The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-31
SAM HARRIS'S ESCAPE.
REAPPEiRAECE OF Az OLD THIEF
RECALLS QUEER MISTAKE.

49, -. ,v... me- : 49, cs-..-
".S. ~, ~, c.,..,,.., ~, I,.,,,
samuel Harris VINO was thioi ioi th'rN'
nvc years and was sent 70 England Twelve years
ago by inspector byrnes SO that tho Detective
bureau would NOT DO bothered with MIN any
longer waived INTO INC court OF denerai SESSIONS
whero roland u. Monneux u on Hiai Ior INC
murder OF MIS- Adams the DINER dpy' lie was
recognized by several central omee detectives
VINO were familiar WIN MIN long ago, ana wncn
the court adjourned one oi tho detectives walked
UP 10 Harris ana addressed hin by name. Harris
wears Denrn thh' now ~ almost wni'e' ZIG
'o'u inc detec'Ne 'hh' ne nad maze a mis'ake'
don't know you' ST. ne said. MY name
" not harria MY name IL bdwards' am
stranger In New YORK and Just dropped In
mere 'o hsten TO some o' the testimony III ms
murder trial.
hou can tUoi me- sam, said the detectiVe'
Tor remember the day you were sent back to
England by Byrnes"
Are Won Cosrroye,- asked IN. old. time crook.
~" a,M.u 'no CIV. ",iS .iooN'
NO. said the ontccr. nut Dctoc'iHc CosgroVc
would know you In a minute II he were here"
well" s,id I,.r,s "rn,, ,h,, ,ou ar. s,,is
hed you are night III calling the turn on me- ther"
amt no in blufing, but hope you not
ouipu IN hound ~. b.y. had .,ouuh 81 that
-. ~ -
business at the hands OF the New York police.
l l
purpose Of transnctinr some business for a rela.
H., g., i., -, , :, , - = - -
I'VE nut us moi crooked business nor anything
i am ashamed Of I'm only going to remain
, lit,lc r nile and ,bcp Tn, going h,nk you'r,
-, - -, ~ - - -"
no. gong 70 make any Cracks on me, are you
The detective said that he had no cracks" TO
make and that ~ far as he knew the New York
~. = -. 1870 a.. -, T., ~ -
police wero not looking Tor Harris. In his turn
Harris inquired about several OF his old friends.
lie asked about several police officials long since
dead expressing sorrow at hearing Of the deaths
"f some OF them and pleasure at learning Of the
passing away Of others Finally he invited the
dr,.,,i,. !, d;,,.,
49, 80, w 49,, All,
hou know u you are win me- ne Raid there
will no, be- any chance Of any one making mis-
anu e Nv "e ,, "'N ''e a,
dress OF Lawyer James mclaughlin, l would
for Mclaughlin would now be serving , long
wv =, in,s.,. m"U ~, now ,,.' S,d -, Ing
nit | was even willing 10 plead guilty 10 bav.
ing commit tied that crime " the police had been
willing To- jet up on me- aud let me go To prison
coed in getting me- sent away for such a long term
that ] would die In prison. But Lawyer Me.
IAGghiu said 80 long as was innocrn, he would
cas- adjourned and finally proved to tho salts.
Ise,i"n Of The Judge ,hci Was ns not guilty though
turned out"
After srcndng two hours with the Central
would sail Tor Europe in few days The de
iertiyc who told THE SIN reporter the story ~
Harris's yisi, said that he was probably now on
his way bHtk IN England Detective Sergeant
Aloucc. who was one ut the old acquaintance
Harris inquired about IL now full -fcdged ser
genut detailed At the Mercer street station and he
added To the story some account Of The thief 3
career and his narrow escape from lifetime in
renal i. sery 7, h.i ,,, s.,r. Allow
Gle. for lie WIS one nj the most PECULIAR crooks
! ever me-, He was philosopher. and while
siderable intelligence. The last ease he figured
in here was in 1883 At that time Harris was
80 wears uld. So that now he must be o. lie told
me he learned To- steal when he was years Old
his cnrcer by stealing pocket handkrrchicts and
books IN peitIcoat lane, He had = brother who
six months tuition IN a Hebrew school, At 10
he was caught picking pocket IN Ion don end
sent e. prison, hut he had been picking pockets
every day for ten wears then and had
never been caught before. Al one time he
in ' boarding honsc old gensleme men
were his particular Prey He could run faster
than they could, Once in London when he YVES
the arms Of his brother. Who Saved him from arrest,
! \fterward there was fearful scene between the
! home aud Sam promised that he would lead an
| honest life II he got out Of London.
! The good brother supplied him with ash.
: and Sam was next heard uf picking pockets in
/ Melbourne lie wen, back o. London In 1862
iell into the police net and was lent to Milbank
! Prison Tor SIX years NlIrTNdfN ne went lu fsrlt
! and - Berlin but he could not keep away iron,
| London for any length ~ time and returning in
1871. was ngain caught in the act OF stealing
1 and sentenced Co seven years in Milbank In
| prison he attempted suicide. lie said he irii as
! II he had been dsgracrd II was no disgrace for
/ an ordinary thief ~ he sent to prison. but for
! the slickcst thri in London 10 b~ caught as an
! entirely different matter lie hanged himseli
| to his cell door, but wns cut down III time VI,
| was transferred from Milbank 10 on insane
| asylum where hc was kept for the remainder
! ~ his term, Upon leaving the insane asylum,
/ n rabbi provided him With funds 10 go u Canada
| and bcgin a new | lie lie went. continuing tG
! pick pockets. drifcd 10 Chicago whcre he formed
| = partnership with another Crunh known q,
! "WestmaTket Jack" and tho latter s wife n shop
! linef
| The woman caused trouble between the men
| and a squeal resulted IN Harris being arrcstet
| and sentenced To three years Imprisonment II,
| happened To b. the only Hebrew III the prison
when one day n charitable Hebrew woman cnllcc
! there. She took an interest in Harris cried nvc
| him and gave him money when nc got Out Sh.
| prayed with him. aud begged him "a lead an hon
! est life lie told her he had relatives in New
| York and lie would he honest II he only could &c
here, 80 she bought n railroad ticket for him nnc
| gave him money. On the day of his arrival her
| he went Ia work at picking pockets the only tad
n, knew in the yrinity OF the Grand Genital STA