The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-07-27

was founder of one
of the queerest monopoly on record
Thief Trust"
Wild was born in 1882 He was Eir-
mingham buckle-maker by trade and
came to London as a young man to I'M
prove his fortune. A life of dissipa-
ton quickly landed him in prison for
debt, There he stayed four years. be-
coming acquainted with almost every
thief in London and gaining a strong
influence over most of them. BY the
time he had scraped together enough
money to buy his freedom he
had already outlined his fu-
ture career. He saw that crooks
never really succeed in life. So he
decided to stay technically" honest.
and to profit by Others crimes. Rent
ing a low waterside tavern, he made
friends with more outcasts and at last
had a large enough following to take
up the profession he had planned.
Calling to him a number of notori-
Gus thieves, Wild made them lit
tie speech. He explained that the
new laws had made life hard for rob-
bers. Theft was not only a hanging Of
fense," but the receivers of stolen
goods were so closely watched that
they dared not do business. So he
suggested an improvement on the old
methods. Any one committing theft
was to come at once to Wild and tell
all about ii. Wild In turn was to get
to the person robbed, and, on the lat
ter's promise to ask no questions, was
to offer to return the stolen articles
in payment of substantial reward
This reward he would give to the thief
in exchange for the plumber keeping
one-third OF the money as his own COM
mission.
1t was simple arrangement The
victim would get back his property
by paying certain sum; the thieves
would make more money than by deal
ing with regular receivers or
fences" Wild, with no danger to
himself, would reap tidy commission
on every robbery.
From the first his business prosper
ed. He himself stole nothing, nor did
he in any way come within rea.,h of
the law A house. for tustanc e,1wputd7
be robbed of $4,000 worth of valuables
Wild would go to the owner and tell
him that for 5000 he would find the
lost goods. The money was paid and
the goods were returned. Wild clear
ing 5000 on the deal The work vas
profitable to him and to the thieves
alike. BY the world at large he was
regarded as sbreWd detective. who
was singularly fortunate in tracing
flost property. Most people were glad
enough to get back their belongings
without insisting on the thief's ar
rest. Wild grew rich, bought big
house and was highly respected. HeI
even added smuggling as side line"
to his business.
He managed to get thieves wholly In
his power by hunting up evidence
which (should he place it in the hands
Of the law would hang them. BY hold
ing this threat over their heads, Wild
made the great army OF crooks give
him slavish obedience and deal exclu
siyely with him. 1t was, a regular
Trust" Once in awhile SEINE stub
born rogue would disobey an order
or would refuse to dispose of his booty
through the trusts agency. Then Wild
as reputable citizen, would lay his
evidence before the police and would
help personally inthe capture. Some
times these arrested slaves of his
would turn on him. His body. In fact
was covered with wounds, and in one
tussle his skull was fractured. Bit
these cases Of rebellion were uncom
mon.
Robbery throve as never before. AT
last parliament was forced to pass a
law making it felony for any one
to take money on pretense of restor
ing stolen goods unless he should also
produce the thief Wild was rich
enough to have retired, but the spirit.
of graft was too strong for him. Hth.
erto he had been on the right side OF
the law. Now he found himself on the
wrong side of 1t. he contfnued to
wiring thieves ill-earned money from
them and to betray such as failed to
follow his orders. At last, In 1925, he
was arrested, tried, convicted and sen.
fenced to be hanged.
AS the hangman's cart bore him to
Tyburn tLondon's place of execution)
the crowd mobbed him, yelling "Ju.
das." and stoning the trembling old
rascal, leaving little work for the ex.
ecutioner to do when the cart at last