The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-09
He IS TERROR
OF The CROOKS
Bill Sheridan, However, New
York Department
JOINS HANDS WITH BURNS
The Famous sleuth, Whose Memory
For Faces Is Remarkable, to Be
Partner of Former Secret Serv-
Ice Operative.
From the New York Sun.

VINO nave lived in fear of him for "a
years, that his eyesight is bad. None of
+ them locked up at police headquarters
recently has had any reason to COM
plain about the poor condition of the
lieutenant's eyes. He seemed to spot
them through DISCUSSES and bogus
names as well as he ever did. He still
is known to the bad men of the UNDER
world from one coast to the other az
the Camera Eye"
Yet defective vision is the ground on
which the lieutenant has obtained his
retirement from the force. His sight
Is still good enough. however. to allow
him to accept half interest In the new
detective agency which William 7
Burns, the secret service agent. who
uncovered the land frauds, and fought
the grafters in San Francisco, has
opened in this city. Sheridan thus Will
be associated with Burns in protecting
the $4,000 banks throughout the coun-
try that make up the American Bank
ers protective association. That as
soclatlon recently transferred It's bus
mess from the Pinkertons to Burns.
1t is doubtful if there is another man
In the United States who inspired more
fear than did Sheridan In the hearts of
criminals with records. His retirement
from the police department Will be
nailed with joy by crooks all over the
country who are masquerading with
! phony whiskers and under half a dozen
aliases. No man In the history of the
/
so QUICK to see through disguise and
to identify prisoners with pictures that
had been taken five. ten and even TWEEN
ty years before
sheridan has a wonderful memory for
faces. and this gift put him In demand
all over the United States. Many a
city, as far west even as San Francisco.
came to learn that the appearance of
sheridan In crowd WAS the surest means
of Kidding the city of band of itinerant
crooks. The New York police department
was importuned time and again to send
MIN out just as a scarecrow for crooks
when big crowds were threatened with
pickpockets. As soon as they caught sight
of Sheridan 1t was all OFF.
The department is sorry to lose Sheri-
dan. Commissioner Baker said yester-
day:
Sheridan Is fine fellow, ana I am
sorry to see him go. I don't want any
man to lose his eyesight by working un-
der me when his eyesight has become i'm
paired, and as the surgeons have APP
proved his application for retirement there
is nothing for me to do but let him CO."
Identified Many Prisoners.
Sheridan has been in charge of the iden-
tif1cation bureau at police headquarters
for many years. He was the man to
whom the department turned when all
Sheridan passed a prisoner 1t was taken
for granted that his picture was not
among the 100000 or more in the rogues'
gallery.
Sheridan got his start In 1sSe-the day
of Inspector Tom Byrnes. Sheridan had
been on the force only few weeks when
Byrnes had him sized up.
"Go down into the jewelry district"
was his order to the detective, and for
fve years Sheridan and Bob Mcknight
made life miserable for the thieves that
bleed that trade.
The National Park bank case was the
first big one Sheridan had Inspector
Byrnes showed slipping from q news
paper at him The clipping told how an
assistant cashier had got away with Ne5.-
600.
Now" said Byrnes, 81 want you to
get that man, and don't show up hero
until you find him."
Sly months later Inspector Byrnes re-
ceived a telegram from a little town
called stanstead In Canada, notifying him
that Sheridan was coming back to work
with the prisoner.
Ten years later Sheridan and his wife
walked into a hotel in Washington. Sher-
idan stepped up to the desk to register.
"Why, hellop' he exclaimed, looking
at the clerk.
Tho clerk didn't recognize Sheridan,
but the detective asked him II he had
visited Stanstead recently.
Nailed Bank Thief.
Another case they recall at police head
o,,arters is that of bank sneak who
was arrested In Brooklyn In 1903. who
enye the name of William Murphy. Muir
nhy's picture was taken In Brooklyn and
sent over to Mulberry street Tor idenun-
cation.
"Why." said Sheridan. "thats Bob Suf-
yrare Served five years in Liverpool.
eight In Brussels two in Sing Sing. He
was arrested 81 years ago By Tom Null
vey, on Reynolds stan"
Inspector Titus sent Tom Mulvey over
to the Raymond Street jail, in Brooklyn.
to identify the prisoner. Mulvey took q
look at him. and reported that he never
had arrested him, never had seen him.
Sheridan himself had never seen Bob
Suffrage. All tndt no hou IA Aiii"~ 49,
the pictures that had passed through his
hands-two or three out OF a total OF zW'-
600 in the gallery. Sheridan still insisted
that the Brooklyn sneak thief was the no
torious Bob.
FINALLY the prisoner was arraigned be-
forc Judge Asphalt and pleaded guilty.
The Judge said to him;
Now, am going to ask you some
questions, and II you tell the truth I'll
take that into consideration in sentencing
you. Is your name Bob sufrrage7"
Prisoner Makes Admission.
yes" said the prisoner, and then he
went on to tell the terms he had served
inst al sheridan had done from memory
several weeks before.
San Francisco was one of the cities that
asked for Sheridan's aid. That was when
the big crowd was gathering to welcome
the round-the-world feet On his first
day in the city Sheridan spotted John
O'Keefe of Chicago and Billy Miles OF
Pittsburg, pickpockets. John and Billy
spotted him, too, ana the word was
passed along through the crowd of crooks
that had journeyed TO the Pacific coast
that the Camera Eye was on the job.
There was hurried exit from the city.
Sheridan went UP to Lake George sew
eral years ago. There was to be big
celebration In the little town where he
was stopping. but Sheridan didn't stay
over for 1t. A week later well-known
pickpockst was brought before him at
headquarters.
'.5ays . good time At Lake 0eoryer'
asked the crook.