The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-08-13
AI.GIEHART IOHD FTSTERY /.

- ONVICT No. 2,SO7, penitentiary for
northern Illinois. told me the
story. He was an old acquaint-
ance of mine, and as square a thief
as I ever knew in forty years of deal
ing with and study Of his kind. He
had an old mother living in a state east
of Illinois, and it had been my pleasure
TO forward his letters to her while he
was in prison. He also had a sweet
heart In the east to whom, through me,
he wrote letters breathing the highest
sentiment although she had been q
partner in at least one of his crimes
and had intimate knowledge Of many
others. No. 2,S07 was serving a twelve
year term fQr q robbery at Cairo, III,
but they Meier would have caught him
for the offense if he had not had one
drink too many and gone to sleep in
the boat in which the escape was TO be
made. He was not accustomed 20 the use
OF liquor. and that slight overpIus OF il
at d critical moment delivered him
into the hands Of the authorities.
The name under which No. 2,S0T had
been convicted was James X. Me
Claughrey. OF course that was not his
fathers name. but one he used to keep
hNs mother from knowing she had q
son who was a felon. ] doubt If there
was any officer of the law who knew
his right name except myself, and, for
the sake of the mother shall not re-
veal IT,, even at this late day. -. -.-
Like nearly every other crook Of
consequence in the middle west. Nc
CIaughrey had made his headquarters
i'm Chicago. 1t was here he met a man,
wEo. for the purpose Of this narrative,
] will call john A. Colbert, an English
rieket-Of-leave man living on the
North Side during the late '70s and
making his living by indiscriminate
stealing. burglary preferred. Colbert
had a daughter, Emma, possessing no
special beauty. but Of uncommon in
teUigence and nerve" and. as after
ward was shown. a vast amount OF
that doglike devotion which the women
OF criminal families display toward
men they love
Through the father AIcClaughrey met
the daughter and fell in love with her,
the Englishman bestOwing his approval.
for McClaughrey was good looking,
educated to q degree and thoroughly
trustworthy. He was also smarter than
colbert in the larger affairs of crime,
and in every way a desirable partner,
80 the two Joined interests. with tho
daughter as q strong additional tie be-
. tween them. They did several Jobs
ia Chicago. but they were Of the minor
class OF crimes and did not attract un-
usual attention from the authorities.
first met no. 2,S07 in 1876 in Chicago
while was trailing counterfeiters. He
had become rather closely associated
with the "kOpiackers" that held forth
in the saloon at pa West Madison
street. owned by James Kinealy and
Terrence Mullen. both OF whom We're
known 10 the underworld of bogus
money from New York to San Fran
cisco. Those who read my description
OF the operations of the BoydZD rigggs
counterfeiters, leading up to the at
tempt to steal the body OF Abraham
Lincoln. viii recall the West Side sa-
loon in question as the one in which the
plot TO steal the Lincoln body was
Matched
McCiaugbrey had frequented the place
till he had become a recognized member
Of the informal criminal club at 294 and
he was cunning enough to keep IN close
touch with the operations and plans Of
his associates even ia matters in which
he did not intend 10 participate actively
himself 1t does not matter how I first
enlisted the good offices of McClaugh-
rey; suffice II TO say that he had given
valuable Information on more than one
occasion. He knew every step made by
the criminals In the Lincoln tomb-rob-
hing plot. although he was not active
in that affair. and in my dealings with
him he had always told me the exact
truth, as demonstrated by subsequent
events. In 1878 I lost track OF Nc
Claughrey as his business took him
TO other parts OF the country and my
duties led me away from Chicago.
on the morning OF Nov. 8, 1873, the