Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-20
Released Sunday From
Concord, n. H., Prison.
Served Sentence For R0bbing
the Bank at Wa|po|e, n. \.
Always Denied the BurgIary...long
and Sensational Career.

Concord, N. H., April 19-Adhering
firmly to his story that he was a vic
tim of mistaken identity, a prisoner
known as Max Shinborn, or MaXmilli-
an Schoenbein, a bank burglar of in
ternational noteriety, was released to-
day from the state prison, his sentence
for the robbery of the Walpole, N. H.,
savings bank having expired on Easter
Sunday through the operations of the
rule Of Communication for good behav-
ior All through his confinement the
prisoner has insisted that his real
name is Henry f. Noebus, and he has
made numerous attempts. unsuccess-
fully. to have the state and federal
courts consider his claim The New
Hampshire authorities, however, ex-
press no doubt that he was justly SEN
fenced.
In the records of the police and the
private detective agencies of this coun-
try and Europe the name of Max Shin
born is written large as the most dar-
ing. most expert and most successful
of all safe blowers. 1t is estimated that
in the series of burglaries committed
by his gang more than $2.000,000 was
stolen within 10 years and that Shin
borns share of the loot was not less
than 900. In addition to the Wal
pole robbery which was committed on
April u, 1865, and was one of Shin
born's earlier exploits, he is said to
have been the head of q gang which.
in 1863. broke into the vaults of the
Ocean Bank on Greenwich street, New
York, and got away with $1,000, 900
worth of plumber. Following this came
the robbery of the Boylston Bank in
Boston, the West Maryland Bank in
Baltimore and the Manhattan Savings
Bank in New York. In 1867, according
to a confession made by Shinborn, he
entered the vaults of the Lehigh and
Wilkesbarre Coal Co. at White Haven.
Pa, three separate times, securing
$4,000 on his last visit.
He had served an apprenticeship as
a shoemaker. and had become SO
skilled that it was an easy matter for
him to open the safes such as were
built in those days.
On the fortune acquired by his bur-
glarias. ard by certain successful ven
lures in the stock market, Shinborn
Elasqueraded as a New York banker
for some years, but came to grief
when he was arrested at Saratoga
Springs in 1867 for the Walpole Bank
robbery. A complete workshop for
making burglars tools was found at
his house and the evidence against
him was so conclusive that he was con-
victed and sentenced to 10 years i'm
prisonment The night following his
conviction he broke out of Jail at
Keene, n. H., and was not re-captured
until many months later after he had
made an unsuccessful attempt to rob
a bank at St. Adams, VT. Then he was
sent to the state prison here, but re-
manned only nine months, making his
escape in a most sensational way with
the aid of confederates outside
It was more than 80 years later, i'm
1860. that the fugitive was brought
back to Concord to finish out his 10
year sentence. Meanwhile he had taken
refuge in Belgium, where he bore the
title of count" and moved in aristo-
cratic circles, until he was sent to
prison for five years for the robbery of
the Provincial Bank Of Where's, Bel
GUM, in 1883. After his stay there he
disappeared from police viey until
June. 1895. when he was arrested by a
private detective for robbing the First
National Bank of Middlebury, N. Y,
in the previous April. He was SEN
fenced on this charge to imprisonment
for S years and months, and at the
expiration Of that sentence was
brought to Concord to finish his term
here.
Shinborn Immediately upon his re-
lease from prison. at $50 A. NJ, went
to st. Johns Roman Catholic church,
where he attended mass. Later he took
dinner with Rev. Claudius Byrne. the
chaplain of the state prison, and in the
afternoon he left for Boston. He is
now "a years of age, but is well pre-
served. On account of Shinborn's pro-
fciency in German, French and Eng
lish. he mas been employed during his
stay at the prison as interpreter and
translator