The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-07
a NOTED THIEF DEAD.
The Original of "a Type Which Is Now
Extinct.

From the Philadelphia Ledger
The announcement of the death. on
Tuesday, of the once famous and danger
Gus bank sneak thief Chauncey Johnson.
alias Taylor, in the Blackwelrs Island
penitentiary, New York. where he had
been committed as a vagrant, did not ere
ate a ripple at detective headquarters
yesterday. For twenty years or more he
had ceased to be an object of interest to
the Philadelphia thief-takers, because he
had lost his cunning and nerve as a
bank thief and had come down to the
level of an ordinary plferer. Besides,
modern conditions had got ahead of him,
and detectives and gratings and locked
doors in banking houses and other pre-
cautions had come to stay, and so he
found his occupation gone.
The police estimate that in his heyday
of crime he got away with at least 100000,
but, as one of Capt Miller's staff re-
marked, 1T did him no good, for he was
a rank sucker for gamblers, and the faro
table kept him poor. 1t was easy come,
easy CO. with Chauncey"
His actual name will probably never be
known. but 1t certainly was not Johnson.
His early associates all passed away long
ago. The police say he had friends in
Newark and New York to whom he could
apply when hard up" but fromlthe fact
that he died at last a vagrant, they say
he had lost even this resource. When
ever he came to Philadelphia in recent
years he was sure 10 fall into the hands
of the detectives and received the Gus
tomary ninety days" He was a plausi-
bic talker, and always rad a story ready
for the magistrate to account for his
presence in the city.
One day in July. 1896 as Prison Agent
NnTn hn tafr f.efag hIa
was accosted by the veteran thief:
why, Chauncey, what brings you
here|' inquired Mr.. Camp. In reply John
son said he desired Mr.. Camp to do him
friendly turn. He said he was tired of
being chased from post to pillar and wish
ed to reform and turn book agent. Mr..
Camp, after hearing this story, promised
to do him the friendly turn" and after
a conference with the prison inspectors
and gentlemen interested In prison work
raised fund of $500 by which he secured
Chauncey's admission to a home in the
central portion Of the city, where ne had
almost complete liberty Of action, going
and coming as he pleased, and canvass
ing for his book. But his old nature be-
gan reasserting itself and soon he be-
came disseminated and appealed to Agent
Camp. He was released and supplied with
money 20 leave the city saying he intend
ed going to Newark and spend the re-
mainder of his days.
Johnson was a man Of striking appear
ance, being OF rather tall, slender build,
with a cat-like tread. He had deeply
sunken. dark eyes and generally had his
mustache closely clipped. He was partic-
ular IN his dress. He was about IS years
old, according to the detective records.
Concerning his nativity he was reticent,
but was believed TO be a southerner, eith-
er a Georgian or South carolinian. His
conversation indicated that he had O
higher education. During his several So
journs in the eastern pententlary AMI
county prison he came 20 be regarded as
a model prisoner
The detectives claim that the type OF
criminals which he represented. the "bauk
sneak has passed away IN this locality,
on account OF the greater safeguards
which have been adopted BY the banking