davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29

distaste TO his amorous matters being
given undue publicity.
4 prefer working alone" he said.
ut is thrilling, and am sure Of my
self.
In fact, it was the thrill tha; urged
NE into this game. was at college. I
needed the money. The life certainly
appealed TO nae. At eighteen years of
age / had successfully completed my
first Job. For eigi.t years have been
living OF my winnings in my game with
prison and death.
Before the East Brooklyn Savings
Bank robbery had never killed. be-
cause the tellers IN 8 Western bank
know better than TO disobey 4 nan
with a gun. They do as they ar. told.
Peal and Coons disobeyed ard it was
their loss.
The thing that hurts most Is that
was finally sent to prison for some
thing I greatly regret Davis was
good fellow, but thought he was going
to shoot me. found cut lateg that he
wasn't even armed"
Handy ccmmuned with nature dur
ing his last few hours of liberty. After
killing Davis he walked twenty miles
through the mountains to a tiny settle
ment He entered the general store.
with three deputy sheriFs closing in On
him.
The walk had been exhilarating ard
wonderful" he said. Il will remember
it. The three men following ne had
not alarmed me. Ny mind had been
working fast. Remorse over killing
Davis was heavy on me and I d.dn'l
know whether to give myseif up or
commit suicide. l tossed coin, but
It rolled away in the darkness.
4 told the proprietor Of the general
store who | was. l gave HIM the two
revolvers l usually carried. But sliil
there was hope for me. [ could have
grabbed up an automatic rice which
lay IN corner Of the place and put "a
quick finish to my pursuers. But they
were family men-and I was a bit tired
Of it all. Then they came and tooi .as
&c Tacoma, where 7 was, une~7ectedl..
too, convicted"
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29
Becomes Poet

diplomat. He met the roughnccks
on their own terms and beat them at
their own rough and tumble game, in
which the stout locust was the deciding
factor in many a battle. The men
along Devery's post came to fear this
big, broad shouldered and fearless ccp.
Undoubtedly it was this early expert
ence that made him the king Of clubs,
for Devery was always q firm believer
in the persuasiveness of the nightstick.
Many youngster just getting on the
wrong path through bad company has
been set right through a few we'll di-
rected blows across the upper part of
the legs with a nightstick. And how
those Corkonian giants could make
their blows stingl Breadth of forehead
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29
4 Real Family Man

After that he spent mos. Of his ma
on his Far Rockaway proper-y. =.
moved his city home 70 the upDe-
West Side. Always a Tamiir man.
good father and loving husband. h,
never drlfted far from MS fresi6e His
last active interest in the civic arafrz
OF New York was his effort 70 have
Rockaway declared city apart fron,
the municipal control Of New York
City. 1t was suspected that Big Bulr
had renewed ambition to- be MAYER 81
a town. Re disclaimed any such ara
bition in his campaign fer the inde-
pendence of Rockaway
Ny guess is that Devery accumulated
by means of his real estate operations.
a fortune of between s50e.00o and
1000. 900.
Oh, yes. Big Bill" buffeted about n.
he had been in his twenty-five years on
the police force, nevar sourca arains.
the world. He was cheerful Devcrv 10
the last. And, having a kindness shown
him by Mayor Van wyck. he passed it
along to Mayor Hylan. who. he said
was the best Mayor ever" "Big Bills
sense Of humor never deserted him.
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29

formed official of the department, who
admitted taking graft money.
Devery once declared, Il amt poll
tician. | couldn't get 4 bag Of double
jclnted peanuts from Tammany Hall"
Sfrewd in matters OF business. Deverv
never fell for the Wall Street game
which wiped out the fortunes Of Tom
Byrnes, Little Tim Sullivan and Pat
NeCarren. He made judicious invest
ments in real estate in this city and
also at Far Rockaway. On his leaving
the Police Department, however. Big
Bill' did fall for the game of politics.
MS liking Of public attention and his
sense Of humor, perhaps, had more to
do with his entering the political arena
than any real hope CIR belief that he
could be elected to high Office. That
new field changed him from a pictur-
esque figure to a grotesque figure. He
was leader, but the orsanizat ton
frcwned on his efforts to be one cf its
leaders. Big Bill" had many friends
in his home district, the Ninth, which
IS on the West Side. His open air
political headquarters was at pump
at Eighth Avenue and Twenty-e.rhth
Street This fire hydrant became fam
Gus as the rallying point of the
Deveryites and received the dignity of
upper case letters, being referred to
only as "The Pump" Leaning against
1t, Big Bill" used to expound his views
and utter his Deveryisms.
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29
he Passing Of Grand Old Police Chief

