New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-04-30

ing White Is now seventy years olu anu 10
living quietly in Westminster. VT. without
means and depending upon his relatives for a
living. unless he realizes some profit from his
hook. The police Of a hundred cities know him
"a George Bliss or George Miles, and they
have his criminal career carefully tucked away
in their archives, with his photograph in their
rogues' galleries
In the narrative OF his life. published by the
Truax Printing Company, OF Bellows Falls w.
White tells what purports to be the inside his
tory OF many famous robberies. including the
footing Of the Ocean National Bank OF New
York. which is given in detail; the attempted
robbery of the Corn Exchange Bank, in Phila-
delphia. and the robbery of $4,000 from the
United States Treasury. in Washington. through
the connivance Of a New-England Congress
man.
A most suggestive feature of Whites strange
story Is covered in describing the dealings that
White had in conjunction with his pal Max
shinburn, with the police and other public ON
Gals High police officials demanded their snare
Of loot and got it in exchange for allowing the
rogues their liberty. They received, White says
thousands OF dollars from him and his gang
He was often under arrest and his prison terms
have been something like twenty years one
narticular incident illustrates his method OF
overcoming the scruples of public officials.
The walpole, n. H. bank was robbed in Civil
War times and nearly all the money ana Sc
c,,r;+,es II contained were taken. White was
arrested and the jury disagreed. He was COM
r,i+ted for a second trial, and his bail fixed at
$4,000. He escaped from jail and seVeral
years later entered into negotiations with the
Neu,-Hampshire authorities to drop the case.
THE deal. he says, was successful. White says
that for $4,000. which he paid a New-Hampshlre
oAlc,al who went to consult him in New-Hork'
the Indictment was handed to him. and he was
benceforth free from punishment
White declares that he was driven to crime by
False accusations. He claims that he had no
mart In the Walpole burglary beyond driving
sbinburn and George Cummings. whom he dld
mt know. from Stoneham, Mass. where ne then
l,ent a hotel. TO Keene, n. H. One Of these men,
he saws. represented himself as Secret service
oA7eer and displayed a badge The men were
arrested by the New-York police ana Two ue-
tectives came to Boston, having discovered thaI
White had driven them to the scene OF the
- Tn. detectives arrested White and took
hin, 20 New Hampshire for trial with cum
,,;~,. and sbinburn. Cummings was released.
he says, on giving up All ciallii ~ T'''0
on him when arrested.
white tried work as a clerk in store IN New.
York after escaping from JAIL out was recos-
ntzed nv a Vermonter who happened into the
.tora and had to leave it. Hunted as he was'
and unable 10 do honest labor. he finally decided
TO look up some friends OF Shinburn' whose
address ne had. He Joined gang when al
once proceeded to prospect for a bank 10 loot
They failed in an attack upon the Wellsburg'
w Va bank because IL was so strongly built
evidently with a view 10 attacks by the
guerillas. Soon after, however, they robbed
the Cadiz, Ohio. bank. Of $25OOOO, White
escaped, while three were captured and SEN
fenced to fourteen years in prison.
White then made his way to New-York with
the stolen bonds from the Cadiz bank Billy
Matthews offered 10 negotiate some Of them.
White gave him six $1,000 bonds. but while try
ing TO dispose Of them Matthews was seized by
two detectives, who kept the bonds and released
Matthews. requiring him to promise to produce
White White said that he would charge the
bonds to profit and loss, but Matthews told him
he'd have TO see the cops and divide the cash
loot with them.
Telling of the meeting with the sleuths, White
says
~ understand said one Of the detectives,
We've got some bonds to sell you. To sell
ne?' echoed. TO sell me bonds?' Yes he
smilingly replied. understood him them, but
confess that didn't like his peculiar grin that
time, and in subsequent years this impression
never changed Gentlemen said, let's come
down to business What do you want for the
six bonds?'
Not a cent less than S6,000,' was what came
from the detective.
land you'll not get that much from me. I'll
give you $4,000 for the bonds and no more
There's no beating about the BUSH said
one Of the party-the man who asso-
ciated with my arrest for the Walpole bank rob-
berry. We know where the bonds came from.
and we also know that you are one Of the six
men in the Ohio Job. Now let's come to the
point, and Il is this. pure and simple-we want
our rakeoff AS matter OF fact, we're glad
the Ohio feIers didn't get you. Do you under
stand?' After much sparring, which almost de-
veloped into quarrel, said: Well, George
says his share is only $4,000. and it may be
less than that, so think we'd better accept his
offer At the close OF the conference paid
the three each $500 to keep them from inform
ing on me for the walpole bank break"
The Iooting of the Ocean National Bank is
given in great detail by White. Before White
began on this gigantic scheme, however. he
began systematic study Of bank burglary. He
bought combination locks from all the manu-
facturers and thoroughly dissected them until
he became familiar with their mechanism He
finally invented finely tempered little tool which
enabled him to read combinations like or
binary alphabet or telegraph message. This tool
was Of fine steel wire. All he had to do was to
take the knob or dial of lock, adjust the wire
to the inside surface Of the knob. and replace
the dial The lock In the mean time having
been used by the bank people to open the safe
or vault, he had only on his next visit to re-
move the knob. examine the marks left on the
wire by the lock and he had the combination
numbers All that then remained was to
figure out the proper order of the numbers
IN the combination, and he could unlock the
vault. Another thing he accomplished by
his close study was the acquisition Of faculty