The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-16
(New York WORLDLY

WV
Jim Lillis. as ne is known through
out the length and breadth of the
and is a crook-at one time he was
one OF the most successful crooks in
the world. He studied robbery, work.
ed hard at it for many years, made
himself an expert at it. but came to
grief over and over again. He is now.
IN spirit. broken in health. Seven
long terms of imprisonment in penal
institutions on both sides of the At
lantic have convinced him that his
CHOSEN profession is a poor one,. and
now he nished his last term only
two weeks ago-he has resolved to
lead ar honest life.
"Everybody will say an habitual
criminal like myself cannot REFORM"
said ills. the other day. Il dot be-
lieve a thief can reform. This is my
opinion formed after association with
thieves for 40 years. But a crook can
reform. There is a difference between
a thief and a crook. The crook. l say,
can reform. If he takes himself in
time. would place 80 years of age
as the time when the probabilities Of
are exceptions; l. for instance. to lead
an honest life. though I am past so.
The ordinary crook is saturated
with the idea of obtaining money
easily and spending it rapidly. If, be-
tore he is 80. he sees the difficulties
he will always have to face he can
turn aside with a fair chance of bury
ing his past. But l wouldn't give the
average crook much for his chance for
reformation if he waits until he reach
es my age.
II am no a thief. although 1 have
stolen thousands of dollars. A thief
is a thief through natural instincts.
Ih1eVes are born. not made. A crook
Is not a thief by instinct, but by pro-
fession. have devoted my time to
stealing, in the same n as other
men devote their time to law, to bust
ness. or to medicine. Stealing was my
profession. 1t was mis- directing ener-
gy. Had I devoted the same amount
OF time and enrgy to law or medicine,
l should have been a successful lawyer
or physician. There is. however, one
great difference between my profess
sion and others: There can be no
convinced Of this fact. and for that
reason I have now dropped it.
NO, l am not going to reform. I
am simply giving up the profession
which l have followed for nearly 40
years
There is no longer anything left
for men In my profession. Criminal
ingenuity has not been able to keep
pace with modern invention. We r
forced into other lines Of work. some
Of the brightest Of us have become
promoters and swindlers. I have tried
before to drop my profession, but cir
cumstances have been against me. I
was unable to get honest work and it
was either steal or starve.' I have
thought Of suicide. but way down in
my heart l believe in a God. SO l have
| nlJ,ar ott0r1 ntoS IN xnlI@ 49, W..
that ! am a free man. l am going to
remain free by abandoning the poor
est profession in the world"
The history Of this remarkable man.
who is now in New York earning an
honest living. is a record of a series
of astounding crimes and terrible mis-
fortunes. and from it only one con-
profession doesn't pay.
Lillis was born in County Clare. Ire
land. in 1885. His parents moved to
Cincinnati in 1861. and as his father
joined the Union army, he had to help
support his mother. Accordingly he
sold newspapers on the streets and he
received his early education from
hackmen and other newsboys. He
made several dollars every week dur
ing war times, and everything went
smoothly until m day in 1867 a we'll
dressed stranger came up to him,
snatched the newspapers from under
his arm. put a IS bill in his hand and
tossed the papers into the gutter.
Boy" said the stranger, 1T you
will work for me I'll give IS a day"
You will?" cried the lad, tremb-
ling with excitement. Rive dollars a
day for me?"
Yes. Will you work for me?"
II will"
The stranger was Joe Butts, the
notorious bank thief. He had plan
ned to rob the safe in the office Of the
Phoenix Brewing company. and he
needed a small boy to TAX the money
from the safe while he '~newspaper-
ed" or occupied the attention Of the