The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-03-19

woman criminal of modern
times. who made million
dollars in her early criminal
career and lost it at Monte Carlo, who
has robbed banks, who has worked every
confidence game known to criminals
either alone or with other noted crooks
who spent many years IN prisons, who
later reformed and accumulated half
million dollars In honOrable business en-
terprises, is about to establish curative
home in Detroit for children Of criminal
tendencies
This retired Queen Of Confidence
Women is Sophie Lyons Burke. of De
trOit Mich, the author Of the startling
autobiography "Why Crime Does Not
Pay" She has offered property in her
city worth $4,000 for "charaCter
building" home. The Pathfnders' Club
to which she has made the offer. is a
Detroit organization that extends a help
ing hand to men and women who have
gone wrong" and need only a l!,tIe
sympathy or other aid to stralghten
them out. Character building" is their
chief work
1T should not be dificuIt for the
Pathfnders, to whom | offered the site
to collect 100000 or so for the erection
u a DulluluE VI LVV OF WV ROOMS LOT
such a purpose as to lead the faIteriug
footsteps Of little children Alright. and
also to extend a helping hand 10 men
who have gone wrong and need only
little aid to stralghten them OUT" says
Mrs Burke.
Il have made $1,000 4 week income
myself, and I am a woman siHty-seve7
years old 50 II seems 10 mo that an or
Eanization Of active mon should have lit
4 L.
purpose.
II want to see that home huH II
they ask mo ~, will do wnsteyer can
10 help them raise that fund. ! viii also
give them a little money toward tho
building, say $4,000. and I will give my
efforts IN whatever way they may ask
The home, If erected. will be- Sophie
Lyons Burkes first substantial memorial
IN her home city, FOR during her Grim
inal career. when she baFIed the police
OF the world she was "SODhie LYONS Of
Detroit" but there are other memorials
TO the reformed Sophie Lyons little
inches In the hearts Of children who have
received Christmas visits from a feminine
Santa Claus. But Mrs. Burke never
speaks Of these little incidents They are
amwr to but few
II feel that charity begins at Ertra.'
~ Mrs Burke MY heart hlenG- for
''e sufferers from the war in Europe
End I have contributed to various relief
funds. But We have our own problems
70 face, and one Of them thai is partfau-
Iarly close To me is the work Of giving a
real chance to the children who have had
a wrong start
1T seems to me- that thcre are enough
wealthy men in Detroit m huiId such a
home as is desired. But II there are NOT
enough OF them. then there arc enough
others whose money will quickly roll ND
into an astonishing total am ready To
neIp them claim my Offer Of a site l
hone hey will claim il soon
Sophie Lyons was the wife Of hank
burglar. Ned Lyons. and during the
many years OF her close connection with
the more important robberies Of America
and Europe knew intimately the eyDert
burglars OF the world
Her reputation was so well esra hIished
IN the underworld that she was sought
by many criminals who were not bank
burglars but who wanted a reliable part
ner in their own field Among these
were several women crooks extremely re-
markable IN their own special work.
She was caught frenuent'r. escaped
from several prisons and aided her pals
10 do the same. She escaped from the
stone walls and steel bars OF Sing Sing
a feat thought impossible She heIned
Sheeny Nike the store burglar pScane
from the great CharIestOWn prison. near
BOSTON. Also she helped Eddy rfuerin 70
escape from Devils island the French
penal colony. With the famous Harry
Raymond and Mark Shinburn she Iabored
patiently tunnelnR into tho White
Plains prison. in New York. 20 release
the noted burglar, Billiard.
From time to time were associated
with Sophie Lyons some Of the clever
est women criminals Of the world. Car
RE Morse, who had a reputation as great
as that OF Sophie Lyons herself once
made her a bank president
Carrie Morse meeting her on the street
one day invited her into a fashionable
restaurant. Carrie bore every mark of
prosperity and opulence She wore
Partisan hat from which dropped a long
ostrich plume. A large diamond brooch
was at her throat and there was a queen
ly array Of jewels on her fingers
Sophie" she said, I'm going to
show you how you can make a lot Of
money. Together we will start a bank
1t will be a bank for ladies only We
will give advice to any woman who has
saved up a little money. We will take
her money and invest 1t for her so she
can get bigger returns on 1t than she
can from any other bank.
You don't have to kno-- hing
about banking business at ali for the