The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-01-16
4 CROOKS CAREER.
EypLOlTS or CHAUNCEY JOHN
SON, PROFESSIONAL THIEF.
knavc Whose Grim
ipaI History Extends Over Half
IL Century-lnvented Many
Swlndling Schemes.
~HAUNCEY JOHNSON, ono oil

T I1A y ANC'lIA c'AA~\oNAN, OuC VI
F.! I the most notorious criminals
in America, is again under ar.
rest in New York City and has
been sentenced 10 a years imrrison.
ment for the petty crime Of snatching
q purse. lie has been in retirement
for several years and tho public hos
probably forgotten his exploits in
kuavery, hence the following resume,
in tho New York Sun, OF his career
will prove interestins:
Clauncey johnson is q professional
thief. He did the first dishonest act
Of his life when lie was twenty years
old. Since then no has as y rule been
nothing if not dishonest. To-day be
is only few weeks short Of seventy
FIVE years old. Thirty of his fitty-fyc
years of crime have been spent in Jail,
the time being about equally divided
among the various large penal insti-
tutions Of the United States and Can.
adj. There is scarcely settlement
in the couI+r~ which boasts q police
force, or = constabulary, where the
face OF CLaunccy johnson is not
known, and not rosues' gallery from
Maine to California which does not ill.,
clude his picture.
johnson began life rs bookkeeper,
turned gambler u'tcrwara, then be.
came house burglar, and finally q
bank sneak thief. As q gambler he
became famous in u game OF poker in
which he was alleged to have lost 500.
GOO. This money was the result Of
series OF robberies, for one of which
johnson was arrested and convicted.
II was in 1852, and the victims were "
firm Of silk manufacturers in Rcadc
street. He did tive years for tins and
then went to Bethel, Conn.,, where he
broke into the lntttrs' Bunk and stole
S3G, 900. He was arrested Tor this he.
fore he had chance to secrete The
money, and its recovery resulted in
clemeucy being shown the prisoner.
Five years in jill was his punishment
for this. When nc got out johnson
gave up bankbrenking, and began the
sneak work which made him lannon's.
Ec went into n Philadelphia bank one
day, armed with long and very thin
bit of steel wire, the end OF which was
formed into hook. Standing in the
line ut the paying teller window, he
inserted tho wire under the brass rail.
and, with the hook, hauled ont big
bundle of $50 bills. Three times he
did this without being detected. lie
was at work on . roll OF 500 bills when
the cashier looked around and saw the
bundle moving. He grabbed It. and
before Johnson could escape a porter
had him. When he Was searched
$l4, 900 Of tho bank y money was found
on him. When asked why he hadn't
escaped with that when lie had
chance, Johnson replied that it WIS
the most exciting tuu he had ever had
in his life, and he simply cou] int
stop. For this theft johnson got 81
years in the Eastern penitcntiary in
Pennsylvania.
After lis release he came to this
city. At s. o'clock one morning. he
went into Il downtown bank with the
other employees, walked INTO the book.
keepers cogt, aid taking down TINT
officials linen buster and donuing it
himself, went TO work on u set OF
books. When The bookkeeper came in
afew minutes later he told him that he
had been discharged, and Tint he
Uohnson) had been engaged in his
place. The bookkeeper demanded an
explanation from the President of the
bank, and the President denied that
he had dismissed him. Together they
sent out and saw Johnson, who acted
like IN idiot, and was allowed to 60.
Later in the day the cashier missed
$4,000. johnson was not punished
for this, although arrested many times
afterwara for other crimes.
A similar dodge was worked By John.
sou on the Adams Express Company.
When the cashier at the lower Broad
way Office went out to lnnch johnson
walked in. 1onneL the mans Office
coat and skull cap. stuck Il pen behind
his ear, md took his place. 4 dozen
of the clerks in the Office spoke to him
while he was there, and never suspect.
ed lie was other than the cashier, rs he
kept his face close to the desk. TIC
stayed there for fifteen minutes, aru
then walked out with 10000 in his
pocket. he Was arrested later, but 70:
lack of evidence was not convicted.
Later johnson walked into August Bel.
mont's Office, and in plain sight Of
twenty clerks, took n bundle OF bonds
valued at $685. 900 from the desk and
walked ont again. Two days later be
was arrested, but again no ono conld
identify him and he was discharged.
In 1871 johnson, while lettering
around the Fifth Avenue Hotel, saw
ledger hand the clerk package, re-
marking rs be did 80 that 1t contained
valuables, and that he wanted it locked
up in tho safe. The clerk put it in tho
r