Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-03-30
DEATH OF A NOTED CROOK.
Had Stolen Hundreds oi Thousands Of Dol.
lars Ia His Time.

Having occupied himself for nearly
so years of his life in the pursuit OF
other peoples money by methods dis
tinctly specified in the Penal Code-att Is
quite appropriate that old Chauncey
johnson should have died in prison,
says the New York Sun. That is where
he did die recently The cell window
through which he took his last look at
the outside world-he had contem-
plated the outside world through vari.
Gus cell windows during nearly a quar-
ter of his long life-was that of the
penitentiary on Blackwelrs Island.
Once Chauncey johnson expected to be
a millionaire. Later he looked forward
with despairing confidence to dying
in state prison. 1t would have been
shock to him, undoubtedly, could he
have foreseen himself, the performer OF
the most daring achievements in the
history of American crime, dying IN Il
penitentiary where hesWas sent on
years sentence for petty crime. Con-
sumption carried him off. He was u
years old.
Dime novels of the extreme type fur
nish parallels to Chauncey johnson
achievements. They have rarely oeen
eaualled in real life. The man was ap-
parently utterly without fear when inc
glamor of crime was upon MIN. foi
thieving was a sort OF passion WILD
him, as was shown in one OF MS oahh
robberies, where he fished out Win
bent wire roll after roll of bills peIore
the eyes of the paying teller and
number Of other persons, and, having
safely pocketed about $4,000, kept on
in the face of almost certain detectlol'
with the faulty of the gambler who'
having made coup, throws all MS
winnings on a single number, in the
desperate confidence that once more
fate will turn to his profit.
'I could't STOP" he explained, when
arrested. I'D have kept on till all the
packages were gone if I hadn't been
caught, and then probably I'd have
tried to hook the teller, too
OF Johnsof1's early life, as is true of
most first class professional criminals
little is known. He was not of the
class who drift from trampdom into
criminal lists or vary the life
of a Bowery loafer by occasional
salles into burglary or highway rob-
berry. From the time when he first be-
came know he was a natural criminal
bringing all the forces of a quick wit,
a great natural shrewdness, a consum-
mate art of stimulation, and an as
founding courage to the business from
which he hoped to become million
aire. For he did not at first steal
merely to live; that came later. Great
wealth was his early ambition.
Zone of these days." he would say to
his creditors of whom he usually had
large stock on hand, "I'll have a place
of my own that will make you fellows
open your eyes. You'll be thankful to
do business with me then. Chauncey
Johnson, Esq, millionaire, with coun-
try place and racing horses. That's
my mark"
johnson always called himself
bookkeeper, and he probably had been
originally, for he had opportunities
while in prison of showing his pro-
ficency in this line. How long he hal
been working at his profession of crime
before the police found him out is Il
matter of conjecture, but his first mis-
hap was due to bungling, which he
afterWard characterized as the mistake
of an unskilled workman; so it is prob
able that he was not then an old hand
at that style of thing, anyway. He
undertook to rob silk house, in Reade
street under the very eyes of the
watchman, and was arrested. For this
he was sentenced to five years in state
prison. Upon being released he set
about planning the robbery of the
Hatters' Bank in Bethel. Conn. He
succeeded in breaking into the bank
and getting the money, but was cap
tured and $4,000 of the money was re-
covered. He was sent to prison for an
other five years.
That settles bank breaking for me"
said Johnson. Its too heavy for my
line. I'm going to quit the business"
This was not a promise of reform. Ii
meant merely that he intended finding
some other ana more suitable method of
thieVery, and he found it. on his release.
in sneak thieving. No other man in this
country has ever got away with so much
money by sneak thievery as Chauncey
johnson. The principle on which he
worked was to go where money was kept
in large quantities and keep his eyes
open. Owing to the extreme respectable
ity of his appearance he never aroused
suspicion while hanging about place.
One of the places he frequented was a
certain bank in Philadelphia. and it was
bent wire already mentioned. Inside the
paying teller's window We're punches of
bills, neatly done up. and supposedly safe
out of reach of the crowd behind the
grating. Johnson observed the rolls and
studied the grating. He was satisfied
that he could get those bills. and by way
of preparation he set up a similar grating
in his room, filled in the space behind
with rolls of paper. and practised fishing
for them with a small wire bent into the
form of hook. Having become a pro-
ticient angler he went ito the bank, stood
in line. and began to hook up his valuable
fish. This was probably the most skilful
performance. technically of his career
requiring as it did. great delicacy as
we'll as absolute calmness of nerve. Had
he been content with the packages of $50
bills which lay nearest him he would
have undoubtedly escaped. but some
burches of 800 bills lay just within reach
of the wire. and he must needs reach out
for those. One he captured. and then
becoming reckless. he boldly reached for
another. All this time the paying teller
was attending to those in front of John
son. 1t was severe shock to him. on
looking around. to see a package of bills
moving quietly along toward the grating
he made an exclamation. johnson
shipped the hook out and into his pocket
ana started away, but the porter at the
door caught him. On him We're found
packages of bills amounting to about S12-
wv. Johnson got off light with three
years and half.
Having served out his term, minus his
good behavior rebate. which he always
hal nnf,