


unsuspeeting keeper OF a roomlng-
house. His purpose undoubtedly was to
gain the freedom Of the house by rent
ing room and then, 1t is believed, his
intention was to steal everything he
could lay his hands upon. This form
Of crookedness Is looked upon by the
more expert thieves and swindlers as
contemplate. This man himself says
that he has lost his grip" and that he
is compelled to resort to the Safest
means known to get money to keep him
from starving.
James Grant, alias Graham, alias
White, alias English Bill" and half
hundred other cognomens, is accorded
by ex-Chief of Police Byrnes, of New
York, the notoriety Of being the most
expert man in his line when his favor
lite form of thievery was doing the
greatest damage. He is an Englshman
by birth and still speaks with a cockney
accent that reminds one of the repre-
sensations Of the costermongers we see
on the vaudeville stage to-day. He has
history worth telling, and his eXpe-
riences would make an interesting book,
Grant is 65 years old and admits that
he has been continually following the
occupation Of a crook since he was 10
years Of age. OF the fifty-tve years Of
his criminal career he has spent thirty
behind the bars, Three times he has
been sent to Sing Sing from the New
York courts, once to Auburn and several
times to the wOrkhouse. The exact
number of times he has been committed
to penal institutions he admits he HIM
self does not know. He has met most
of the chiefs of police and detectives in
eastern cities face to face, and declares
that he has deceived some Of them.
A few days after Grant was arrested
he was brought down to the central
station to be shown up" to the detoc-
tives. He persistently denied his iden-
tity until he was shown his picture TAX
en- from the rogues' gallery, and then
he admitted that he was the famous
bank sneak. The photograph was TAX
en- in Washington, d. c., only two years
ago, so that the resemblance could not
be denied, and he talked freely about
his experiences. 1t was much more com
Portable spinning yarns in the nice
warm Office than in the dingy cells be-
low stairs. His line of conversation ran
to the differences between English and
American police and prison methods,
and he gave the officers some pointers
which they admitted would prove val
liable to them.
American people think that English
men come here because 1t is easier to
work in the United States than in Eng
land" said he in the course of a two
hours talk. THAT is not the case. In
fact, it is very much harder to work in
this country. People are much more
watchful, more suspicious and Drawer
when it comes to making fight for
the protection of their property. The
police are just as efficient in proper
ton to the numbers and population.
The methods of the old country are
what makes it so hard over there. In
England every prison has an expert in
Identification, or 'bawler out as we call
them, attached. He draws an immense
salary because Of the work he is COM
PEELED to do and the experience he must
acquire. He makes the rounds of the
prisons and courts, and fixes in his
memory the faces Of every one he sees,
and his memory must retain something
about each which will help him to
identify the individual in the future.
He has a regular round to make and
the experts of the other prisons follow
him right around much the same as cir
cult judges do in this country.
"In England sentences are not fixed
so much on the crime as the character
Of the criminal. Before a man is