The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-01
AMERICAN CROOKS AT HOME.
PAPER COLLAR JOE SELLING
PICTURES ~ NEW YORK.
Hid Murray in CHICAGO -Sheeny Mike
and Larry Somerfeld Have Returned
English Arthur's Headquarters In
London Closed by the Police At Last.


headquarters That was the news from
London yesterday. The announcement will
bring no JOY 10 several gentlemen delft of
fingers and glib of speech now In this city
who have been intending 10 spend the
winter abroad On the other hand. the
news will he glad tidings TO Scotland
Yard, which may now sleep q nights with
out dreams of fortunes wrested from the
persons residents in London through the
mellifuous words of English Arthur"
For years this man. whose name Is Arthur
Pierce. has lived and swinded under the
very eyes Of Scotland Yard detectives and
never vet has he been convicted Of a crime.
But this is not all He has not only
grown rich by his wits. but, from his lodg-
ings in Pccadilly Chambers, Coventry
street. AT the head of the Haymarket In the
heart of London, he has main aimed
sort of International headquarters for crooks
and managed "A sort of International syn
dictate Of crime Bu, now The lodgings in
Piccadily Chambers have new tenant
and English Arthurs" luxurious furnish
inRs. his pictures and books. his collect ions
Of arms and of porcoains are owned by
another and the crooks of other nations
have no permanent London address.
Gray-haired, ay-mustachei. some
thing more than fve-and.iorty, about
feet inches tall and weighing someth hing
like ~ pounds, Arthur Pierce came and
went from PiCcadily Chambers looking
always as II the world was treating him
kindly. His appearance was always inn
maculate. The other tenants In the cham
hers supposed that he would come and go
until he died.
They did not know, however. Of the ef-
forts that Scotland Yard had been making
for years TO Gust him from his leasehold
Al last Scotland Yard succeeded. IL
seems that Inspector Melville chief de-
tective, called on Pierce one evening early
in November. The ring at the doorbell
vas answered by the man servant who
had served his master for years.
Mr. Pierce az home?" the Inspector is
reported to have a,kei
Il think So" replied the servant. Whom
shall say he has the honor of receiving"
just say it's Inspector Melville; your
master will know"
Yes. sir" said the valet. never showing
surprise 10y so much as the trembling Of an
cvelid, but now | remember | believe
Mr.. Pierce is not al home"
just al that moment a well-modulated
voice was heard down the hall
Il am AT home. wilkins Tell the In.
spector | shall be delighted to see him In a
moment
Tie two men met few moments later
in tie library and it was so late when the
Inspector lett that Pierce did not go out
that evening. What passed between the
two has not been reported, but IL il told
softly in certain circles III London that Mel
vile finally got Arthur right" and gave
him until Dec. to leave London on a journey
whose length the Inspector had no desire TO
curtail
However that may he. il was not long
after the meeting that it became known
that Pierce wanted to dispose of his lease
and all his furnishings This he did about
three weeks ago. and now English Arthur"
il an exile from England. II Is said that
he has settled down tor the winter in Italy.
When IL became known that Pierce had
concluded to leave London, there was
great scattering of crooks from the Eng
lish capital. II is Just poss ble that lnspec-
tor Melville knew tbs thing would happen
if he could get rid of Pierce. Ever since
the exodus from France, about two months
ago, the foreign CROOKS have infested Lon
don When Pierce had to go, they had TO
90, because it takes time to establish safe
and permanent headquarters for crooks
in any large city They didn't know what
communications might come 10 Piccadilly
Chambers for them after Pierce left and
they were taking no chances with the new
tenant English Arthur" had to make
SO hasty disposal Of his effects that he
had no time TO pick out a successor TO his
lodgings just 10 his liking.
AIthur's lodgings were the particular
convenience of American crooks. because
the Enghshman always showed particu-
lar liking for Americans in his line OF busi-
ness. Not that these knights Of resource
ever used Arthurs lodgings as a meeting
place That Pierce never would allow, in
The case of Americans or anybody else. He
would permit such rs he took a fancy to 10
have their letters and kilograms addressed
in his care and he would attend 10 the dis
trbution. That was all any OF the foreign
crooks wanted.
When they learned that Pierce was leav-
ing London the foreigners concluded
they'd better get out. too, The Americans
were among the. first to scatter, and, in
spite of the vigilance of Capt, Tituss de-
ctives in watching the piers, many OF these
dealers in Yankee notions have found their
way back To Broadway. Larry SOmerfeld
was one of the first to arrive. When he
was asked how he got into the port OF New
York unobserved, he said that he was the
first commercial message sent over the
ocean by Marconi. "Sheeny Mike is
here and kid" Murray is in Chicago and
others passed through here recently to
Philadelphia and Boston.
The latest one TO reach New York is
Paper Collar Joe" This gentleman is
regarded "a the best seller of gold bricks
now living. II was learned yester day
that he got here about three weeks ago
and carnc through the Custom House ike
any other reputable merchandise, Joe
IL variOusly known a. Joseph Bond and
Joseph Bird, but neither il his right name.
His parent. settled in Niagara Falls years
ago. He has two sisters in business there
now. He IL 80 years old and looks about
the same as he did twenty years ago, ex-
cept that the fringe Of hair around his
bald head is sprlnked with gray and the
little sandy side whsk ers have also many
white hairs in them.
Joe has been abroad for several years,
dividing his time among London, Paris
and the Riviera. II was he who was eS-
PEELED from France couple of months ago
under the name Of Joe "Gray," But the
Joke of il was. none of his friends in Paris
believes that he vas escorted across the
frontier. This belief was established through
a little game OF fim-fam v hch less shrewd
man would hardly have thought Of
GRAY lit II az we'll To refer to hun 10y that
name as any other, married French
woman who makes certain dcicacles
which she sends to the best hotels and
restaurants in Paris. Ii happens that she
knows very well the Project Of the Paris
police. Joe got twent y-iour hours time IN
which to get out Of the capital. The next
morning the Paris papers printed the fact
that Joe had been expelled, but they didnt
know about the tweniy-four hours lee
way.
Joe made good Use of those twenty
A.,