Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-10-27
7HIEVING DOESN'T PAY.
lanes Cullen, Recently Convict in the Utah
State Prison, Says So,
MAS BEEN A CROOK FOR THIRTY YEARS.
.,,. Advice to Young Men is to Avoid
such Life and Learn an Hon
orabic Trade.

nenver Post: James Cullen who has
,osn thief for thirty years and who
nos only lately released from the Utah
,,tentiary. spent a week in this city
,ttrp inter the effects left by Eddy
Inward. alias S. II. Edgar, who was
sbot and killed by George Hawkins,
alias Kelly, alias Jack, In the lodging
,,,rse duel, whereby two men lost their
,i,,ss cullen is n man of more educa-
,,,n Than Is usually possessed by
,rip,inals and in n conversation at po-
too headquarters on Saturday he made
tho remark that thievlng did not pay.
acted TO give his reasons. he said that
,,s own life bore out his assertion.
cullen was then requested to relate his
history. He hesitated, but when urged,
a., the proposition that as an example
his story might be productive of good
"a warning. he agreed to write some
ming for publication, STIMULATING that
1, sbould not appear in print until after
he left Denver. He departed on sun
dov night. and this Is the story he
gave The Post. signing his name to
was born in Ireland AZ years ago
and had an inclination to steal as long
hack as | can remember. l started in
ITO by selling newspapers. some OF
which | used to sneak from houses
where they had been left by the carrier
hnvs came to New York when was
ii Years old and did my first good
stealing there. The first time fell
was ON a 5000 trick. | had been work
Ing for a man for couple of months
Il "a gnll n team
ar $3.50 He and 1 sat out in front OF
bis stable after the purchaser had lett
and he fell asleep. / took the money
from his pocket, hid $500 In an out
house and went to Boston with the $3.50.
was arrested there, brought back.and
an account of my age, which was IA
years | was let off with n light SEN
fence and got six months on the ISL
and -.
When my time expired | went back
10 where | had hidden the money, but
the rats had eaten 1t. Then | met some
thieves who had been on the island at
thp same time / was and since that
time | have been n professional THIEF
and have never had any honorable oc-
cupation. The nearest / ever came to
doing anything honorable was when |
ran gin shop in San Francisco, but
used that for a Fence" and ! had to
leave there Since | started out on my
career / have been in Jail, warehouses;
and commentaries so many times that
| have long ago lost count, and
guess It don't make much difference
anyway
The last time fell was over n year
ago. when | burglariZed a block where
was rooming in Salt Lake and got
sent up for year and this sentence j
have Just served. l am sneak thief;
although l have committed several
burglaries "sneaking" is my profession,
To rob house there should be three of
US and each know Just how far the
other will "go." pick residence
where there are some young ladies', as
they always have diamonds and valu-
able iewelry. / go to the house at the
o'clock meal hour and see that every
chair at the table is occupied. as | will
know hy that there is no one on the
upper floor. Then one of my pals will
help me to the upper window, which l
pry open with Jimmy slip in through
the opening and go at once and lock
the door to avoid anyone walking in
on me. Then ! go back and close the
window so that It will not be noticed
from the outside. If | am discovered |
draw a gun or make some kind OF
talk and then go out the window by
which / entered.
II the occupants of the house run out
to give the alarm, one of my outside
men runs up and asks what the trouble
- dNuulH ne says ne is an OInCer ana
VIII go at once and report the matter
70 police headquarters. BY this time I
have made my getaway and the police
department does not know of the rob
pery for an hour later and have safe
~ planted" my stun by that time
This is an ordinary case of sneak
ing and which the police term porch
climbing" When | know there is
bunch OF soft "a roll of Bills in the
mouse the FIRST thing | have to do Is
10 locate where 1t IL secreted | do this
by personating a peddler and go to
some house close by and then go over
to the house where the money is, with
q bill and ask II 1t can be changed. as
Inc lady across the way said could
get II changed here" Women always
IKE to let their neighbors know that
,hey have plenty of money In the
house, so the bill is changed and can
Tell by the length of time she is gone.
nearly where the money is kept, and
after this / easily manage to get pos
fession of it,
Besides being a thief have assisted
IN working the green goods racket"
very successfully, but this Is as close to
stealing as 1t can be and those who
NWofb II are nothing more or less than
dheves. was what they call the
star man for gang OF these men
~ frisco. | was the man who met the
Intended victim at the appointed place
ana delivered him to another man for
neeeing purposes. When | would meet
.he intended victim | could tell in
very short time whether or not he was
genuine, If he was n stranger every
ming was easy and I would take him
greet to the skinning factory" But
NJ was acquainted | would have to
20 IN roundabout way through al
ieys and side doors so that when lie
found he was victimzed he could not
,.uu the way back. When I would in
uoduce him TO the man who did the
NuFK would leave Immediately. us
filed. "0'N Wv
linen the victim would make final ar
,ansements He would be given some
new money TO examine and It would, of
soufse' prove satisfactory rs II was
ssG2ulhe' aa would all the money be
which he would see. He would he in