The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-11-14
CLIFF pEMPsEYs STORY.

II never asked credit" said Cliff.
"for doing good to any one, and
never feared censure for doing evil,
because have always made It a rule
to do what was right according to my
Judgment and the way / was brought
up. What might appear right to me
might be condemned by preacher
many times. and then again what
some preachers do might not seem
right to me. and so It goes. It may
not be in accordance with the teach.
ings OF good men to stick to a friend
no matter what trouble he may get
into and to kill the friend who does
you serious harm while having the
smile Of friendship on his lips. Well
that's my doctrine, and everybody
knows II. 1t has made my path thorny
at times. but II has given me some
OF the truest friends who ever lived
on earth.
1T is astonishing how friends will
sometimes go back on you. even those
who have been very close to you in
danger. and when the blow comes
there is to my mind only one way to
wipe out tho disgrace. The way
gave 1t to Abe Baker is a good idea
of what mean.
ABE and l were raised together,
and for many years we worked In the
Same line. / was with Abe in the
Connecticut and Long Island masked
burgiaries. When Abe was shot In
Islip while we were leaving the house
of Judge Reynolds with about $4,000
In property put him on my back and
carried him several miles to plant him
IT a spot that ! knew was dead safe.
He paid me back for this in a way
that no one would ever believe him
capable of doing, and | had to suffer
for It.
Ling DAILY, Abe and I went into
the bank business when the masked
burglary trade played out. and we
Travelled over the country together
with great success We tapped alto.
gether about thirty banks, and there
was no reason why we should ever
have been nailed. It was a lucky trip,
and we did not have the slightest trou.
Bile in any place except the little In.
conveniences which come to men In
our line who are being logged by the
police all their lives.
"One of the tricks was the Empire
bank in Troy. They had an old-fash.
toned vault which was then looked
upon as the best safeguard in use
against attacks Of burglars. But |
knew its weak point. We rot into It
two hours after dark and were on tho
midnight train out of Albany with
S3T5,000 In cash and securities. We
read tho account of the robbery In
New York the next day. II was very
evident that we had not left any clue
for the police to work on. II was
lay down for chance to get rid Of
the bonds
y was then living In St Marks
place and was taken by surprise when
couple OF detectives carried away
my door and took me to headquar.
ters. They told me was wanted for
the Troy job. found Daily and Baker
there, and glanced at them in their
Gel! ns | was brought In. DAILY
snlilt but Baker looked surly and
sal On the edge Of his bed and did not
give me a glance. | supposed, OF
course, that he was ugly at being
pinched. but ! knew that we could
beat the game II we did not say any.
thing.
Thieves convict themselves by talk.
ing about half the time, and l thought
that could trust the men had been
pulling with. We we're taken to court
the next morning and were remanded.
This showed me that the police were
not satisfied with the evidence they
had against us, and I had q chat<with
Baker about the business. He did
not seem TO act right, but | did not
mind Il then. | could not see through
the scheme until we were taken to
court again. Then ] was dumbfound.
cd to- hear that the detectives had got
possession of tho securities and part
OF the cash.
There were only two others beside
myself who had knowledge OF where
the property was. They were Baker
and DAILY. knew that one of them
had given up to the police thought
OF the two men that It must be DAILY;
lint did not say anything to either OF