Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-08-03
BURGLAR HAS
GREAT RECORD
Man Wanted for Metuchen
Robbery Has Been Living
Duel Life for rs Years.
COMMITTED 1000 CRIMES
Children Kept in Ignorance of
Fathers Occupation Cir
cuIated in Good Society.

Culated IN 6000 SOClety.
In the arrest of Frank Henry, the
wounded robber, who as told in the
EVENING NEWS Thursday, was
caught at Jamaica, L. l., the police of
New Jersey and New York believe
they have landed a man who has
committed over 1000 burgalries in
his twenty-five years Of hidden crime.
The exposure of the man was made
after series of robberies at Metu-
chen from where he escaped with
handouts on his wrists and with
shot wound in his leg. The credit
of the capture is given Detective
Ferd A. Davis, OF Newark.
The case Is one Of unusual inter-
eat inasmuch as the man who earned
his living by crooked means repre-
sented himself as travelling sales
man and automobile inventor In the
colony In which he resided. The
man, who is now a prisoner in the
Raymond street Jail in Brooklyn.
says that love of his wife and chill
dren lead him to the easy life which
for many years proved so profitable.
An amazing tale of double life has
been revealed by the arrest OF Hen
ry, who Is said to have confessed to
the Metuchen robberies. When the
man was captured maps partially
torn up showed his work in New
Brunswick, Metuchen and other
places of New Jersey. 1t Is esti-
mated that during the past four
years his earnings have amounted to
nearly $4,000. He was an adept
with a skeleton key and Jimmy and
until two weeks ago ransacked
houses when and where he pleased.
Prosecutor George 8. Silzeer Is not
satisfied with the evidence already
obtained and has detailed Detective
David to probe more into the mans
past history. 1t Is said that at one
time Henry lead a gang Of pickpock-
cts through many states. Travelling
as a horse dealer he would arrange
auction sales and then when the
crowd had gathered he would get
busy and rife their pockets. Several
times the man has been arrested, but
somehow escaped the clutches of the
law in this practice.
The man bears a prison record
FOR entering homes. About twenty
years ago he was caught and con-
victed on a burglar charge in Jer-
sey City and was sent to Trenton for
four years, three Of which he serv-
ed In 1901 he miscued on another
Job in New Haven, Conn, and re-
>Cefged a. ten year sentence. While
working off this punishment the
prisoner was badly hurt and finally
pardoned.
Detective David asserts that Hen
ry told him that Notwithstanding
his Connecticut experience, he did
not leave New Haven and again en-
gagged n another series OF robberies
and 30 clever was his schemes that
the finger OF suspicion never glanced
In his direction. 1t was an old trick
of the prisoner to watch for people
to tgo to theatres or start on trip.
He considered this method more safe
than to gain confidence of the SER
wants, which would give the family
an excellent chance to obtain a good
description Of him.
His son and two daughters have
grown up in ignorance OF their faith
er's criminal profession. He has
Joined his sorrowing, worrying wife
in keeping absolutely secret the fact
of his evil life. When he has been
In prison his children have always
understood that he was engaged in
business in San Francisco. Although
he is known to and even lords 1t in
a way over many criminals, none of
them has ever seen the inside of his
home. His wife and his children
have good friends in the select neigh
borhood in which he lived In New
York, Brooklyn and Newark.
Three years ago he played the
country.nan gentleman on farm
that he owned near Vineland, N. J.
He gave many charming dinners and
other entertainments for his respec-
table friends.
He kept all evidences Of his crimes
such as his rich booty the appara-
tus for weighing and smelling gold
and for weighing precious stones
and even the clothing that he wore
in burglaries-in the room at No.
12e Waverly place. Manhattan. The
New Jersey authorities yesterday
bundled up jewelry and melted gold
worth about $1,000 and took them
to the prosecutors office in Essex.
The prosecutor has drawn up
may of the latest depredations of
the opera glass burglar" Seven
bty-five crimes are marked along the
,Lackawanna railroad between New
trk and Morristown; fifty along the
pennsylvania railroad between Eliz-
abeth and Trenton; twenty-five along
the Central railroad beween sliza-
beth and Philipsburg, and a dozen
along the Erie between Paterson and
Suffern.
At the time of his arrest Henry
was at the home OF DR.. Eden at
Jamiaco, L. L., recuperating from
gun shot wounds received while at
tempting to escape after robb1ng
the Peck home In Metuchen. The
prisoner told the doctor he had been
shot by one Of his employees and did
not want his wife and daughter
Ruth to know Of the trouble. Hen
rvs home was at 222 McDougall
street, Brooklyn.