The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-06-25
A BRILLIANT ROGUE.
As skiLLFuL AND succEscFUL A
THIEF AZ EVER LIVED.

The ThS1iJfpg Career at 0sorgs Bavring-
ton - A PickpecksA High RoIlins Ad-
vesssssr spd Austrsiisn Potsnssss-'rwe
We'll Kaewn Lives.
George harrington, whose real name |
was Henry WAldron, was the son of q My |
nOoth sllvcrsinith and q mantuA maker. |
When boy. he quarreled with q follow |
scholar at Dublin grammar school, snd
was whipped. In revenge he stabbed his
opponcnt and, II possible, would have
murdered him. For this affair no was
foggcd 80 furiously that he determined to
run away from school. SO he stole el2
and silver watch from bis preceptor and
disappeared In the middle Of q May night
At Irogheda he met company OF stroll
ing players and lodged ut tho Inn where
they were staying. Their manager, John
Price, took fancy to harrington Ppd en-
gagged him as an actor. Indeed u was
Pricc who suggested the changing OF
Henry Waldron to George harrington, be-
cause II looked better on tho bills.
Prico brought him into tender connection
with member Of the company who called
herself Miss Egerton and, when he had him
enamored completely of the young wom-
an, proposed to him to share the manage
ment Of the troop.
harrington complied and became joint
manager with Price. 1t was not long be-
fore Price found IL expedient to ir3puete
to harrington that young man OF his ad-
dress might Introduce himself easily into
public places, and that he might hnd op-
portunities Of picking pockets unnotioed
and Of escaping undetected, moro espe-
Gielly at that PARTICULAR time when the the
falr Wa being held. = Prices scheme
pleased Harrington, and the pext day no
carried 1t into txt6ution with great euo.
cess. The acqulffti0H amonRted g about
R1o0 In Irish currency. Ballyshsnnon
was tho next place visited. While In this
place harrington quarrellcd with Price,
with the result that the two adventurers
parted company.
Accompanied by Miss Edgerton, the
young man lefs Ballyshannon and Jour-
neyed sourhward, until. In crossing the
River Boyne, she was drowned. After the
funeral he went to Limerick aud In few
weeks more to Cork. There harrington
found Price penniless and his company
dispersed. They formulated scheme by
which harrington was to pass for a gentle
man of fortune, while Price was to play
servant The plot worked to q charm.
They had credit enough to secure horses
and an outfit, and Barrington's plausible
address did the rest Operating among
tho best class of the extravagant gentry Of
the time, the two rogues became familiar
and popular figures In the first society OF
Ireland, and at the end of 1772 had capt.
tai Of 21, 100. On this they settled In
Cork, where Price was detected in an at
temps to rob q young squire, arrested and
sentenced to seven years transportation.
| Darlington escaped to Dublin, where he
lived quietly for time. Then he obtained
passage as a guest In Sir Alexander
Schom berg's yacht to England. Schom-
berg was very useful to him, and the ad.
venturer also found Of great service the
| friendship Of q follow passenger on tho
yacht, the Duke of Leinstcr.
A more profitable acquaintance to Bar.
rington, however, was young captain In
the army. For many months they lived a
wild life In London. Then Burlington q
funds ran low, and he went to work
again. He picked pockets right and left,
even dipping unsuspected into his friends,
the Duke of Leinstcr. firing of London,
| harrington visited Brighton in the sum.
| mer Of 1875, and there met the Duke OF
| Ancaster, who received him as q gentle
man Of fortune and noble family. This
opened up to him u royal array of victims,
and brought him into contact with the
most fashionable circles. He spent the
day Mt court on the anniversary Of the
queens birth, when he not only contrived
to rob the nobility present, but to cut of
the diamond order Of nobleman. He got
1t away from the palace without suspicion.
| AS this was nn article of too much value
to be disposed of in England he sold it t.
| Dutch Jew.
In 1875 the Russian Prince Orloff paid
his first visit to England The Empress
Catherine had expressed her appreciation
of his merits by presenting to him gold
shuffbox set with brilliants. This trophy
which was said to be worth R30, 900, was
fancied by Darlington, and he determined
to got it. One night at Covent Garden
theater he took 1t from the pocket Of the
prince, but was caught before he left the
box In which the nobleman was seated
\ and for the first time was arrested. In
court he told such pitiful and plausible
story that the Judge was deceived, and In
consequence the prince declined to prose
cute him. His release followed, but ht
left the courtroom ruined man socially.
Cut by his former intimates, he sank rap
Idly and In year was virtually common
thief. Finally he was caught fairly and
was sentenced to seven years transporta
tion to the Australian penal settlements.
During tho voyage to Port Jackson In
1901 he rendered great service on the con
vict ship by assisting In the quelling Of Q
mutiny. This reward was ticket Of lea'
as soon as the colony was reached. As
convict prisoner overseer he proved SO hon
est and zenlous that he received govern
ment grant Of land on the Parametta riv
er, the stream where Trickett and othol
Australian oarsmen made records years
after he was dead and forgotten. He re
tained a place as convict overseer until his
death In 1911.
His ticket Of leave expired, and he found
himself rich and free man, but he do
olincd to return to England. There he
had been common malefactor. In Aus
trslia he was potentato In small way
30 he remained a poteptate to the end. HI
Is remembered today because Of two lines
In the prologue which he wrote for the
opening of the first thcater In Australia:
m T.