Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-13

surance company's office on Broadway Sc
curities worth 100000, and he was also
believed 10 have been concerned In pohu
robbery of 100000. Escaping from prison
where he made the acquaintance OF t"o
other clever men, he came 10 Englahu'
Here he associated with sporting men,
Then he went TO France, but ala not lhe
the country. and, coming back mere, ne
was convicted of forgery, sentenced 10
twenty years imprisonment ana hau
served half the time when he died IheFe
was another man who spent MS TIME
equally on each side of the Atlanuc. Man
was regarded as an aristocratc pahh-
burglar. He used to tell his concentrates
that when he got wealthy he was golhS
back to the Fatherland and become no
bleman. He was a very economical crimi-
nal. Instead of dissipating his gains, he
RENTED them regularly TO Prussia. lie
realized his desires and bought an estate
employed servants, posed as an ex-parh
manager. and finally purchased the utie
of baron. But his means gave out, anu
he occupied his leisure with planning
bank robbery in Belgium. Unfortunately
for him, it failed, and the Baron iouiu
himself in prison, much incensed because
his old chief had neglected TO act as d
good friend to his wife during his IN
generation Would that the Boss AS
he called him-'were here' he cried, as
he chafed in Jail. Curiously enough, MS
wish was gratihed, for the Boss was
captured at a Belgian railway station on
the failure OF an attempt to rob the
parcel van which was conveying bonds
and securities that had been mailed from
England.
"According to Mr.. Ldttlechild, who has
narrated his full history In his 'Expe-
riences.' this man was accustomed to live
in London in great style, and was absent
from his home only on those occasions
when some great job was on hand. AT
intervals he Melted vast sums-probably
no criminal was more successful, imam
cially. During his leisure he lived as an
independent gentleman, the tenant or Il
suburban house, which stood in its own
grounds, with stables and all con-
veniences. But no strange servant was
ever allowed within its walls. His allies
were perfectly mute as to the conferences
which went on I'm the house where the
big iobs-the robbery of diamonds, bonds.
or bullion-were set. e., planned.
When he pleased he would absent him
self for months in his yacht This Is no
fancy picture, for the man was until
recently. still living In prison upon the
Continent"
His last robbery appears 10 have been
a single-handed businessg
THAT was so. You may. perhaps, re-
collect another man of evil repute-so
clever in bank forgery that he was call
ed the King of the FOrgers,' though he
might have been termed the Last OF the
90 ha nj p1 a
expert TO fall into the clutches OF the law.
He was known on both sides of the At
lantic, and when in prison here the states
were much interested in what he had TO
tell an official specially dispatched to in
terview him. This clever rogue would
trust no accomplice. He had dupes, but
no confederates When arrested some
years ago In the city he was living in
fine style, and ii was at the first hear
ing | believe, matter OF some difficulty
to persuade the alderman before whom
he was brought that he was not worthy
of BAIL for he exclaimed: 1t Is prepos-
ferrous to arrest me-a gentleman of
means. with eLC00 Year, And it was
true that he was keeping up this posi-
ton. However, the police knew too much
about him.
Take another case-that of Walters,
the head of a very dangerous gang of
check-raisers. an art which the Ameri-
cans practiced with much skill. and which
even the system of perforating checks
with their value has not altogether cir
cumvented though 10 alter the numerals
in such checks requires more ingenuity
than was needed for changing by means
of chemicals the filling up OF the check.
so as to make it represent a higher sum |
than that for which ii was drawn. |
Walters surrounded himself with able |
assistants, and he directed the whole !
operations OF his mob He had no |
hereditary criminal faint. His father |
kept hotel in a racing county. which |
was largely patronized by racing and |
stable men. and gradually. as he grew |
up. he fell into the company OF sharp |
ers. Association with criminals is at |
the bottom of many a mans fall. and 1 |
could tell you of bank clerk who. having /
got into prison for robbing MS employers,
worked side by side with an old hand. |
and the two then and there concocted |
a plan for opening a bogus bank-not |
with the idea of swindlng the public. but
Of arranging for walk clerk TO call upon
them in the way OF business. Then they
to gag him. as was done in
diamond robbery I'm Hatton Garden. hold
4 pistol TO his head, and relieve him OF
MS wallet. Leaving the victim bound,
The ex-bank clerk proposed to pick out
he drafts which were TO be presented
'or payment over the counter and com
)lete the round Of collection. Happily.
he police got wind Of the scheme, and
me of the precious pair and another man
we're arrested in connection with long
irm operations. in which they were en-
ragged as preliminary to the starting
II the bogus bank for which a certain