Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-09-23

i
finally yielded to that uncontroll
liable impulse OF all criminals "te
talk" and, as he himself explains
having no pal" or woman crimina
partner, referred to in thieves argot
as a Ely moll," he unburdens him.
self to the entire public through a
letter written to The Bee.
The letter is a revelation i'll sew
eral respects, showing that he does
as matter of fact, possess many o.
the attributes of the gentleman, viz
Sufficient education and learning to
express himself clearly and indulge
to a certain degree in a comforting
philosophy of life, betrays a sense
of humor in his accounts of some OF
the escapades in which he took part
and biting sarcasm in his handling
of the police,
What is a Gentleman"
"Why do wou call me a gentle
man burglar? and what is gentle
man?' he asks. And continues: "A
wealthy man is called a gentleman,
because he is rich; a poor man Of
culture and learning is likewise a
gentleman, though he be out at ell
bows and his linen frayed and torn.
am not rich, and neither am | des-
titute-thanks to a sleepy police
force"
His continued success in evading
discovery he attributes in part to
the fact that he works alone and
has been wise enough" not to fall
in love with a woman, expressing
the fear that sooner or later the
love of one or the other would grow
cold, and in an unguarded moment
she would gossip" This betrays not
only an unchivalric attitude, but a
lack of confidence in his own con-
stancy, for only through that could
he hope to hold woman's love
steadily.
His Letter in Full.
His letter in full is as follows:
Omaha, Sept. II, 1919.
Managing Editor,
Omaha Bee.
"My Dear Sir:
Perhaps am displaying an over
due temerity in writing you, but l
cannot resist the opportunity or
temptation, rather, to throw a
bomb into the laps of Messrs. Rim
ger and Eberstein the very respect
able and efficient commissioner
and chief of police of Omaha.
"Perhaps I had best disclose my
identity before writing further and
still the curiosity that must obtain
in your mind as to your correspond
ent.
Here goes
Il am the Gentleman Burglar.
Safely Above Suspicion
"Such, at least, is the sobriquet
your newspaper writers and detec-
tives and other police officers have
accorded ME despite that they have
thus far failed to apprehend me or
come within 100 miles of learning
who | am or anything else about me.
They rail at their incompetency
and at my peccadilloes, chief of
which is an inordinate desire to get
the most out of life and living in the
easiest way.
why they dubbed me Gentle
man Burglar | do not know.
What is a gentleman, | ask you?
There are many the term fits and
perhaps, in way come inside the
meaning of the word. A wealthy
man is called gentleman because he
has money. A poor man of culture
and learning likewise is a gentleman
though he be out at elbows and his
linen frayed and torn.
81 am not rich, neither am | des-
titute, thanks to a sleepy police
force and more or less versatility. [
have a little learning, some culture
and know my way about.
why, you ask. do | prostitute my
true instincts and training and edit
cation to a life of oriminality, to
entering homes of respectable citi-
zens at dead of night and making
off with what is not mine.
No Feminine Chatterboxes.
Damned if know, to be quite
frank about it unless, perhaps, it is
the excitement that goes with the
work. You see ! play a lone hand.
No fly moll,' no anything but me.
My wits and skill against all mail
kind and when | win, and so far |
always have q just touched wood
a sense of pride and satisfaction en-
velops me in the knowledge that a
task set has been we'll done. My
talent, be it only that of a thief's,
is not buried against a day of reck
oning, but is made manifold. When
| face the Higher Tribunal I can
show I did we'll of the gifts vouch-
safed me at birth.
"As to the ethics of the profess
sion-O damn ethics. Evil is a
negative quality and illogical and
logic and ethics are bedmates, so
why worry. Let Titus Lowe q so
to hear him OCCASIONALLY, and the
other parsons decide the question.
II lay my success in my trade to
the fact that l work alone. Nor do
l play with women. Did l love a
maid, sometime during loves ecstasy
| might be tempted to tell her
things of myself better left unsaid.
======-------=E====== =========--===