The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-09
Dos CRIMEPAY?
An Intsrr,tlnE Interview with Inspector
shea, Of the Chicago Police Fore.--'rhs
Professional Criminal invariably Lands

Chicago Record: Docs any criminal
cyrr make success Of his buslness2"
This question was asked Of inspector
John D. Shea n few days ago.
"whnt DO You moan BY success?"
"woll, docs he make q great deal of
money and escape imprisonment
THAT depends on whether he calls
h,msclr an out-nnd-out crook or merely
opprates asa highly moral business
man" replied the inspector with n smile.
among the so.called professional crlm-.
inols there are IL great many who Set
Mid OF large sums OF money ut times,
and from the money standpoint you
might say they We're fairly successful,
I'M in nearly every Instance they are
finally landed in some pcnitentlary."
"Do you know OF any professional
criminal who escaped punishment alto
gcther?
"Yes, know OF one, and he Is the only
one | can recall at this moment. lie
lives on the west side. This follow Inns
been burglar and ull-round crook for
years, and we are well satisfied that he
las done good many jobs. but we have
never been able 10 get him. He has
leeu Oh's ihb iiV
was brought Into the Desplaines street
station with dark lantern, a putty
knife and some other tools OF the trade
upon his person. That Ia as near as we
ever came 10 nabblng him In tho net.
He had been caught In nh alley. II he
had been an old-tlmer We might have
rot him out OF the way for awhile on
such proof. but as he hid never been
convicted before we couldn't do any
thing. This fellow has had Great
many partners and every one OF them
has been caught. Most Of them are do
Ing time now, hut he. has had remark
able luck. He'll be sent over some day,
though"
when n man starts out to be pro-
fessional criminal. how does he usually
betray himself to the police? Does he
become overconfidcnt after one or Two
successful jobs?"
YES; he Is apt TO take chances II he
has got away with two or three jobs.
He begins 10 think that he Is too smooth
for the police. Usually however. he
first comes under suspicion by being
seen In company with crooks who are
well known 10 the police. Criminals
naturally flock together and make
friends with one another. The, common
danger and the common interest help 10
make them intimate. 1t Is natural for
them TO work In gangs and pairs, and
fellow who starts out on his own hook
Is almost sure to land In gang very
coon, and as soon as he does he comes
under the notice of the police"
There are some. perhaps, who have
rroverbial bad luck?"
Yes; there are plenty who get out OF
one penitentiary just In time to break
Into another. Criminals as n class are
poorly paid. II you count in the time that
they serve. Leaving the wrong and
right entirely out of the question, it's a
bad business proposition. Just as an
instance: A few years ago an expert
bank sneak named Murphy was let out
Of Joliet. and the next week he showed
up here In Chicago. One OF tho detect
ives met him and brought him to central
station. I asked him what he was do
ing, and he said he was looking for work
and was going to lead an honest life.
He swore by all that was good and holy
that he would never steal another dollar
as long as he lived. / didn't want to
doubt the man. bur told him that II he
wanted to be straight he'd better get out
OF Chicago and away from his old pals
and settle down in some quiet place
where the police wouldn't be watching
my suggestion and left town. About a
week after that we got word that a
couple Of fellows had been caught down
In Ohio trying TO do Job in country
bank, The police In Ohio couldn't iden-
tfy these fellows. so Andy Rohan went
dowE TO take look at them. or course
Andy knows more crooks by sight than
any other man in the department. The
minute he saw these fellows he recog-
nized one OF them as Murphy. Being
good professional. Murphy was put
away for Il few years In Ohlo.
One night / was turning the corner
ct Halsted and Madison streets and saw
man and woman crossing the street.
got just glimpse OF the man. but I
knew that had seen him somewhere
before. but couldn't place him. When
had walked about hundred feet or so
from the corner heard some one Yell
Ing behind me and saw people running
toward tailor shop. hurried back
and pushed into the shop and there.
Standing In the middle of the floor with
crowd around him, was Murphy He
was the fellow ] had seen with the wo-
man. AS soon as I got y fair peep at
his face knew him. l went up to him
nnd says: What's the matter, Murphy
lie sayS: I don't know; but | guess I'm
crazy The tailor told me that he had
caught him trying 10 get away with a
bolt NJ cloth. The woman had acted as
stall for him. He had got the bolt of
cloth under his overcoat and started
down the street with II when It fell out.
The tailor saw It and ran after him and
caught HIN.
u says 10 Murphy: You haven't got
Gown to stealing bolt of cloth. have
YOU Well. sir, he was all broken up.
u Inundated him to think that n man
OF his standing In the profession should
ne caught stealing such cheap work.
seemed that he had just got out OF
the ONO penitentary few days before
ana landed In Chicago He ran out OF
money ana decided to do any kind of
small Job that would give him grub
stake as he called IT, He got the wo-
man TO help him, and didn't think there
was chance on earth for him 10 fail.
as II was he was caught as easily as II
u" hhd hHen an amateur. 1t settled him
Tor another term. too. just rs surely as
IL ne had stolen 100000"
Many people Of humane sentiments
nun general ignorance OF criminals
nave protested against the police keep
Ing watch over ex-convJcts and ali men
VINO nave been photographed for the
FoSuc's gallery
~ IL true that certain criminals are
mkcn Into custody on sight. whether
"hE aennlte charge can be lodged
against them or not. They are drought
IN and questioned, and sometimes they
are advised 10 leave town or else
threatened with a bridcwcll sentence on
charge ct vngrancy.
ne claim Is made that sometimes the
CRIMINALS and ex-convicts are so har-
,l"H and prosecuted by the police that
s s"ey cannot reform. The police Inter-
ierencc prevents them from securing
employment. and they are driven to the