Evening star., 1909-03-12
GENTLEMAN MASTER Thief
TRAVIS MOST CUNNING CRIMI'
NAL KNOWN TO POLICE.
Always Played Lone Hand-Giant
in Strength-Now Fighting
Against Execution.

NEW YORK, March 1o.-Thcre is in the
state prison at Trenton, n. j.. prisoner
who was to have been electrocuted
Monday next for murder. His death has
been deferred by stay of proceedings
On the. prison roll his name appears as
Adolph Bertchey Under that name he Is
practically unknown.
The convict is really the most danger
Gus criminal known to the police OF TINS
city. When he was arrested in 1898 on
the charge of burglary the police discoN-
cred he had been pursuing that avocation
for more than ten years, unsupported ana
unmolested.
He had mastered the science or Dur
elary He PLAYED lone hand always AS
William f. Travis. he was a commercial
traveller, quiet and digniheu
Travis served nine years in Connecticut
and nine months in New York. !heh he
disappeared. a,,o
wood \ L. the story of burglar VINO
had tried to enter the Manhattan Hotel
He was at the top Of ladder when dis
covered. -.
was finally cornered by bartender named
Frank Jankowski. Travis delperateiE
shot him down Then the crowd closed IN
| and Travis was caught.
Discover an Old Offender.
Jankowski died Travis. who had given
his name as Adolph Bertchey, was tried
and convicted February of murder IN
the first degree and sentenced to be cleo
trocuted March 10 The New York po-
lice who went down to look him over DIS
covered their old friend, William T.
Travis. .,.
If was a chance remark made by tnat
notorious burglar. Big Bill Mason 10
| then Captain McClusky which flrst drew
attention to Travis. Mason sa!a one aas ,ias'
Il owe all my misfortunes to assocla-
lion with other crooks. Why. l know a
man who is never seen with a CROOK VINO
has been burgling these ten years, ana
| the police have never seen hini.
Mc(,lusky was piqued by this remark
He had all Big Bill Mason's effects
brought before him. He found quite a
number of addresses. Then he summoned
| Detectives Kerr and Fogarty and sd q:
| Somewhere among these names is a
| man who has been a crook Tor ten years
Run all of them down and pr.nS me tle
right man.
Kerr and Fogarty unearthed Trav.s
| Travis ready to kill if cornered always
carried two revolvers huhs ABOUT ms neck
on slken cord and resting In two spe-
cially made pockets OH the inside of his
coat. He could thus reach them quickly
and without arousing suspicion.
Burglary as Study.
| Travis studied his house before entering.
1 First, we'll dressed. he studied it by day
light. Then for two or three nights he
would study the habits of the inmates OF
, the house He would note when and
where lights appeared; what time the
lights were extinguished; when the in
mates had apparently retired.
! He carried no tools except piece OF
candle and a three-inch chsel Tools he
disca rded as cumbersome. unnecessary
and likely to arouse suspicion.
| He took from houses he robbed only
solid silver and gold. This he melted
down and disposed of in ingots. No pawn
broker could point his finger at Travis.
Travis chest and arm developments are
almost abnormal No prisoner captured
by the police has measured such enor-
nous biceps and chest Here is an in
stance of his strength:
| Travis once climbed to the top of a bal
cony on a house in East list street He
was discovered and fell. When he recov-
cred his senses he was in barred room
in the Presbyterian Hospital.
| Next morning he was gone. The iron
bars had been bent like tin pipes. He
Ihad slid down the water leader.
| All Travis work was done in the
suburbs
| a