The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-31

THE boldest, most desperate criminal
ever knew-a man who would stop
~ al nothing to gain his dishonest ends
was George Ellwood, the burglar who for
years terrorized all the large cities by his
audacious and often fendish crimes
Gentleman George" we used to call
hm-Nhy | don't know, for such a name
III became a man who never broke into a
house without murder in his heart and a
loaded revolver in his hand. Stealing alone
could not satisfy his depraved nature and
his crimes We're invariably marked by the
most outrageous cruelties and often by
murder.
There was nothing ingenious about the
. crimes committed by Gentleman George"
He and the men who worked with him
were far more skilful with their guns than
with their drills and jimmies. They relied
on brute force. on the terror Of their vic
Tins and on their reputation for shooting
to kill on the slightest provocation and
often when there was no necessity for
shedding blood.
Gentleman Georges" methods were as
different from those of thieves like Lang
don Moore as night is from day. Moore
never have anything to do with a crime
when violence was liable to be necessary.
He relied on his brains TO outwit society;
Ellwood depended on brute force, which
often took the form of the most tiendish
Cruelties.
Gentleman George" had a perfect mania
for doing all sorts OF daring, eccentric
deeds, such as no other burglar would
dream OF attempting Just what his ezra
tic nature would prompt him to do next
was a question chat kept both the police
and the underworld continually guessing.
Many criminals who could see only fool
hardness in his actions thought him in
sane but Ellwood always insisted that
there was method in his apparent madness,
ut pays TO do things no other burglar
would do he once said TO me. "If the
police and public think I'm insane the
more they'll stand in awe OF me and the
easier it will be for me to get away with
my booty"
A Detroit banker was returning home
late one night from his club He had
mounted the steps Of his homo and was
fumbling for his latchkey when, to his
amazement, the door swung open and he
saw facing him in the dim light Of the hall
two masked men.
One OF them, as was later proved, was
Gentleman George; the other, favo-
rite comrade of his. Joe Whaen. Ellwood
whipped out a big revolver and showed
the muzzle under the astounded bankers
nose.
Good evening" said Gentleman
George" as cooily, as if this meeting were
the most natural thing in the world
we've been waiting for you
Before the banker realized what was
happening he found himself bound hand
and foot to a chair in his own library.
Across the table the two burglars pulled
away in comfort at expensive cigars and
leered at their victims plight.
Presently ''C,antlau,ao oDooad
UP his bag OF plumber and began spread.
ing the pieces OF jewelry and silverware
before the bankers eyes, making the
while sarcastic comments on their cheap.
ness.
Paste" was his comment on a diamond
necklace. The spoons he declared were
plated" gold watch was one Mother
Mandelbaum wouldn't give ten cents for"
"a nice lot of junk to be found in a
wealthy bankers home" was his wither.
ing remark as he completed the inven.
tory. II shall have to trouble you to
write a check for the difference between
what there is here and what my friend
and ! ought TO have for the nights work"
He pulled open drawer OF the library
table, took out a check book and wrote a
check payable to bearer for one thousand
dollars. Then he released the bankers
right hand and pressed pen into his
twitching fingers.
Sign that" growled the desperate.
pressing the muZzle of his gun against the
bankers temple; land IL you stop pay.
ment ON it or make any complaint TO tho