The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-21
CAREER Of A CROOK
None So CheCkered as That of
Ross E. Raymond.
HAS HOBNOBBED ROYALTY
And Broken Stone in Many a
Dismal Prison.
HAS HOBNOBBED ROYALTY

and sentence of Ross Z. Raymond, at
milwaukee, a few days ago to sixty days
in the house Of correction, adds another
dark chapter TO the history Of this truly
remarkable man. Gifted beyond the US
ual limit of what are termed bright men,
his life has been a turbulent one, and
his life story reads like the Arabian
Nights.
Three years ago he was liberated from
prison, where he served a term for swind-
ling He took a position on Phiadel-
phia paper, and for a time his conduct
was Of the best His work was Of the
brilliant order, and his friends had every
hope that his evil days were over. He
could not stand prosperity, however. and
he fell into bad ways. His discharge
came as a matter of course in August
last. He disappeared from the city, and
no one knew his whereabouts for any
length of time. He was heard of in diff
erent places, only to disappear again.
The message telling Of his trouble in
Milwaukee is as follows:
Ross Raymond, alias Major Allen
son, Of the British army, was sent to the
house Of correction for sixty days by a
magistrate to-day on charge of vag-
rancy. He had obtained s25 at the Plank
1ntdh House on a forged letter Of intro
duction 10 General Charles King, signed
with the name Of General Corbin. of the
War Department
Raymond pleaded that he had been on
a protracted spree. and, being news
paper man, had formed an idea that he
was on the track of a good story to work
out when he needed money. William II.
Thompson, of the Maude Adams Com
pany. said that he knew Raymond as a
brilliant journalist, and paid the money
back to King. but the court would not
listen to his plea for mercy"
Ross Raymond is one of the most pic
turesque criminals of his time. Some
malevolent spirit must have presided
over his birth and turned awrv fiber
OF his being, else he would to-day be a
inquire Of renown and greatness instead
OF an inmate Of a prison cell Not I'M
I'll it has ended may the story Of his
grotesque career be adequately told.
Tor 50 long as he lives he viii be aiding
new chapters to a human romance which
would have halted the bizarre concep-
tons of a DeQuincey
he is citizen Of the world. You could
not mention the name of a man or wo-
man OF note from Hong Kong TO New
York, but he could answer you with an
anecdote Of his personal acquaintance
with that person. He has hobnobbed
with royalty, with statesmen, littera-
teurs, the elite of the universe. and he
has broken stone in prisons from the
Orient to the Golden Gate.
Educated at oxford University. gifted
with brilliant albeit crooked intellect.
soft Of speech. and polished Of manner.
he made friends everywhere. many CT
whom still cherish a regard for him IN
spite Of the blackness of his record.
He was born about forty-five years ago.
the son Of an English army officer named
Palmer, and he did not adopt his present,
name Of Raymond until he became in
volved in crime in this country He came
here from England some fifteen or TWEEN
~ wears ago. and did journalistic work
OF the highest quality on many news
papers. Then he became involved in
swindling operations. and served a term
In Sing Sing. Upon his release he went
abroad again. It was then that the most
remarkable exploit of his career was
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