The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-05-04
G O Min u f D
r o M
P A @ f O n f
CRIMES OF YOUTH

this short term, May made no at
tempt to resume an honest life. He
plunged more and more deeply into
crime. At this period, he was just
common burglar and within a
few months he was caught enter
ing a house and was sentenced to
four years penal servitude.
1t was after this that May EN-
barked on the romantic period of
his criminal career. Taking flight
to the mountains and highlands he
established himself as a brigand
chief. At first he operated single
handed and carried out many bold
robberies. Generally he LETT a gor
geously decorated proclamation an
nouncing that Chas. May, monarch
of the highlands, had levied tribute
on his subjects.
His picturesque and romantic
personality attracted other young
men, like himself, ex-convicts,
criminals and outcasts from soci-
ETY.. One by one they enlisted as
his followers. May possessed alb
solute authority over his men and
they obeyed him without muir
muir, lawless and undisciplined as
they were.
The headquarters Of the band
was a cave in the Riesen noun
tains, where they met at regular in
tervals and INDUCED In riotous liv-
ing on the profits of their brigand-
age. They established veritable
reign of terror; they attacked and
sacked farm houses, held up con-
veyances, robbed poor peasants
and women, stole horses and cattle.
Their operations were widespread
and always audaciOus.
The local authorities, unable to
capture the brigands or to check
their raids, appealed to the gov
eminent for troops to hunt them
down. Infantry and cavalry were
rushed to the scene of operations,
and a persistent chase began in
earnest.
Now Chas. May put forth all his
efforts to elude capture. His dash
and energy and daring were demon
strated afresh day by day. Once,
after a chase had lasted many
weeks, the troops encircled him
and felt sure of his seizure; but
May obtained the uniform of a
gendarme and walked boldly
through the military lines.
A few weeks later May was
drinking in little village inn
when two soldiers rode up, dis
tho hor
May dashed out the window, quick
ly jumped upon one of the troop
er's horses and rode away.
But Nemesis overlook him at
last and he was caught, tried and
sentenced to eight years penal
servitude. Chas. May disappeared
into the oblivion of the penal set
Element.
Nearly 20 years later a clever
writer named Chas. May began to
attract attention by his literary
works and became a celebrity in
Berlin's and Dresden's cultured cir
cles. His work was distinguished
by its delicate touch and fOrceful
power. He was rich and generous.
He inhabited luxurious house at
Dresden and kept an elegant apart
ment in Berlin's most fashionable
quarter He was religious, too.
Chas May was the hOnOred friend
of kings and princes, of dukes and
noblemen. of authors and poll
ticians; he belonged to the init
mate circle of Germany's best men.
When a we'll known trade union
leader, Lebius, came forward and
said, This man May, philanthro-
pist and author. is fraud and i'm
poster, is identical with the bri-
gand chief, Chas. May"-the people
just smiled at the --latest socialist
folly"
May himself treated the attacks
with contempt. But Lebius per-
sisted and became so pressing that
his onslaughts could no longer be
ignored. So May sued him for
libel. The case was looked upon
as a joke except for Lebius, whose
drastic punishment was foretold.
Then came the denouement
Doubtless May calculated that
after so many years 1t would be
impossible to muster sufficient evil
dence to make any kind of impress
sion in court. He was mistaken.
Lebius came with witnesses and
documents, with photographs; in
brief, with overwhelming evidence.
The court pronounced judgment in
favor of Lebius. Chas. May left
the court condemned and morally
executed, crushed and broken down
with shame and despair.
May, who has aged a decade
within a day, has returned to Sc
clusion to hide his head in an at
tempt to escape the mingled pity
and persecution of his former
world.
Where he spent the 20 years be-
tween his release from penal servi-
tude and his appearance as an au-
thor remains an unraveled mys-
terry. How he gained his riches
is also undiscovered, but it is
known that he passed a number of
years in America, where he was
engaged in a variety of commercial
pursuits and afterwards in finan-
cial speculations.
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