The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-21

! be released from a Belgian prison whc
| kncws all about the famous theft, ant
wa; probably implicated in il, il he wer,
! not the actual principal
| All indications poin. TO the fact that
this convict is Adam Worth, alias Harry
| Raymond, who FIVE years ago was be
! trayeG into the hands Of the Belgian po
! lice by a man whom he had himself be-
| trayed. The diamond had been cut by a
fellow diamond. And the fellow d!a.
| mond was no less parsonage than Inc
| notorious Count" Max Shinburn, who
| is today serving out a five years SEN
| tence in the prison at Dannemora, y. Y
The way il came about is this, Max
| Shinburn, Charles Bullard, alias piano
Charley and Adam Worth We're al
! three living in Paris about a dozen years
ago. Max and Charley, after having
made and spent fortunes in some Of the
most gigantic robberies known to two
continents, We're broke. Worth was still
| wealthy. But he grew tired of support
ing MS old pals. He had never felt even
that principle Of honor which is suppos-
ed 10 exist among thieves. He deter
mined 70 rid himself of his unwelcome
parasites. So he proposed 10 them that
they should crack a bank at Viviers,
Belgium.
He gave them some paper notes to ne
got.ate at che bank 50 that they might
get all inside view Of its arrangements.
A night was selected for the job. Worth
promptly informed the police, and Max
and Charley were caught in the very act
Of roobing the safe.
Max fired pistol at one Of the gend-
armes, but missed him. He and Charley
were promptly/overpower Their por-
traits were sent over TO Superintendent
Byrnes in New York, who identified
them as notorious burglars and jail
breakers for whom the police in this
country mad been looking.
Max got sixteen and a half years and
Charley twelve. The latter died in Jail.
When Max had served about six years
Of his sentence il happened that Worth
Was arrested in Brussels. He was charg-
ed with an attempt to steal 5000. Meth
er the police nor the detectives knew
him. The evidence against him was very
strong. He stood good chance for be-
ing acquitted. But Max Shinburn. in
Jail at Brussels, got hold of the news
papers containing an account of the ar
rest. From the description he suspect
ed that the prisoner was his intimate
enemy, Adam Worth.
II is surmised that he lost no time N
communicating with the authorities
He made a bargain with them which
was doubly advantageous to him mas
much as il secured his own release and
convicted the man he hated. This much
was certain. Max obtained his release
after serving considerably less than half
mis- term. Worth was convicted and SEN
fenced TO five years. That sentence is
now on the eve Of completion.
The surmise that Max was the inform
er IS confirmed by a curious document,
never before published, which mas come
into possession Of the Herald Ii is ap-
paTertly an English translation from the
French, and is believed to have been
sent over by the Belgian authorities to
New York police headquarters. 1t has
been for some years in the hands OF a
New York detective. Internal evidence
Corrohorates the suspicion that the origi-
III as TIC NGlS luTUlSDSI DIV
Max Shinburn to the Belgian govern
ment which secured the incarceration OF
Worth and the liberation of its author.
Il il quoted here verbatim, as throwing
an extraordinary light upon the career
Of one Of the most accomplished scoun-
drels in existence. Incidentally it clears
up the mystery of the disappearance of
the Gainsborough portrait
The subject Of this article. Adam
Worth, alias Harry Raymond, was born
IN the year 1874, in the village of Cam
bridge, near Boston, of Jewish parents.
Who had emigrated from Germany. some
years before that time. Little Adam in
his early school days was a very pre-
cocious child, full OF wicked mischief. and
already at that time he was addicted to
making trades with his school fellows IN
and various other objects. to
his great advantage and their disadvan-
tage. and was very soon after, as he
himself states. drawn into a trade with
a larger boy than he was. who offered To
give him brand new penny for two old
ones.
The new copper penny appeared so
very plain and bright that it looked 10
Adam like gold. He therefore gladly
gave two Old pennies for il, and when he
arrived at home heproudly showed il TO
his father. saying how he had got the
best of another fellow by giving him two
old pennies for new one. upon which
his father gave him most unmerciful
whipping, explaining 10 him a. the same
time the value OF the new penny az
against the two old ones. From that
day unto this day no one, friend or foe.
honest man or crooked man. niger or
Indian. relative or stranger. white ma a
or black. ever got the better OF Adam
Worth in any business transaction.
crooked or square. At the age Of IL
years Worth ran away from home. lead
ing from that time a vagabOnd's life in
the city OF Boston. In 1851 ne came to
New York city. and soon took to the
then prevailing business of bounty jump
ing. on his third enlistment he was
as a bounty jumper, and was
in consequence sent. in company with |
oilers Of his class, chained together. to |
the front Of the Army of the Potomac. |
About this time General Lee. OF the |
Southern army, issued a proclamation
10 the effect that all federal soldiers who
would desert from the the federal armies
to the Confederate lines. bringing their
arms with them, would receive SEQ from
the Confederate government. and also
receive a free pass 10 cross the frontier
back into the United States by way Of
the adjoining states of West Virginia |
ana Kentucky. Adam Worth took advan-
.age Of these exceptionally liberal terms
and deserted one night IN company with |
some others while on picket duty. His |
travels through me Confederate states |
IN fooc in order 10 gain the frontier OF
~ Nn-- bern states are NJ NJ S1aefel ~