The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
SOME CRIMINALS
 ESCAPE DANGER
Strange Story of Edward Cue
 rin. Frenchman
ESCAPES DEVILS ISLAND
Queer Stories of Criminals in All Ma tions and Countries-SWindle Suffered by London
 Baker.
From the Chlcago Trlbune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
 Edward Guerin who has just had a mar row escape from being shot, ought to take his place in the novel of the future among the Jack Sheppards and Dick Tur- pins of story. He has twice escaped from French prisons, 1n the last occasion from the aptly named Devils Island. where Dreyfus spent some frightful years, and whence escape seemed impossible, so securely protected does this Dantesque inferno seem--on one side by the ocean and on the other by the deadly swamps of the mainland. Guern, however, made his escape not from the island, only, but from the two convicts who accompanied him. who quarreled with him, and who would, but for his resolution and revolver have murdered him. Drawing the revol- yer, of which he had in some way be- come possessed, he forced the men to do all tn growing m the little boat they had built together till they reached land
 Here they separated and Guerln found his way to Chicago, after enduring ln- credible privations and making miracu- lous escapes Finding Chicago too hot to hold him, he made his way to Eng land but was arrested in Leeds at the instance of the French government, who demanded his eXtradition. After more than a years Imprisonment in Brixton jail the order of his eXtradition was quashed the other day on the ground that he was British subject, and Guerin found himself free man to his own be- wIlderment He stood for some minutes dazed and speechless, and then said to ms solicitor who was leading him away, Let me go for a moment let me go. l am free! What shall do? must think a bit: I must think. I will go for ride nta,pi hack to you later" This he was enabled to do by the present of s1 thrust into his hand by sympathizlng bystander.
 The quarrel between Guerin and his two convict companions recalls a story Of that incomparable scoundrel, Cartouche. After he and two confederates had held nm all the passengers on a packet and robbed them of everything, they ad- iourned to a quiet spot to divide the snoils "I say," whispered Cartouche to one of the two robbers, there isn't much after all, when divided by three, ehF IT your pistol should go off by accident In the neighborhood of Adolphe's ear there would be something worth while for each of us" Pierre, on this hint, blew Adolnhe's brains out to the Yirtuous in dipnation of Cartouche. "What!' he cried, 'murder your comrade for few louis. Die dog, as you deserVe' pio"ihs Pierre's brains out, and thus approprl2t- ing all the spoil.
 Hunt recalls an unconscionable swindle of which a London baker was the victim. lodger whom he had taken in informed the baker than he came from banpury. "Banbury Why then you must know of the great MT. Wickham." "l am MT. Wickham' replied the lodger. la se , come up to London incognito in order to arrest a merchant who owes me large sum of money and who is about 10 an- scond" The baker who had come III HIS boyhood from Banbury, was over yhelmned by the honor of having such A lodger. and yet more overwhelmed oy the condescension of the great MT. Wick ban,,s borrowing 5000 from him until his luggage, which had strayed came 10 hand. Shortly after the great MT. WICK ham was struck down with sudden and mortal illness, and the anxious baker called in doctors and nurses to atteha him.
 When death was imnent the great MT. Wickham had a clergyman called, rom whom he received the holy communion with his most unctuous devotion, ana when he had thus settled his spiritual ac- count he proceeded to ease hls mlnd ol his last cares by making will, Tn Whlch he left the bulk of his vast fortune to the faithful baker. After his death the baker ordered the most costly coffin and ar ranged for the most sumptuous funeral, inviting to it. among others, the great MT. Wickham's lawyer. That gentleman lost not a moment in calling upon the baker to ask what the invitation meant. why" said the lawyer, "l have had letter by this mornings post from MT. Wickham You must have been swindled. When the baker had quite assured him self that he had been swindled, he tumbed the body of the impostor out of the costly coffin on the floor In his fury and had him buried like a dog in an ob-