The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11

was buried the other day. He handled
millions of dollars. but died poor Most
thieves do.
Crime has changed in character. II
used to be matter of Drawn and bravery.
Now ii is largely a matter OF brain. BRAY
cry does not enter into the requirements.
Brawn is unnecessary. There proba bly,
never will be another organization such as
that of which Draper was a member
1t was known the Forty Thieves.
Bank robbery was its sepecialty Train
robbery was incidental Swindling was
resorted to oeca sionally.
Its master spirit was Adam Worth. Its
ranks were recruited from every land and
cline. Some of its leading lights. such as
Worth, operated the world over and lived
on a scale of magnificance that was
prineely.
Draper got his nickname of "Shang''
because of his great height "shang
was contraction of Shanghai. He took
part in various of the famous bank rob
berries of thirty years ago. at the time
when men tunneled into eanks to blow
safes, and took their lives in their hands
every time they embarked upon an expo
dition of crime. They were characters of
history of criminality-and their exploits
make vivid chapter in the long record
of mems misdeeds.
Draper gave up bank robbing more than
twenty years ago He was one of the
Forty Thieves who saw the change that
was under way. lie became a saloon
keeper and then a gambler. Then he be-
came a representative of the corrupt
forces in the police department. For fit
teen years or more he was one of the
principal channels through which black
mail was collected from the big gambling
houses of the Tenderloin. No man could
open a gambling house without negotiat-
ing with the eX-bank robber. No one
could remain in the business who failed to
pay tribute to the police through him.
At various times he had interests in some
{ of the largest houses He collected mil
lions of dollars. The money slipped
through his fingers. He was a gambler
at heart, and if he didn't play against
faro he bucked the stock market or some
other game of chance.
He was responsible for one of the queer
est scandals thgt ever troubled the Ma
sonic order in New York. Somehow he
managed to obtain admission into lodge.
1t was several months later before the
members discovered that the tall. hand
some, fashionable gentleman they had
taken into their membership was the no.
torious bank robber "Shang" Draper. AS
result of the newspaper publicity that
came with the discovery the charter of the
lodge revoked. But once a Mason
always a Mason. When "Shang" Draper
died poor and almost friendless the Ma
sons buried him.
'Shang" was a comparatively humble
member of the gang of Forty Thieves.
The great figures were Adam Worth,
Dutch" Alonzo, Jimmy Hope. Johnny
Hope, Billy Porter and Jimmy Irving.
Worth was of the most wonderful
criminals of his time. He was born near
Boston. A little thing that happened to
him when he six years old made a
criminal of him, at least he said it did.
One of his playmates had a bright new
penny. The lad offered it to Worth for
= two old pennies. Worth thought it was a
good trade. When he discovered that he
i had been swindled he took the matter
x much to heart. He never forgave the boy
who swindled him. When he was a mil
lionaire he told his story with bitterness
that is past understanding. For master
thief he singularv aualmsh. He
would not use firearms. and would asso-
ciate with one who had shed blood.
HIS prejudice IN TINS respect however.
didn't mitigate against his skill in thiev-
cry. His stealings went into the millions.
When he twenty-five he blew open
the safe of the Atlantic Transportation
company in Liberty street, New York. in
which there were $4,000 in gold. The same
year he robbed the safe of an insurance
company in Massachusetts of $4,000. The
following year he and three companions
, startlee America by blowing open three
y safes in the Boylston bank in Bostor
and robbiug them of nearly million dol
lars in money and securities. The uproar
that resulted from this robbery forced
Worth and one of his associates, Bullard,
to flee to England There he robbed the
vault of one of London's greatest pawn
brokers of s125, 600.
From London he and Bulard went to
Paris. where Bullard opened the first
American bar in the French capital. This
resort was fitted up in palatial splendor
The paintings alone cost 5000. Upstairs
they conducted a gambling house. They
were not contented with the profits of
the bar and the gambling tables. One
night they robbed diamond merchant
of bag in which he had jewels valued at
Slh,D) Worth returned to London and
Bullard came to America. In London
Worth set up an establishment through
which he conducted gigantic robberies Ali
over the globe. He would do anything for
a friend and he never deserted any of his
men when they got into trouble. Five of
the gang arrested in Turkey and
Asia for robbing a bank. and were sem
fenced to seven years Imprisonment in
Constantinople. Worth engineered a jail
delivery, and four of the robbers escaped.
While they were making their way
through Asia Minor they were cautured
by bandits. Worth paid $4,000 to ransom
them. The ransoming only led to more
trouble.
One of the four men, Charles Becker.
joined Worth in London and was arrested
for passing forged notes on which he had
raised $l2.500 Worth tried in various ways
to get Becker out. and when all other
means failed he hit upon one of the most
audacious plans resorted to by a
master crook. Gainsboroughs great pic
ture the Duchess of Devonshire was on
exhibition at Christie's. Worth got into
Christies one night and cut the painting
= out of the frame. The theft caused a.
great sensation. There was greater SEN
sation a few days later when Becker
sent for the inspector of police gave q
small piece of the Gaineshorough canvas
TO him and informed him that the paint
ing would be restored to its original owner
If he Becker. were released. What woul1
have come of these negotiations is prob
lematical Before the authorities could
arrive at decision Becker's lawyer dis
covered a flaw in Beckers case and the
man was released and skipped the coun-
try,