Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1912-10-10

to have lived In the days when
they used to break thief's body on
the rack, that the thieves are the nat
ural enemies of mankind and ought
to be exterminated.
well, II thieves are the natural en-
emies of all the world, the other SIDE
Of the argument must stand also. that
the rest of mankind are the proper
prey of thieves. With this notion In
view, say that It Is q wonder that IN
every house which Is visited by
thieves there is not left a trail OF
blood. But actual experience and sta
tistics will show that fewer murders
are committed by thieves when en-
gagged in their work, in proportion to
their number, than are committed In
the ranks of persons who 60 around
with label of honesty on their fore
heads.
Speaking OF shocks that a fellow
is liable to get in any business, re-
calls q remark made by old Jimmy
Hope when he first started out as a
crook In Philadelphia, to the effect
that the bravest people on earth are
the thieves who work in the night.
Perhaps you never thought OF 1t In
that way, but Just think for moment.
The common notion of crook Is that
he goes about his work armed to the
teeth and ready to shoot or stab at a
moments notice. To disprove this be-
lief let us look for q moment into the
mind Of thief who is about to enter
a dwelling house in the night?
First he must satisfy himself
that no one is awake in the house.
The first evidence of this is the abb
sence of lights. Well, then, all the
lights being out, the thief goes about
his work as quietly a. possible, but
taking into consideration the fact that
thievery, or, rather, burglary. is es.
sentially breaking into place, 1t
cannot be done without more or less
noise.
"A thief knows that in nine houses
out OF ten there is some ready means
of defense, usually a revolver or a
gun, and II any one is disturbed, his
entrance will be met with shower OF
lead. He is liable to be killed, and
thieves appreciate this better than
any one else. He must face a secret
and silent enemy. / have been in
houses where the first intimation that
we were discovered was the report Of
a firearm and the singing Of the lead
around our ears.
tits quite o bit ago since ! was
known as Black Jack, and was the
leader of as tough a gang Of rangers
as ever flashed a bull's-eye. Every
mothers son of them came out Of the
old Fourth ward, and from the time
we were kids we were out for the
dust and were the sworn enemies Of
the old Market Gang, which turned out
such desperate lot Of crooks as Abe
Coakley, Paddy Reynolds, Billy Por-
ter and Long John Garvey. But our
fights were our own fights, and not
a man in either Of the gangs was ever
known to lay down information to the
police. There were plenty of oppor-
tunities to do each other when It
meant money and perhaps the saving
of term of FIVE or ten years In Sing
Sing.
THE Black Jacks made the best
tour on Long Island ever known
among thieves. We went from Fort
Hamilton to Riverhead, up one side and
down the other side of the island, with
only the loss Of two men, both Of
whom-Paddy Gillian and Shorty Far
rell-were shot by woman in Oyster
Bay. During this trip we used black
sIoop part of the time. but most Of
the travelling was done by horse and
Hagong, and 1t was usually the horses
and wagons of farmers.
I'VE visited over 600 houses,- and
divided about $4,000 worth OF stun.
It was a trip OF pleasure, for the 10
cal police did not bother US at all.
This was easily explained. II was on
account OF the lack Of money. In no
ANAL place can you End the men who
have control of the public money will
tug TO spend anything to chase thieves.
and. even when murder Is committed,
there Is never a willingness to put up
money TO hunt for the ASSASSIN.
when we got back from this trip
We we're in high spirits, and the Bow
cry was painted red from one end to
the other with the deepest red, and
syOry gambling house in the toWu