II/lLLlAM S. DEVERY Neao York's most famous chief
w OF police cho died recently at his RockuaUaa
'0os for twenty-five gears successfully patrolmon
rondsmon, captain inspector, deputy chief and Chief
Big Ba oos appointed to the force became
rondsnan 1884, captain and an inspector IN
1S98 Almost Immediately thereafter he oas made deputy
chief and then Chief He held this office about or gears Eary
IN 1901 the Legislature passed aw oboshng the post chief
and Deuery became deputy commissioner.
Deuery had often SAID he "bor be cop and avhe
he sheved deputy commissioner he quit and Uent
into the real business he couldn't bear the
thought of being desk man at Headquarters
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29

up under all these charges, and indict-
ments made him fight back all the
harder for his job and power. Devery
was beaten only when the Office OF
Chief OF Police was legislated out of
existence. Even then he didn't give
up, for to his last days he insisted
II didn't get fair count. am still
Chief OF Police, only the Office doesn't
exist any more"
Devery never lodged controversy
with what he was pleased to term
them reform blokes" (the term "guy
was not in use in his day). "All
policeman" was the way one Police
Commissioner Endorsed Big Bill. He
was just that. From cop to chief, he
spent about twenty-five years Of his
life in police work.
4 Sense of Humor
Devery did not always consider HIM
self In the right in his many contro-
versies with hia critics. He was a
born fighter and he just would not let
the other fellow get away with it,
Aside from the fact that he was a
fighter, the chief had saving quality,
a sense Of humor. which he frequently
indulged at the expense of some other
person. Often he was unconsciously
funny. Once, for instance. when COM
plant was made to him by certain re-
form politicians of methods they
feared would be used at a coming elec
ton. Dsvery's way OF settling the mat
ter was to Issue Instructions to his
policemen, eff them silk stocking blokea
interiors with yeu, stand them on
their heads" When 'Bg Bilw gave m
order like this he meant that IL should
be carried out - nearly literally as
possible
Dsvs7y's attitude toward reform was
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29
''Cet the Big Fellers"

This policy Of handling big matters
Devery took with him to 800 Mulberry
Street, then Police Headquarters. He
taught his men to get the "big fellers" ]"
Brought up in the school of hard
knocks, the "best chief ever" knew how
to take them-and give them. Devery
never was more in his element than
when he could appear at some great
public function, arrayed in his best
uniform, and personally direct the work
Of his men. I have seen him at such
affairs do the work of the ordinary
cop. His presence was an incentive and
assurance to his men. They knew the
chief would be with them SO long as
they carried cut orders. It Is difficult
70 picture any such outbreaks In
Devery's day az have lately marked the
activities Of the Bolshevik element in
New York. Devery would have sup
pressed any such public demonstrations
II he had to have the city float special
issue OF revenue bonds to buy a new
supply Of nightsticks. And he would
not have been content to "let George
do it." Hs would have been there to
help.
Big Bill" would have considered it a
siur on his Official dignity and an insult
to his police ability to have outside
police agencies brought in to handle
such a situation. There were anarch-
lists IN this city In Devery's day. but
tnsy were very. very quiet crowd.
Religious maniacs." he called them.
They were all chartsd and never got
the least leeway for the carrying out Of
their principles. Devery's first arraign-
ments AZ cop--about forty years ago
were along tho riverfront, at that time
srfestsd with the toughest characters,
TO whom diplomacy wHx something akin
r. eswardioe. Dsvsry didn't try 10 be
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29
Acc0n, plice a MYSTERY

