Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-04-06
F51ErBE0rS, and Leader offbe
Prof eSSfonal Bank Rob
|erS. Who for q Quarter Of
q Century Terrorized the
Police O Europe and America

The man had taken my boy down to the
ponce station and had shown him my pic
ture IN the rogues' gallery. And again the
realization was forced in on me by the
reproachIul gaze OF my boy that crime
does not pay
For time l managed to get along fairly
we'll and was able by honest efforts to have
a little home and to have my children
with me. But my old career came up to
haunt me and many refused 70 have bust
ness dealings with me when they were in-
formed of my earlier life. At last was
at the end of my resources-should | lose
my little home and my children, or should
l go back once more. Just once more to
my old life?
The struggle between my two impulses
was finally settled by a visit from two Of
my old aCquaintances of the underworld
Tom Bigelow and Johnny Meaney They
came to ask my help in promising JOB
which they felt sure would be q success
if they could enlist my services-there
would be at least $4,000 for me, they said.
Big Tom" Bigelow was an old-time pro
fessiOnal bank burglar, who had learned
his business under such leaders IS Jimmy
Hope and L9ngdOn w. MOore-men who
had never found any bank or any vsult
too much for their skill. Little Johnny
Meaney was one Of the cleverest hank
sneaks' that ever lived. He would per
form the most amazing feats Ia getting
behind bank counters and walking of
with large bundles Of money. He was SO
quick and nOiseless in his work that he
would never have been arrested but for
his fOndness for women and drink. When
under the influence OF champagne he would
cOnfide in some strange woman he had
met only a few days before, and In order
to get the reward some of the women
would tell the police where to find Johnny.
He had graduated eyelids, and his in
famed eyes were SO conspicuous that he
could always be recognized easily. He
was married and had several children.
His wife never knew the kind Of work he
did. He had a QuarrelsOme temper and
always got into some dispute with every
woman he met, and usually left them feel
Ing unfavorably disposed toward him.
Many OF the girls who betrayed him did
so more through resentment than any
thing else. / m5at!on these things to
show how personal peculiarities and tenn
permanent are often serious menaces to
criminals
Meaney's speciality was day work. He
would walk into a bank during business
hours and sneak behind the counter and
pick I'D everything he could lay bis hands
on. He never did any night work, and
knew nothing about safe blowing As
rule, a man who makes specially Of
night work with dark lantern, mask and
jimmy will not attempt any sneak work,
and the first-class sneak will not under
take night work. The night robber is
guided by the moon, and Oftentimes job
will be called off because the cracksmen
think the moon is not right for the work.
The darker the night the better. But the
bank sneak prefers daylight of the bright
est kind. He often works right under the
eyes Of a room full of clerks. and the
bigger the crowd in the streets the easier
for him to make his escape and lose him
self among them.