The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-20
CRIMINALS no NOT Reform.
80 Says the Old Detective. who cites the Case
OF Jim Dunlap. the Bank burglar.

CRIMINALS no NOT REFORM.
40 Says the Old Detective. who cites the Case
OF Jim Dunlap, the Bank burglar.
The old detective. who doesn't believe that
criminals ever reform, found another example
with which to sustain hs contention the other
day, and of course his friends, who are more
charitable in their views, had to listen. Once
or twice they have differed with him, and
the result has been a long succession Of stories
from the old detective. on the subject. some Of
which have alread, been printed in TuE SIN.
It's James Dunlap this time. DO, :. he began.
MAY be YOU don't know Jim. but Won will re-
call him when | tell some of the things that he
did Jim was one of the leading lights of the
old Dave Cummings gang. and the Dave Cum
mlngS crowd was the crowd that robbed the
Northampton Bank Of n cool million and a
half IN the late '70' There was Billy
Connors, now n prosperous bookmaker in this
city. Shang Draper. poor old Bob Scott and
Edison, who finally squealed and had them all
roped in. after one Of the biggest and most
successful Jobs ever carried out IN this country.
well. | won't stop to tell YOU about the North
ampton Bank robbery. because IT'S the duty of
every mal 10 know about such n amous crime
as that, any way. What want to talk about Is
Jim Dunlap, the brains Of that affair, and of
many another You know that | don't think
there's such n thlng n Il ,r'ininal reforming.
I've told YOU about Mark Shjnburn and a half u
dozen others. and the only one of all the old
timers that's made a blum at keeping straight
i Dan Noble Now Bob Scott and jim Dunlap
got a twenty bit piece aS the result of Eison's
sIIcal, and moved into Charlrstown Prison near
Boston. to serve il out If ever two men got 1t
hard those two did They worc Young bright
and strong men. when they went IN ard a de-
tsrmjard effort was made. under orders | sup
pose. 10 break them down. It's n trick they
have Of killing crooks IN prison. and don't look
that way, because ! know whit I'm talking
about
Well, Bob Scott died under the gafT they
gay" HIM. but before he gave NJ the ghost he
sent down 10 New York for hi wife, Mary
scott, NOW N" Wcll-known Mary Scott Row
land. tn" COMPLEXION woman. aud he told her
that was "n'l, q matter of day with him, and
that he wanted her TO transfer her interest i'm
him, after his death, To his pal. Jim Dunlap,
and TO neynr cea~r working Ia secure n pardon
tor him Marl scott swurc that ~h" would do
II, and after Bob> death 81" never missed maxi
ING NJ least one visit MONTH 10 the Charl"stown
prison. 10 80" jim. and to do all that she could
7" max" his prison lf' brl shter Say, her kind
hess 10 her late husbands friend was the only
ray of sunshine in his lie. and Z kept him alive.
Furthermore, sh" made miserable the life Of
every Governor Of Massachusetts with her
l"Nfl-''hNlllL l''bN l'I liz INIIlll VI Jam I'lf-
lap. Tier iiVnt for tn" man attracted unlvogsal
attention and there was u great deal Of SYM
patty for her. But Jim DUNLAP was generally
regarded a. u man dangerous TO IN" commun-
tty in which he moved. and the police Of every
city IN the country protested against his
being u1rdoucd
Mary SCOTS efforts were all in vain until
Gov. Russell cam" in, At that time Dunlap
was a physical wreck. He had been in the hos
pital for weeks and il wasn't thought that he
picture at Jim Dunlap's suferings that II moved
Gov. Russell. and after eighteen years in prison
Dunlap was pardoned ie came ont of Charles
there was a great sensation nj the time, be-
cause Of IN" mans great crimes and his Interest,"
Ing record, Mr. scott brought him back to New
York. and when the tram pulled In at the Grand
Central station there was n small army Of re-
pprters AT the depot 10 get interviews with
the famous NORTHAMPTON bank burglar. who
had been shut mp in prison for eighteen years.
Tn" next day the papers were full Of the story,
and there was an interview with the woman
Who had done s., much 70 secure his pardon.
body and spirit. and would not live long. His
remaining DAYS. She said, would bc spent in
som" quiet retreat There was q whole lot
more stuff written about Jim Dunlap and hs
remittance into the world. but greater stress
was laid on his panitenCc for his crimes and
his denomination TO spend his last few years
of life n q decent way than ANYTHING else.
Very little was heard Of Jim Dunlap nfter
his release but ! heard from some crooks that
he had entirely recovered his health. asked
Nl'INl " lli Nv NNN A'Nlf% UNI 'NVA 'lllN
SO as II was no, any business Of min" as long rs
he wasn't in N"w York ] let it go NJ that. just
the same | had nv own views on the matter
and how correct they were Won will 500 in n
minute. Not long ago Jim Dunlap was arrested
IN Chicago ~ he was entering his apartments.
lie had n little black bag with him. which.
when opened. was found TO contain n full SET
of finely wrought burglars tools. There was
also n hOX in the hng containing slcS in silver.
Jim mad" no kick about his arrest. butwent along
quietly. and j. now awaiting trial on n charge
Of having burglars tools in his possession.
Dunlap was arrested because there have been
y dozen Saf" blowinEs in Chicago in the past
few months. and the character Of the work in
Dictated hat II had been done by an old hand.
He was known to be in Chicago, because when
he left New York he went there and opened n
saloon. Have you any doubt that Jim Dunlap
had n hand in those Chicago safe blowings?
Anyway, it's perfectly clear to n normal mind
that n man with n bag of burglars tools, es-
peCially whenit happens to he n man who has had
forty years OK perienCe rs a CraCksman is n crook
and not n man Of good intentions. That's tho
point I want to make.
Il tell YOU they don't reform. not n one Of
them. II eighteen wears in the toughest prison
in the country. and friends and opportunities
such ms few ex-COnviCts have. wont reform n man.
nothing will Jim Dunlap had all Of these things,
and yet the monkeys around NJ his old tricks,
when he's n gray haired old man., and sure
to be nailed sooner or later. No. sir. there's
no such thing rs reforming a crook.