Iamby's accompl.ce remains as
great mystery as the real identity O.
Handy himself. lie wanta 10 be known
as Jay Boyd Allen. because. he e.
plained, It is quite close e his real
name. But Of the shorter man OF the
two who spread death AID blood on the
floor Of the peaceful oll-fashioaea bank
in Brooklyn he has nothing 70 say other
than:
He was an amateur and petty lar
ceny thief. lie was not accustomed to
tive-fgured jobs. I won'- gse him
away. know where he j.. Bat he
will come to the end e his rope some
day, in few years. He VIII leara his
lesson, bitterly. TOO. l suppose"
Then Ham0y fingered his velour hat
and sought for las righ5 cum r.-h his
left hand, instiactively. H felt tic
manacle and shock his arm q -,i7s in-
patiently. Then ne looked out or thc
courtroom window TO whore a small boy
was chasing 4 ball cn the courthouse
lawn, fearful that he would be gath
cred II Try policeman. 4 zeuhv~
stirred and disturbed few lecks of
Hamby's sleekiy combe5 hair. He
looked down a. the mauaclc- vr.st
again.
"is st any wonder that would soene-
be dead ?" this naturs-ioving murderer
said softly
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29
His Picturesque Tongue

Felonious crimes were Devery's
forte, and while perhaps he was at
times neglectful IN suppressing mis-
demeanors, he would have considered
his department disgraced if big crimes
went unpunished while detectives were
engaged in running down crap shoot
ers. Devery's language frequently
was quite as picturesque as his per
sonality, but it never required any in
depreciation. In one of the cases
where charges were made against him
he was acquitted, although the trial
Judge held that the chief had been
"indecorous and offensive" Charges
Of extortion and oppression rolled off
Eis shoulders like water off an oilskin
coat. Once the Police Commissioners
got" him. That was in 1894. He was
tried, found guilty and dismissed. He
was back on the force ten month
later, more powerful than ever and lust
as laxative.
he continued III the department SIX
years after being restored to duty,
when finally the curtain was rune
down on Devery's police career, in
1901, by an act Of Legislature abol-
ishing his Office, which step had to be
taken to abolish "Big Bill" as head of
the department.. One thing the old
timers still say about the chief, "He
never squealed." No man knew the
ins and outs of the Police Department
more intimately than he. He knew
what every man in authority was do
ing and had done. Testimony was given
before tho Lexow committee, inves-i-
eating police affairs, that Devery' 3
agents had extorted money Of which
1t was sought to prove that he got
his "divvy." 1t was not in the Deverv
code to admit receiving graft money
and thus besmirch the department and
other men, although the way for such
action had bessn paved by another ofa-
cer' later to become the highest uni
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29

was not such a factor in getting on the
force In those days as depth of chest
and circumference Of biceps. The
Devery cops were such adopts at club
welding chat they could. temper
their blows to make them hurt with
out doing any physical damage. For
hardened characters Devery favored
more of an allopathic dose and not
necessarily local. These reform
blokes," Big Bill" used to say, don't
want the cops to carry nightsticks
They ought to furnish 'en with bologna
sausages."
There was nothing "namby- -pamby"
about Chief Dsvery. Devery was a
bitter opponent as we'll as an adept
at coming nicknames for persons he
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29

didn't like. He once fxed on "Chesty
George in describing the late Inspec-
tor George McCluskey. To the time
of his death the dapper, we'll groomed
McCluskey was known IS "Chesty
George
Undoubtedly Devery did enjoy GER
tain political support. Being a mem
Der Of the uniformed force, however,
he was not subject to the whm and
caprice of the Mayor, and could be re-
moved only on charges or, as Devery
was, by his Office being put out tf
eXistence
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29
Yearras for Beyond

