The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-02-17

\ f61{ q J. character as ex
.traordinary AS mn
ID ~ III that has ever appear
ed in the annals o.
crime. He was hard
u ened to his careel
from the cradle, fol
his mother had been :
~ shoplifter;. one Of hi
~ brothers, Ben Mack
~ QUILL, was hanged fol
robbery, and another, after beipg &C
quilted upon, q charge Of forgery
brought out Q book entitled The
Abuses Of Justice"
In the early part Of the nineteenth
century the detective OF the present
day was represented by the old Bow
street runner, often a man Of striking
abilities. The exploits Of some Of
these runners are famous in history
but none more 40 than that OF Ger
tain Mr.. Donovan, "a Scottish officer
who united extreme intelligence and
uawearping patience, and was EN-
ployed BY the Paisley bank of. elias
gov to defend 1t against Mackoull'f
pretensions.
Maekoull, having robbed this bank
was posing as a deeply injured person
and suing It for the restoration to
himself cf the banks own property
Furthermore, the bank was SO non;
plpssed by this thiefs audacity that
1t had the greatest difficulty in pre-
venting Mackoull from walking away
with his entire plumber. 4
A brief sketch of the history Of this
remarkable criminal may be OF inter
est. Mackoul, being active and ath'
Ietic,. first came into notoriety as a
pug!llst. His first theft was from a
purveyor Of cats meat. He threw n
handful OF snuff in his eyes and, while
the man was blinded, cut his bag OF
pennies from his barrow and ran.
Soon, growing holder, he graduated as
a watch.snatcher. Fearing arrest,
Mackoull entered the, royal navy and
served for nine years, rising TO the
rank OF purser's steward and retiring
with an exemplary character and a
considerable amount OF priSeimoRey
and accumulated pay.
AS soon as he reentered civilian life
Mackoull resumed his evil courses.
He posed as the. captain OF a West In
,diaman and gave lavish entertain
.ments, at the conclusion OF which, hay
ing drunk his company under the table.
he despoiled them of their yaluables
and disappeared, But a safer occupa.
stion was that OF a receiver Of stolen
goods. He married a clearinghouse
keeper and devised q receptacle for
his goods known as pitts window"
from the circumstance that 1t was a
window. which had been blocked up
to avoid the window tax that Pitt had
imposed upon the country. Being de-
'tocted, Mackoull escaped to Germany.
where he became an adept at fleeing
the frequenters of gaming tables and
gambling houses ra Id
In 1906 Mackoull returned to Scot
land, qualified by his many expert.
ences to become a master swinller.
Soon atterward occurred a. murder
which was universally attributed to
him. Begble, the porter Of the British
Linen Company bank, was stabbed to
the heart while carrying a large parcel
of bsnk-notes. Several persons were
suspected, apprehended and discharged
from want OF evidence. This frst drew
upon Mackoull the attention Of the
runner Donovan He endeayored TO
bring home the guilt to this criminal;
he failed, but thenceforward the two
men were matched against each other,
and Mackoull found opposed to him a
bloodhound Of a man whose pertinac-
ity and relentless patience nothing
could overcome.
Mackoull's luck in escaping his de-
serts was phenomenal. Soon after the
Begble murder he was arrested on a
charge OF pocket.picking and lay for
nine months in the. Tolbooth, but no
case could be made out against him.
After his liberation he was arrested
on a charge of passing forged notes,
but again he succeeded in evading the
law. Emboldeped by this high tide OF
fortune, Mackoull now laid plans for
his greatest and most audaclous
scheme; the robbery Of some one or
other Of the great, Scottish banks. With
this object In view he secured the as
sistance Of two of the most desperate,
criminals in the country, French and
Huiey White. the after a convict at,
the hplks whose assistance Mackoull
considered to be SO necessary to his
plans that he actually contrlyed his
escape in order to obtain his services.
On Sunday night, July "A, 1911, the
trio broke into the Paisley bank Of
Glasgow with keys which had been
fitted in advance, raEsacked
the drawers and safe and secured no
less than 100000 in gold and notes,
They Immediately secured post
chaise and four aud made their way
to Edinburgh. and thence southwark
through Haddington and Newcastle to
London. There the three separated,
Mackoull contrivlng to obtain The
lions share OF the spoils-abop. si0.-