Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-02-27
CRIMES FOR CHARITY.
Men Who Have Robbed the Rich for the
Benefit of the Poor

| Benefit of the Poor.
Few are sufficiently enthusiastic in
the cause Of charity as to 90 TO the ex
tent of crime in its behalf Neyerthe
less, some of the most notable crimes
of the age have been perpetrated pure
| ly from philanthropic motives.
The unenviable record which Pal
mer, the housebreaker, gained for burg
larry has never been surpassed even by
Charles Peace himself. During his
criminal career, which extended over
10 years. he was ins trumental in bring
ing about more than 200 successf ul
bHrglaries, including the robbery of
the Marsden Bank, without once fall
ing into the hands of the police, and
every penny of his Illicit gains be gave
to charity.
When at home be lived humbly in a
small villa at Norwich under an as
sumed name and is remembered as one
of the greatest benefactors that city
ever had. He spent 970 900 in found
ing an iu6rmary, which he conducted
on the most luxurious liues, and peri
odically gave public dinners to which
all the poor were welcome. Moreover,
when he died and his crimes were ex-
posed it was found that no fewer than
40 infirm individuals were living SOLE
ly at his expense, and the total amount
he distributed among other charities
exceeded 100000, all derived from
wholesale robbery.
Gustave Roselli was the greatest
swindler Italy has ever known, though
his many crimes were perpetrated pure
ly in the interest of children 3 charities.
He was a cripple and from his earliest
days displayed unwonted interest in
those of tender age similarly afflicted
When only % he set in motion
scheme of fraud on a gigantic scale,
which relieved the wealthy of thou
sands in 15 years.
With the proceeds of his crime he
founded and endowed a cripples' home
in Rome, cleared off the debts of three
children's hospitals and instituted
homes for waits in many of the prin.
cipal Italian cities, though be lived in
a dilapidated cottage and almost denied
himself the bare necessities of life.
When eventually the bubble burst he
was sentenced to lifelong imprison
ment, but go popular had he become
with the masses that frantic crowds
cheered him as be was led from the
courts. After Is pears spent In a dun
geon be was pardoned by King Hum
bert in 1885. only to succumb shortly
afteward to the hardships he had en-
dured.
Many will remember the case of a
well known London solicitor who was
condemned to lengthy term of impri-
sOnment some years ago, brought
about by his devotion to charity. Well
aware that numbers of discharged con.
victs drifted back into crime from
sheer inability to secure work on leav-
ing gaol, he made point of waiting
outside the prison gates and Offering
them employment as they came out.
He began by beggaring himself in their
interests. till, needing further funds to
carry on the praiseworthy work, be
made serious inroads upon the money
Entrusted to him by his clients for in
vestment. When eventually he was
pulled up by the law it was found that
he had provided no fewer than II gaol-
birds with the where witnal to Set them
selves up in business under his super
vision.
The remarkable sequel to this case,
however, has yet to be told. At the
expiration Of his sentence he came out,
rs he thought, ruined man, SO that
his amazement can be better imagined
than described when a stranger step
ped forward. and offered him employ
ment. The individualin question was
no other than an ex-cOnvict he had
helped in former days, who had been
thus enabled to set himself up in bust
ness as draper. He was now well off
80 it came about that his benefactor
entered his employ as shopwalker.
Another remarkable criminal in
charity's cause was Carvarta, a Spani
ard, who died in a Barcelous prison
five years ago after a career of crime
covering some 20 years, at the end of
which he was wanted" by all the
police in Europe. His sole motive was
to rob the rich and distribute the pro
ceeds among the poor. On one occa
sion be stole $4,000 worth of jewels in
and, having sold them,
sent the proceeds to the Mayor of his
native town for division among 100
paupers, while in a second instance he
entered bank in Berlin anG, with the
booty he secured. liquidated the debts
of hospital in the same city. Alto
gether be is computed to have stolen
more than ESQ 900, not a tithe of which
he spent on himself, for he lived in a
garret on 3shillings week.-Tit- Bits.