This soft spoken, clear eyed youth,
with the broad, lithesome shoulders,
who smiles as he tells Of killings and
laughs as he describes his robbings,
wants it known that he yearns for
death because there are no purling
brooks in prisons, or grassy slopes, or
the full sweeping play of the sunlight.
Handy was "lifer" in Tacoma when
he mildly informed the local District
Attorney that he had committed cap
ital crime in Brooklyn.
In Tacoma he had killed friend
because that friend's eyes narrowed
and sparkled during an argument. In
Brooklyn, he explained, he had killed
two strangers because they had sought
to protect their employers property in
q holdup. 1t was the famous East
Brooklyn Savings Bank robbery, on
December IS last, during the commits
sion of which De Witt C. Peal, an as
sistant cashier, and Henry Coons, a
teller, were shot to death.
Brooklyn offered me DEATH Handy
said simply. death was preferable,
BY far, very far, to life in prison
walls-my God, just think waking up
in the morning and seeing that"-he
indicated sweep OF sunlight that
flooded the courtroom Windows
''streaked by the shadows cast by iron
bars."
Handy seemed interested, enthusi-
astic, for the first time. He seemed to
cast off the lethargic Indifference with
which he has cloaked all emotion dur
ing his trial. His smooth, boyish face
became even younger as his customary
pallor gave way before newly in
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29
By Charles A. Salomon

wv 7TTH the passing Of William
NA( s. Devery New York has
lost one more OF the pict-
uresque characters that
contributed to the gayety Of metro
politan Life a decade ago. By only a
short span did "Big Bill" survive for
Her Mayor Robert A Van Wyck, who
pronounced him the "Bese Chief OF
foice New York ever hal" a char
Aeserizstion that stuck, although often
applied in a sense OF derssion.
Chief Devery was a figure tn New
1orx lie in period when nicknames
were given men prominent In politics
ana official place, practice not 80
prevalent to-day.
so Chief Devery, the last police
Official Of that rank New York was to
nave, became Big Bill"
and 1t was fitting. "Bix Bill" Devery
Ns' Sis not only in the matter Of
pnJsiqus. but also In the matter OF
'as power he Welded. As a patrol
a'sa ana IN the higher grades he filled
= MS climb TO tho Office Of chief,
ssry made frequent use Of his bulk
-na strength and proved his physical
gs' Also, whether one may De
s"Iss<d 10 cali ii moral courage or
s's, Dsveyy a. head OF the Police De-
sns proved himself e fighter, {.
VINO neysx laid down" His
s.n s.assf - chief was marked by ono
sns sztsr another With elements that
tasa him as blot on the .acu.cb-
8" " this fair town. On his massive
800 ~..a md brosd, deep shoulders ver.
.~ ssd me unrsssrainsd eritlcixm of
- - whS differed with his Wv ~ ~
Ae ~ rssies Department. H. ~,
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29


like that Of the late Colonel Asa Bird
Gardiner, who, when District Attorney
said, ITO hell with reform" The diff
ference was that Colonel Gardiner was
removed from office for his attitude
by Governor Roosevelt. Devery. too
was removed from Office at one time In
his turbulent career, but, unlike Gar
diner, he came back.
Devery was man OF Zig deeds. Be.
sides, he could intelligently direct the
work Of detectives, for, although per
haps not generally known, he hac
done such work for his friend, In
spector Thomas F. Byrncs, for many
years chief Of the detective bureau
and ono ~ tho c1avarac4
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29

may so soon leave this confessed mur-
derer and robber became the simple,
unaffected poet. Robberes and rnur-
ders drifted off into the summery haze
and there came back to him instead
softened, pretty pictures ont of the
great volume, There might have been.
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29

