The Donaldsonville chief., 1912-11-09
CLEFT" FLANNELLYs STORY.

I'm the days when was a KlQ, salQ
Left Flannelly, .'the Bowery was q
stream Of life and JOY, and there were
more Indians to the square inch than
ever ran loose on the plains. Among
the old sinners who used to sparkle
and overflow with such wisdom as de.
Rights the heart Of crook was JEFF
Henry, who was born and died In
tState prison.
"Jeff was dandy and no mistake.
His mother was just a shade the best
confidence woman that ever lifted a
lyaIler ticker. She was doing a stretch
lot FIVE years when JEFF saw the light
tof day. His early education was
picked up in the books during the off
hours in the penitentiary Well, you'd
ibe astonished to hear the old cove's
talk. There never was a book sharp
who could give JEFF any points when
dt came to shooting off genuine chunks
of learning.
7 was a young fellow then, and
guess it was the cheerful words of
Jeff that led me away from the job
THAT had as an apprentice to butch
Ter, and started me on the road lifting
other peoples coin and jewels. 1 never
was sorry that I met Jeff, even
Though his advice never brought me
anything but trouble.
II heard JEFF say one time, talking
to Sam Perrin, as he sat on a billiard
table In Sheeny Backus' joint, that he
hed in his day tried his hand at every
line Of crooked work from lifting bank
vaults to tapping tills, and he found
that of all the tricks that he ever
worked he picked up the most money
IN country jobs in localities where the
people were simple-minded and hid all
their money in different places around
the house.
JEFF went into the business so care
fully that he had lot of statistics
showing the wealth in the country
and how much of it was out Of banks
and locked up in houses. It was my
auck when JEFF got nailed for the rob-
berry OF Aaron Burr's old house on
staten Island to get his list of places,
which promised well If worked. I
was in that job, but, being new to the
business, ] was left on the outside to
watch the house. I had their extra
clothing to look after. In some way
the constables of New Brighton got a
tip on the movements Of the gang and
nailed them.
Maybe was not tickled when I
found Jeff's books in his overcoat. It
was a rich prize to me. I landed on
the Bowery bigger than one of Bill
Dooley's fighting cocks. I got under
cover for a couple Of weeks lust as 8
matter OF form. When came out +
got together the gang that will go
down into history as the Red Robins
There was not a bloomer in the gang
that did not have a murder to hia
credit, and they would every one Of
them rather fight than eat. | was al
ways bit lively in any game, and 7
won my spurs by doing Jim Bradley
with a pitcher in his sailors boarding
house in Cherry street when Jim was
hn his prime and nobody else dared go
lnear him. got the gang by giving up
Jeff's book. AS I had all the facts I
WAS made the pilot. Then we started
of .aaa the tour that set Long Island
crazN and made the name of Red
Robins feared as tue devil by all good
people.
JEFF not on'y had the names of per-
sons living in4sach house, but he had
plans of the houses, the easiest way
q attack them and the obstacles that
might be met with. In some instances
10 had gone SO far as to give. the num-
,er of dogs. and their breed as well.
After slr:sying over the book carefully
laie ols. a route which began at
overhead and wound up in Jamaica.
rhis would give us altogether about
ixfy places to vista very fair
mount Of work for the dull season.
arranged the program SO that the