Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-08-23

With this 1ntrOductiOn Will iee
Andy. Bliss. the king Of the gold coin
ers, tell his story, Just as he told 1t
to me.
STATEMENT OF ANDY BLISS.
No man of sense, said Andy,
would ever become thief. If he
would stop for moment and think.
will admit that there is fascina-
ton in thievery, which grows upon
what It feeds, until 1t is overpowering,
and stealing then becomes a habit.
the same as tobacco smoking and
drinking rum, and 1t is very hard to
break of.
But the practical lesson Of my life
is very clear. l have been thief for
forty years, spent twenty years in
Jail, made over $2.000,000 in forgeries.
counterfeiting schemes and bank rob-
berries. and today have not a dollar
to my name. It's the old story over
again-easy come. easy go.
will tell you about the counterfeit
ing scheme, which gave me reputa-
ton among crooks and honest men as
well, of being star performer in my
line. It all grew out Of a little trip
which 1 made to Washington to meet
Tom Cannon, an old friend of mine.
who had planted a place near the
White House which promised re-
ward Of about $4,000. would have
gone anywhere for a lump OF money
half that size in those days. Well.
LOOKED over the scheme and saw that
1t was very dangerous. but Cannon
would not give up the idea. I did not
want to be looked upon as fellow
without nerve. SO consented to go
into the Job, which was to rob the safe
of a paymaster.
The paymaster-I think his name
was Hoffman-drank pretty hard, and
slept near the safe, but the plan was
to attack the strong box while the pay
master was in a drunken stupor.
We got to the safe without much
trouble. The box was an old-fash-
toned affair. and we got to the bills
by simply knocking out the spindle in
the handle.
I nailed the money when the door
few open, and started away. Cannon
was behind me. The paymaster was
aroused, and instantly fired a shot
from his revolver. The ball went
through Cannon's neck and struck me
in the shoulder. Cannon was killed,
but the ball did not stop me. ran
and got away with the Doodle.
knew that it would be unsafe for
me to try and get out of Washington
then, for the alarm was promptly CIV
en-, and every street and outlet was
guarded by Uncle Sans men, as we'll
as the local police. went directly to
the home of Big Jim Farrell. He was
an old-time thief, and then was rum
ming a faro bank to win the soldier
money with crooked dials. I told Jim
] was hunted. and he put me away in
the care of Louise Jordan, who after
ward shot Farrell in Chicago, through
jealousy. I kept under cover in the
Jordan house for about two weeks,
and then Darby Jones and his gang.
consisting of Billy Wallace, Frenchy
Kline, George Keene and Wary Nc
Gee, turned up. They had come to
Washington to do business with me.
/ left Washington with the gang dis
guised as a negro. There was a re-
ward of $4,000 for my scalp. but
won out easily.
I left the train in Newark and drove
10 new III u Cdu. L hePt
cover for few days in New York.
and then moved over to one of the old
houses in Ravenswood. L. l., which
had been practically deserted for sew
eral years. The house was near the
water, and We stuck out the sign of a
fishing club on the mansion, and hired
a sloop to give color to the fake.
Then the counterfeiting scheme was
put in motion. Frenchy Kline and
Billy Wallace were the experts. and
Billy had expected to have a die for
either a SO or 800 gold piece deliv-
cred to him in Washington. Failing
to get this, he decided to make tho
$40 and 500 dies himself. and put up
the coin for the tools and to take care
OF the gang.
Making a die is very slow process.
and we had a dandy time sailing and
fishing while Billy was doing the
work. He was the most painstaking
workman / ever knew, but as he had
worked in the treasury department he
knew the kind of game he was up
against, and did not want to make any
mistakes. He made two dies and
threw them away. because they did