The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-08-30

With this introduction I will let
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 a thief, If he
would stop for a moment and think.
will admit that there is fascina-
ton in thievery, which grows upon
what it feeds, until it is overpowering,
and stealing then becomes a habit,
the same as tobacco smoking and
drinking rum, and It is very hard to
break off.
But the practical lesson of my life
is very clear l have been a thief for
forty years, spent twenty years in
Jail, made over 100000 in forgeries,
counterfeiting schemes and bank rob-
berries, and today have not dollar
to my name. It's the old story over
again-easy come, easy 60.
l will tell you about the counterfeit
ing scheme, which gave me a reputa-
tion among crooks and honest men as
we'll, Of being a star performer in my
line. It all grew out Of little trip
which made to Washington to meet
Tom Cannon, an old friend of mine,
who had planted a place near the
White House which promised a re-
ward of about $4,000. l would have
gone anywhere for lump Of money
half that size in those days. Well,
looked over the scheme and saw that
It was very dangerous, but Cannon
would not give up the idea. did not
want to be looked upon as a fellow
without nerve, so 1 consented to go
into the job, which was to rob the safe
of paymaster.
The paymaster-1 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
flew open. and started away. Cannon
was behind me. The paymaster was
aroused, and instantly fired shot
from his revolver The ball went
through Cannons neck and struck me
in the shoulder. Cannon was killed,
but the ball did not stop me. / ran
and got away with the Doodle.
l 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. l went directly to
the home Of Big Jim Farrell He was
an old-time thief, and then was run
money with crooked dials l told Jim
I was hunted, and he put me away in
the care of Louise Jordan, who after
ward shot Farrell in Chicago, through
jealousy. l 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 l
won out easily.
left the train in Newark and drove
to New York in cab. l kept under
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 q
fishing club on the mansion. and hired
IL 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 SO or $40 gold piece deliv-
cred to him in Washington. Failing
to get this. he decided to make the
$40 and $50 dies himself, and put up
the coin for the tools and to take care
Of the gang.
Making 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 I 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
not suit him. The money that was
made from these rejected dies would
have passed anywhere except among
experts, but Billy was in the game to
beat experts. In my opinion he had
not his equal in the world as an en-
graver and tool maker.
But the fishing was good, and we
could afford to live on the fat of the
land; SO the whims of Billy did not
bother US much.
If Billy was crank in his way. he
was an angel compared with Frenchy
kline, who was the most mysterious
IMAM I ever met, and I have seen a lot
of curious specimens. Freachy WA 1