Smells nicely, doesn't ." he re-
marked as breezy finger Of the sunlit
day touched him lightly on the nostrils.
The breeze had crcpt over the spacious
lawn in the rear of the Supreme Court
house before duttering in the window.
And to think" he went on, they
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29

duced flow Of blood When Handy
entered the courtroom for the first
time last Monday the women pres
ent gasped in astonishment and al
most chorused, "How handsome, how
charming." With color in his face,
the actually classic lines were brought
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29

wanted to keep me from that forever
Day after day I would have been forced
to love nature through heavy masonry,
to breathe it blended with the dank
smells Of Western prison.
rs it any wonder that prefer death i?
Why was the trials held? There is
nothing in life for ME in prison; there
is everything in life outside # was
to spend it in prison I would be wish
ing for and hoping for quick death
This IS the better way. No illness
nothing. l have tried to commit sui
eide BY confessing. hope have sue
ceeded.
Let me ask anybody-how about
yourself-would you sooner die or live
in Jail? Was it Horace Greedy or
Patrick Henry who said, Give me lib-
erty or give me death? The man who
said that was great parsonage, be-
cause ne knew what he was talking
about. 1t is impossible for me TO fully
state my preference for death to
life within prison walls 1t would be
torture to know that outside the
streams and things were calling, while
inside was taking on the prison pallor.
Suppose l escaped in few years,
That would mean nothing. | would be
an ex-convict, stamped wherever I went
by the expression on my face, the un-
mistakable badge of Gagged things"
Lores Open Sea
This murderer, who Graves for the
sunshine, loves the open sea in the
same wild, wholesouled way. He said
that he shipped aboard merchantmen
or tankers again and again, not SO
much to escape from too efficient de-
tectives, but to get into the midst Of
the real out Of doors.
His taste in literature reflects his
yearning for the sea. He enumerated
his favorite books, with a disappoint-
ing similarity and absence of novels
and adventure stories
II went through most of the stuff
which every Young fellow reads" he
said. There was Dickens and Sir Wal
ter Scott, / suppose, and few Of the
other authors, in whom enjoyment is
lost because it is sometimes COM
pulsory to read them. Books on navi-
cation are my favorites."
During the hours ne spent in Ray
mond Street jail Handy perused Bow
SPIRITS Navigation" said by naval men
to be one of the most advanced aad
comprehensive works on pathfndinr
through the sea. Handy has among
his effects a warrant showing that he
has the authorization to ship as third
mate
There are no women playing star
roles in Hamby's case. He seems
TO have confined his love to the
beautiful in landscape He admits
that few women came into his
life At various times, but none played
leading roles. When he night have
been weaving a charming romance
he was roaming the mountains or
sailing the seas A .hourh he was re-
spect personifed in his wv references
to girls, he nevertheless d:ecrsdits them
entirely from professional standpoint.
Chains are as strong as their weakes
links, he said, and sometimes women
become weak indeed. He has TO opinion
on woman suffrage. Perhaps Hamby's
affairs Of the heart have been fre-
Quently recurrent and deeply interest
ing But Handy is an innate gentle.
man, cavalier who probably wooed
ard won, but has natural chjvalrous
New-York tribune., 1919-06-29
Handy, Most Remarkable Criminal City

wants It understood that he is not a
burglar or a murderer. His visit at
the bank was q commercial transaction,
he pointed out. He had regarded his
pistols as things which commanded
attention and obedience. They were
not instruments Of death as he saw
them. They became such Unexpectedly,
but not unwillingly. Peal and Coons
had died because they had failed to
appreciate that disobedience and death
were one. Out West the murders
would not have happened, Handy
pointed out. 1t is religion to bank
employees to snap with prompt obedi-
ence when man with q gun makes
suggestions.
Profanity IS the language Of tho
weak, according to Handy. He never
utters an invective, however poor the
prison fare may be or how obstinate
his light locks may be to the persuaaion
of missing-tooth prison comb. He
does not even verbally assail the friend
or $4,000 and who has slipped into OBJ
'livion, leaving Handy without cigar
cite money. Nor does he regret the
81, 900 he gave to the young woman
who accompanied him from New York
to the coast. She was not a good
woman, Handy said. but she was loyal
and levelheaded. A solitaire ring,
marriage ring with no significance and
a set of furs were some Of his gifts to
her.
Handy has one great fear. His at
torney, Frank x. McCaffrey, hight ap-
peal his case. That would mean time
lost-time spent in thick stone walls
in green summer time: Perhaps the
Great Beyond has something exciting
in store for hin-certainly it can't be
worse than prison life on earth.