The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-01-29
Gold pILLn yosRuRa

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Well, won't into gambling house in the
old Broadway hotel, where everything
went in those days, and those flnrned
scoundrels let mo play, rs young as was
1t didn't tnko thom long to skin me out
of all of Thompson's stuff.
VOL, you can imagine what q young
lad like mo thought when he got into such
hole rs that. know L could mover ret
hold of enough money to pay 1t bnck with
out stealing it. 1 finally thought of fol-
low In town named Fleming that I had
heard some of the boys say was crooked,
and SO hunted him up. told him what
had done To mako long story short,
stolo out Of the house that night and
met Fleming. We went to u grocery store
run by an Irishman by tho name of Nor
ris. You know in those days they did not
have safes, but used to keep their money
In their bedrooms at night. 1t was gen
orally in the shape Of bonds. Well, Elem
Ing boosted mo up post that held uip tho
awning in front of tho store, and got in
through the window and got into old man
Morris hair trunk and found his roll and
nailed it. There was 5000 in 1t. Wo split
the money oven. Woll, paid Mcpherson,
and Thompson never did find out that I
had lost his money.
From that timo began making n regu-
lar thing or robbing grocors, and sup
pose that in tho next two years had rob
bed every grocery store in Albany.
Tho first time was over arrested was
for doing follow what no thought was
great kindness. Ono of my pals among
tho young fellows about town got married
and L mado him q wedding present Of a
gold watch and 5000 in coin to start house.
keeping with. They got on to tho watch,
ana no thought'ho could savo himself by
squcaling on me. I was pinchod, but
had two of tho bost lawyers in ALBANY.
and thoy got me off.
Only few days after that two very
slick thieves named Billy McGlinchy and
Ed Hickey came up from Now York, and
L fell in with them. We worked two
nights together, and was pretty bold
about IL. Tho result was that got for
my bit of tho two nights work $1,000.
and then 1 left Albany.
BY this time WAS about 10. strong and
active, and with no end of nerve. went
straight to Now Orleans and began work
ing on tho boats. That was sneak work
puro and simple. You know there arc nj
ways two doors to those statcrooms OH tho
river boats-nn inside and an outside door.
i Inc work was usually done in tho morn
ing. When passengers left thor state
rooms and went to tho Mushroom to clean
up they would leave their roll in their
vest under tho pillow. 1t was like finding
money to havo key that would open tho
outside door and go in and help yourself.
or course the clerks and stewards would
have to stand in.
worked tho boats for nino years, and
was only pinchcd onco in oil that timc.
but that was not for boat work. 1t was
in Louisville. fell in thoro with some
strong arm" men or bank robbers
only wanted tho experience. 1 got it, and
1t satisfied mo- and I never tried any moro
strong arm work-that is, never tried
TO dow up any moro safes, although
havo robbed hundreds of them since. Well,
tho mob woro all caught, and I got my
tlrst conviction. Thieves call TINT get
ting Settled"
After l got out I tried tho boats again
for awhile, but l couldn't mako thom 90
very we'll. They got on to mo too quick,
ana 1t meant being shot if you were
caught. Then went up to Buffalo on
my way homo. There was where 1 was
Settled tho second time. 1t was for work
ing tho old timo patent bombshel graft.
sometimes we called them patent safes.
From Buffalo came to New York and
hnvo lived herc ever sinco. worked hero
for % years without being settled. 1t
wasn't because tho police didn't want to.
settle me, but they couldn't mil me, was
SO we'll covered. didn't stay here all tho
timo, but worked i'll Philadelphia, Balti.
moro and Washington. Why, used to go
over to Philadelphia ut least 90 out of ov-
cry 53 Saturdays for years and years.
used to thinS it n bad days work If
didn't come back with ut least $1,000. l
never turned trick there but bank work
and mover got settled there.
The best working pal ever Lad,
think, was fellow named Coleman We
worked together about is months Wo
cleaned up in ono week Sl33, 900 in Wall
street. We didn't do it by speculation,
but by Just plain, everyday sneak stealing.
Tho very simplicity of 1t made 1t easy aud