The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-01-05

SAOS %ouetI b%AASSSAy ""SA
and in the middle of the night Shin
burn managed to open the handcun.
slipped it off his wrist and crept away
naked from his sleeping companion.
To complete his triumph, he entered
the room Of the other detective, stole
his clothes and escaped with ease.
The detectives were chagrined over
this incident. The authorities were
furious, but down in their secret
hearts the police could o help but
have a certain kind of admiration for
this mar who made thieves like Claude
Duval and Jack Shepard appear like
bungling amateurs.
Byrnes sat in his office apparently
oblivious to Mr.. S%hinburn's move
ments. But he was watching him like
a hawk. After the sensational escape.
Of the famous criminal, the inspector
learned that he had gone to Belgium
and was posing there as a baron.
"Why not go after him ?" suggested
one of the headquarters men.
NO" answered the great thief TAX.
er, we're not quite ready for him
yet"
But We can induce him to come
over here and then bag him."
Its not necessary. He'll come back.
They all do" 7
Shinburn Is said to have been a man,
of good birth. At all events he was
we'll educated and talked several Ian
snages. AS a consequence of this
| equipment he carried out his new role
with perfection. He had a large es.
tate just outside of Brussels, probably
| purchased with the money that he had
stolen from half a dozen banks in
| America. He entertained on a large!
scale and spent his money lavishly.i
| Most Of his guests believed that he!
was a titled person who had the right
to move In aristocratic society. Those
who did suspect the man we're help!
less. No %extradition treaty existed be-
tween Belgium and the United States
at that time and 80 he was suffered
to live in peace and honor on his Ill;
gotten gains.
He vas restless, however. He had
all the money that he needed to keep
him comfortably in any one of the
European countries. But that vas not
enough; he wanted more. He began|
to speculate in the London and Berlin;
stock markets. and in a little while the
stock brokers cleaned him out. 1t has
been c~yEically said that they did tol
him what he did to the financial in
situations Of America. .
Failing 10 obtain money lawfully, hei
turned to Is trade as a duck turnsi
to water. Ee organized a gang to dol
business in Belgium. and planned to!
break the safe of the provincial bank,
of Viverc. His chief associate in this
enterprise was a thief named Bullard,,,
who had worked with him for many!
years in America. In this case 'thei
operation was a success, but the pa!
tient died" That is to say, they
opened the safe successfully, secured
the money and got out of the building
but were arrested before they could
make a complete getaway" Shin
burn engaged high priced lawyers and
made a desperate legal fight, but was
finally sentenced to five years, which,
he served. !
After that he became a gambler;
going from n resort to another In:
Europe. Finally he became tired OF?
the old world. shook its dust from his;
feet and returned to this country. He;
little knew it at the time, but in do
ing this he was leading up to his fare
well in the burglary business. He,
had not been here very long when he
robbed q small bank in the interior Of
New York state. This started the,
Pinkertons on his track actively. He
went to Philadelphia. and q certain;
operation in that city put the Quaker
City authorities on their guard. Frank,
Kelly, one of the greatest bank de-;
tectives in the world: got in pursuit OF
Shinburn.
In the meantime the superintendent
of Scotland Yard and the chief Of tho
Paris secret service were itching tol
lay hands on the clever German-Amer.
lean. Chief Inspector Byrnes, sitting
in his office on Mulberry street, watt
ed patiently for the big criminal to-
come into his outspread net. The i'm.
portance Of the man, therefore, may be
understood when 1t II known that dve
Of the greatest thief takers In the
world were looking for him 1t the
same time.
The climax came after his robbery
Of a comparatively small bank. Byrnes
wanted to catch him with undisputed
evidences of his guilt. He could com-
mand money 10 readily and hs en-
gagged such brilliant, legal advocates
that 1t might prove fruitless to arrest
him merely on suspicion or on &C
count Of his bad record. So the In
spector was eager for the sort Of proof
that would stand in q court Of law.
The rogue even pretended that he was
not Shinburn, but that he was really II
titled nobleman. The police waited
for the slip which every thief makes.
It came quicker than they expected.
One morning Shinburn was discov-