The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-20

1t is worth while 10 devote especial at
tention TO Mr.. Hutchins Hapgood's pecui-
iarly interesting book THE Autobiography
Of a Thief COX, Duffleld & CO.. New
York;, for the reason that it seems to be
an authentic production, coming, through
its editor. from one who has served MS
time as criminal and who knows the
moral of life outside the pale of the law.
In the preface MI Hapsond explains that
he met the ex-pickpoCket and burglar
whose experiences are related in the pres
ent volume soon after TIE mans release
from a third term in the fenitentiary. Be
coming Curiously interested in him. MI.
Hapgood learned in time that he not only
had led a typical th:efs life. but was also
a man of more than common natural in
telligeuce. with gift of vigorous express
sion. He had educated himself mainly by
means of the prison libraries. When. final
~. a proposition was made that he write
his autobiography a human document
contribution TO CriminoloGy. the suggestion
was taken up with the greatest eagernesS
This man. introduced TO the reader mere
" as Jim had reached the point where
he saw that crime does nOt pay. He had
spent one-half of his life in prison. He
had fallen victim to the opium habit. HIS
health was shattered The friends with
whom he had started out in his career OF
lawlessness had met with ruin. Some OF
them died in P-h.tentiaries- others went
mad and were incarcerated in lunadc asy-
lums. Jin's own mind was totterins at
one time. and he tasted the hell of the
prison ''bug-house." as his world desisnat-
ed the institutions provided for the GRIM
inal insane. Terror seized upon him. ana
he determined TO reform and did reform.
This is all the claims for himself. that the
horror of the accustomed end OF criminal
life led him TO abandon that life. He frank
" hot fs iS n religious man,
As edited by Mr.. Hapgood. the autobiog-
raphy OF this one-time thief and house
breaker is a sermon in which the intention
OF a preachrnent is not in evidence. jim tells
of his adroitness and of certain of his more
mastery criminal achievements with con-
siderable relish. From his earliest years, it
is plainly to be seen, he was meant TO be
the black sheep of his family. He was
the brightest of the children, but also the
worst. and he was singularly and repeliant-
~ Calous. His mother idolized him, loving
him to the last, visiting him regularly in
Sing Sing prison. always cherishinS him as
her boy" His father was good to him as
long as forbearance was possible. his
brothers-the family lived on the East Side
in New York City-were honest men. one
police officer. the other hard working
truckman. Jim was the disgrace of his
kindred. and he never worried over this
fact until he learned from bitter experience
that the wages of sin must be paid and
that the ultimate payment is a frightful
thing to face.
Light hearted and mischievous. the boy
began picking pockets when he was Is years
old. Before this he had robbed his brother
and had tapped the tills of ne!ghborins
shops He trained with the tough gang of
the East Side, whose ideal heroes were the
big ''grafters'' of the old Seventh Ward. At
first Jim. as a pickpocket, was only in the
class of "rnoll-b uzzers." that is. he robbed
women alone. But he soon cultivated the
nerve necessary TO try his skill upon men
and he speedily developed into one of the
most expert and successful in New York's
light-finsered fraternity. He made hun
dreds of dollars a week, always kept in re-
serve a goodly fund for ..fall-money," that
is, cash with which to pay lawyer and
buy himself off from punishment in the