The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-09-07
A PLOT TO ROB
THE EASY RICH
Clever Scheme Disclosed By a ThiefS
Notebook.
THE RICH ARE EASY TO TOUCH
Names of Number of Prominent Peo-
pie Found in 1t, With Remarks
About Their Accessibility Attempt
to Wrench Diamond From Young
Lady's Finger.


New York (SpeciaD - daring
plot to rob the easy rich was re-
| vealed here following the capture of
| Charles Anderson after he had held
up Miss Gertrude Becker at a pistols
| point in the vestibule of her home
| and attempted to wrench a diamond
| ring from her finger.
| A list of prospective victims in
Guiding Mrs. lie-Carter-Payne and
| Mrs. Vanderbilt, was found in note
book in the young thief's possession.
After the name and address of the
| noted actress was the notation ''Pret-
ty easy, night"
While locked up in the Harlem
! Police Court prison Anderson talked
| with apparent pride, much as an
enthusiastic young business man
would discuss some legitimate enter
prise, about his plans to enter the
| houses of rich residents of Manhat-
tan and Brooklyn. He observed that
the very rich of the city are the
easiest to touch
81 have nothing to say about
that notebook said Anderson. 81
CAlAh Tie Adu1SS SpSdh lOA lhOAti-
| selves. You think l was after big
people? Well, you're not far from
| wrong. The rich people are cinch
when it comes to this sort of work.
They are easier than the middle
class. The rich are careless.
''The man just in comfortable cir
cumstances is more careful about
guarding his valuables. It would be
| an easy thing to get into one of the
| Vanderbilt houses. / have looked
them over, and if this hadn't hap
pened I might have had chance to
| try my theory. I have nothing to say
about any gang. I did not rob Nine.
jacob 1 only went to her house to
collect a bill for $75" And he
chuckled a bit.
Anderson was held by Magistrate
Walsh in $4,000 for further exam
| nation.
When Patrolman Mendlessohn took
Anderson to police headquarters to
be photographed it was found that,
in spite of his youth-he is just past
| 25-he had recently been discharged
from the Elmira Reformatory, after
serving a term of more than year
for robbing Madame Josephine ia
cobb, the opera singer. The police
are of the impression that he is one
Of a gang of thieves of the rising
generation which had outlined SER
les of robberies.
The circumstances surrounding the
capture of Anderson were highly
| dramatic. Miss Becker, daughter of
a stationer whose name appeared
among the thief's list of "easy
marks" was returning from the store
at 1926 Madison Avenue to her
nome, at 26 East One Hundred and
Ninth Street, at $50 O'Clock, when
she noticed that goodlooking fell
| low was following her. AS she step
ped into the vestibule of the house
her follower Anderson, poked the
| muzzle of revolver in her face and
said: "Give me that diamond ring,
and don't make any noise about it. :"
Miss Becker screamed and attract
ed the attention of a maid descending
| the stairs. Anderson tried to take
| the ring from Miss Becker's finger,
| and, failing to do so, struck the
Young woman blow in the face
that rendered her unconscious.
Anderson fed east in One Hundred
and Ninth Street, followed by the
maid, who noticed that he was Joined
| by confederate at the corner. The
| confederate fed south in Madison
| Avenue, and Anderson continued
| eastward AS he approached the
orch under the New York Central
viaduct Patrolman Mendelssohn start
| ed after him.
| Under the arch Anderson turned
on Mendelssohn, aimer the revolver
at the policeman's head and said: eff
you come a step nearer I will shoot
to kill"
| Mendelssohn is not so easily
| frightened. He made a dash at the
Young man, and struck his arm be-
fore Anderson could pull the trigger
In another instant Anderson found
his hands held tightly together by
| Mendelssohn's bracelets.