The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-16
Stealing as a Profession
After Forty Years Trial Famous Crook Saws It Is the
Poorest Way to Make a Living
clerks. Young Lillis. who was then
~ years old. was just the boy for the

Sterhs. Dung Lillis, who was then
~ years old. was just the boy for the
A few days after the meeting the
robbery was pulled off. Lillis made a
getaway" with $4,000. of which his
employer, the genera Zoe" Rutts
took all but 500. Still. that sum was
a fortune to the lad. and then and
mere ne resolved to be a crook. He
worked with. or rather for, Butts for
Two years and pulled off" several dar-
ing JOBS. He made a specially Of rob-
brns 'anks and bank messengers in
nroad daylight. and in crooks par
lance became what is known as a
bank sneak" :"
His life has been a conspicuous ex.
ample of the old adage that there ia
hone among thieves.
IN all my life l have never stolen
rom a riend." is his boast. While
! nave proved upon the world at
large. have never wronged ANYBODY
! ever knew. My friends were sacred.
citen while robbing hotels 1 would en-
Ter the room of a man l had met
before. Nothing could in
duce me to touch his vaiuables. I
would leave the room instantly. and
after locking the door. throw the key
over the transom.
detectives do not know how to
protect hotels. They hang around the
Hobbies to prevent hotel workers from
entering the rooms. Now that the
doors of the first-class hotels have
oouple locks. it is much more difficult
to enter the rooms. Still. one out of
every ten men leaves his door unlock
eo at night so an expert worker has
some opportunity.
With all my early successes 1 real
lie that my life has been a failure
worse than a failure, in fact. 1 have
resolved to let my family die out with
me; am a firm believer in heredity.
and. even though l have no criminal
instincts, l believe any children /
might have would be failures like nv
sell. For that reason 1 have never
married. though I have had the OPP
%portunity several times. / was once
engaged to Sophie Lyons, the famous
londop thief. who is now worth sew
eral hundred thousand dollars. We
worked together for several months in
Parls, and l learned her life story.
she was Of the fourth generation Of
a family of thieves. but. although she
was a very brilliant and accomplished
woman. ! decided not to marry her.
cessful at every turn. I realized how
our children would be cursed.
Although l have been seven times
a convict, l have no grudge against So
ciety. 1 believe hat If men violate
the law they should be deprived of
their liberty. ] was guilty every time
l was convicted. so I cannot complain.
l received good treatment in all the
prisons. In ClerkenwelFI had scarce-
~ enough to eat and in the mines at
Mobile ! had to work underground.
Still. on the whole. I was treated fair.
ly we'll.
Reforms are badly needed in every
prison. however. There must be less
brutality. There must be some up
lifting tendency instead Of the deter
mined effort to break the spirit Of the
prisoner. l recognize the necessity OF
penal Institutions, but I believe an ef-
Tort should be made not only to give
the prisoners wholesome work, but
opportunities for education. OF
course. education would not benefit q
professional crook. but it would help
the unfortunates who form the largest
proportion Of the prison populations"
Perhaps the o exciting episode
in Lillis' adventurous career occurred
In New York city In 1869. Greatly en-.
couraged by his success in Cincinnati
he was urged by Joe Butts to go to
New York to receive the finishing
touches Of his educatio1rfrom the not.
ed crooks in that city
Butts gave him a letter Of introduc.
ton to "Old Chauncey" johnson, one
OF the most noted crooks of that day
1t did not take johnson long to an.
preciate Lillis' remarkable criminal
ability. and he introduced the youth
to all of his associates. Long John
Walsh made him his protege, and to.
gether they planned and executed sew.
raj daring "sneaks"
odd Chauncey" johnson and LONG
John" Walsh conceived the idea OF
robbing the Chemical National hank
messenger IN the steps of the bank az
he was returning with his collections
They tool Lillis to Wall street to gel
the lay Of the land and size up the
Job. 1t was their plan to have him
snatch the satchel with the money