The Springfield herald., 1912-10-25
cleft" FLANNELLYs STORY.

Left Flannelly, ''the Bowery was a
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-
lights the heart OF crook was JEFF
Henry, who was born and died in
State prison.
JEFF was dandy and no mistake
His mother was Just shade the best
confidence woman that ever lifted a
yaller ticker. She was doing stretch
of five years when JEFF saw the light
of day. His early education was
picked up in the books during the of
hours in the penitentiary. Well. you'd
be astonished to hear the old coves
talk. There never was book sharp
who could give JEFF any points when
1t came to shooting off genuine chunks
Of learning.
II was young fellow then. and
guess 1t was the cheerful words OF
JEFF that led me away from the job
that had as an apprentice to butch
er. and started me on the road lifting
other peoples coin and Jewels. l never
was sorry that met JEFF, even
though his advice never brought me
anything but trouble.
81 heard JEFF say one time, talking
to Sam Perrin, as he sat on a billiard
table in Sheeny Backus' joint, that he
had 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 II was out of banks
and locked up in houses. 1t was my
luck 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. /
was in that job, but, being new to the
business. | was left on the outside to
watch the house. had their extra
the constables of New Brighton got a
tip on the movements of the gang and
nailed them.
Maybe I was not tickled when |
found Jefr's books in his overcoat. 1t
was rich prize to me. landed on
the Bowery bigger than one of Bill
Dooley's fighting cocks. / got under
cover for couple of weeks Just as a
matter of form. When came out I
got together the gang that will go
down into history as the Red Robins :
There was not bloomer in the gang
that did not have murder to his
credit. and they would every one of
them rather fight than eat l was al
ways bit lively in any game, and I
won my spurs by doing Jim Bradley
with pitcher in his sailors boarding
house In Cherry street when Jim was
inshis prime and nobody else dared go
near him. got the gang by giving up
Jeff's book. AS l had all the facts I
was made the pilot. Then we started
OF on the tour that set Long Island
crazy and made the name of Red
Robins feared as the devil by all good
people.
"Jefr not only had the names of per-
sons living in each house. but he had
plans OF the houses. the easiest way
to attack them and the obstacles that
might be met with In some instances
he had gone so far as to give the num-
Der OF dogs, and their breed as well.
After studying over the book carefully
I laid out route which began at
and wound up in Jamaica.
This would give us altogether about
sixty places to vista very fair
of work for the dull season.
arranged the program so that the
homes to be robbed were widely scat
tered for the first week. After that
they were all close together, the idea
being that people, after hearing of the
irst robberies, would think that they
were safe, as the lightning did not
seem to strike twice in the same
place.
I'VE had to get transportation from
place to place. l had rig of my own
to start with that was fitted up as a
farmers wagon. 1t was large enough
TO hold the gang and such property as
was worth taking away. This scheme
lid not work well, as the wagon be-
came known by being seen In different