New-York tribune., 1909-12-19
I Rec

IL. and found scrubbed on the surface the
words 'Condon's-Chicago-two thousand
/ That was enough Worth was imprisoned
/ and badly in need OF little money 10 get
him out. II did not take me long 20 set the
ball a-roiling. and few nights later the
prisoner and 7 were steamer bound for
/ Smyrna
we were occupying the same stateroora-
and turned TO my friend for the hrss time
and said;
You are Adam Worth. are you aosg
Sure. ne replied I thought you knew
it all along
There is one. .tHiRs would ike 70 speak
10 you about. Adam. remarked That 10
the GainsborOush'
/ He laughed. It's peculiar coincidence
he said I was about 10 break the fcs
shat subject myself
Worth had conceived the plan Of stsal
I ing the painting and forcing the great sre
I dealers 10 go bail for some Of his gang who
were in prison Ta-ir liberation upon .
technicaifty had spoiled his plans. ahd left
MIN with the CainsbOrouSh UpOn his hands
for a quarter Of a century.
Receiving his money. Adam Worth took
his children. who knew nothing OF their
/ fathers career and returned to England.
where he established a nice little home.
Before leaving he told me that at his death
he was going send me genuine MurfHo
that had been stolen from monastery IN
Mexico. but thought nothing OF this until
he passed away. in January. 1902
-Four months later a stranger entered
! my apartment AT the Sturtevant House.
where 1 made my home at that time. and
handed ne a bulky package. which he said
was a legacy from Adam Worth The OPEN
ing OF the package disclosed what was gun
a Lx--<@
much about paintings then. I did not
know whether it a MuriIio OF not
did not know much about AiuriIIo. bur IL
/ came like a beihson from the clouds. as
needed money and needed II badly As
say I was not wise on art. 50 7 sold il Jo1n
COndin for a song To-day owned IT hs
could not purchase il for twenty times the
amount he paid
i was now an art gambler. II waS
forced upon me Finally came the tip on .
/ CorreggtO in the possession OF Raisui. the
Moorish bandit. This came 10 me IN
peculiar way. II was one OF these poor
devils with a streak OF good in him that
I came 10 me in a pinch for advice He was
a bright young fellow. it was hts first bad
step and he was anxious 10 get away to
some safe place for his health
Il advised him to go 10 Morocco, land
/ where railroads and the telegraph do not
Z exist. despite population OF fourteen mill
= ions. Also. the extraditiOn laws were badly
/ mixed and hard TO unravel The boy fol-
/ lowed my directions and eventually landed
in Raisulrs camp al Zenith BY some trick
/ OF fate he had established friendly rela-
I tiOns with the great bandit and won his
confidence
/ Later I received q long letter from ny
young friend telling me OF his success
I fTrC flezu- -a1Tr he al hat 1fu~T19
had been luzging around a picture-part of
some pirates plumber taken from Span
| ish monastery centuries befor-which he
/ had inherited from his grandfather. His
! description OF the painting decided me 10
make a trip and connect with Raisun
through the lads friendly offices. II was
not a hard matter to get close TO the ban
dit The Hotel Cecil was outside the walls
| OF Tangier, and RaisuH was then Gov
ernOr OF the provinces outside OF the city,
although his position was not a sure one
by a long shot. found him very shrewd
and determined man. and he set rather
high price on the painting. on account of
the family associations II was painted On
/ boards, and he had carried Il through
! camps for many years without repairing
II. the Mahometan religion forbids such
/ an act I spent couple Of months IN tho
/ negotiations and rode about with RaisuE
so much that the American Consul suspect
! ed me OF smuggling arms into the country
/ for the chieftain's army. Finally landed
my prize, and went up through Spain to
the Prado Museum. az Madrid. where
established the fact that the painting was
from the brush OF Correggio. In this way
had another stolen MASTERPIECES on ny
I hands"
The veteran sporting mans last big ad-
vvaS iSfr TO %
at the request OF Colonel William F Cody.
he went TO Tangier TO negotiate with the
bandit to Try TO induce him 70 Join the
Wild West Show. then playing in Europa
I "Raisuli was Governor OF Tangier prov.
\ ince at that time" said Sheedy. and had
about as much chance OF hiring him as
! would have had in getting Roosevelt He
/ rad Just been made Governor OF Tangier In
J return for the release OF certain prisoners
and TO secure his neutrality in the internal
troubles then threatening the country"
Sheedy became promoter OF isttc bouts
and was manager for John I. Sullivan dur
ing the height OF the pugilist's career. II -
! said OF Shsedy that he was the arst man
who ever introduced a prizehghter TO tho
/ President OF the United Srates-that he ar
ranged for meeting between John L Sui
/ Hvan and Grover Cleveland while the latter
occupied the White House
On another occasion II is told that Sheedy
/ Guarrelled with Sullivan. and the prize
fighter threatened 20 strike him. Sheedy.s
/ quiet and significant look and steady an
swer-''You'll not strike me- Sullivan n
| you do II will be the last man you ever
| striEe'-e1ectually stilled the anger Of tho
I big pugilist, as the story Is told by an eye
witness
He became hardened TO sudden shitrinxs
/ OF fortune. Speaking OF his Chicago
career, he said once: After my capital
Oyeriapped the million mark Joined In
/ the games and frequently wound I'D dis
heartened and heartless. Once held Il
/ 100000 in the palm OF my hand; an hou.
afterward / couldn't lay claim 20 a cene
After that I sat for three days ana a
nights in a single poker game" When br
| left Chicago he had 10000. He went 10
/ Monte CarIO and in one night lost II all
/ Soon. however. a stake from Paris ser him
/ going once more.
Having taken chances all his life she~dv
/ took his approaching death philosophicaily
/ He kept in close touch with the trend OF
\ public affairs and chatted with the rrfends
who called on him on all subjects OF intsr-
/ est Now, honest. boys. DO look Ike a
/ dead one%" he asked anxious friends m
do, Just put me wise and I'll try TO make