The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-03

having consented to participate In It, ba.
cause the bank was located near his own
birthplace and he did not feel like rob.
bling his parents old neighbors
This man Langdon, like many other
criminals of the same caliber, made 1t a
rule of his life never to use violence. FIRE.
quenuy he abandoned a contemplated
criminal enterprise upon which he had
spent months Of hard work because he
found that he could not carry out his
original plan without injuring a watch
man or other person.
OF course, when hard pressed 1t was
sometimes necessary for Langdon to
fight his way to liberty, but in such cases
he always made reparation to the injured
man as far as lay in his power On one
occasion, when he had fractured the skull
OF an officer who had sought to capture
him, he caused $4,000 In cash to be sent
to the injured man.
Other criminals frequently exhibit sim.
liar noble qualities.
Loyalty to his comrades Is another traft
found in almost every professional Grim.
inal. Honor among thieves" Is a phrase
commonly used, but few realize upon what
strong foundation it rests I know of
innumerable instances where criminals
risked their own liberty and even their
lives in order to assist comrade In dan.
ger.
Mark Shinburn. the noted bank burglar,
once displayed bravery and loyalty of a
character which Is seldom excelled even
on the battlefield. He had participated
with Eddie Quinn and third bank burglar
In the robbery Of a Western bank Just
as the three were leaving the bank, the
Waterman appeared upon the scene. There
was nothing to do but run. The watch
man opened fire. Quinn dropped. With
out a moments hesitation, Shinburn
stopped In his flight, although the watch
man was close upon them, and lifting his
fallen comrade to his broad shoulders con-
tinued his flight at reduced speed.
Shinburn was very powerful fellow
and even with his wounded comrade on his
shoulders he was able to outrun the watch.
man. He soon caught up with the third
man OF the party and they made for the
woods. When they lowered Quinn to the
ground they found that he was dying The
burglar had only a few minutes to live.
Quinn was conscious and begged his COM
rades to get priest to administer the
last rites, realizing that his end was near.
me two men with him knew il was i'm
possible to get priest, but they wanted
to make the last moments OF Quinn's life
as happy as possible. To leave the woods
at this time, however, was to invite cap
ture, for the watchman had undoubtedly
aroused the neighborhood and the woods
would naturally be the first place searched
for the fugitives. Nevertheless, Shinburn
decided to take a chance and left tho
dying man to comply with his last wish.
He knew that 1t would be almost impos.
sble to get a priest but he broke into a
furnishing store on the outskirts Of the
woods and went back to his dying COM
rade wearing a costume very much like
that OF q priest
The approaching hand OF death had
dimmed the dying burglars sight and he
had no suspicion that the priest" was his
Dig-hearted comrade. In slow solemn
tone, Shinburn spoke words OF encourage.
ment to his dying friend and the unfor.
tunate man passed away, comforted by
what he thought were the sacred words OF
priest.
But instances Of noble deeds among
criminals whose souls arc generally be-
leved TO be wholly black. might be mar.
rated without end. These men and women
who declare war against society only 20
find that CRIME DOES NOT PAY are not
without their redeeming qualities.
Their evil deeds are published far and
wide, but the good that they do seldom
comes to light. y SOPHIE LYONS