The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-10-28
A CROOK THAT CHUMMED
WITH SPORTY OCALANS

Several of our good sports" recall
with regret that last winter they sat
in few games with pleasant ap-
pearing old gentleman, who painlessly
separated them from their coin when
he won and was a good loser-when
he lost.
The reason for their regret is that
he is one of the master crooks of
America. He was convicted in a
Pennsylvania court thirty-eight years
ago of murder and sent to the peni-
tertiary, but was pardoned out in two
years, since which time he has spent
over half of his life in prison. He
showed no trace of prison life while
in Ocala, however, but put up at the
best hotels and mingled with their
patrons, apparently as good as any,
body. He was known in Ocala as
Jeffries or Sherwood.
The mans original name is Thomas
Jefferson Sharum, with a string of
aliases as long as his arm. He is best
known in the criminal world as little
jeff" Confidence schemes have been
his speciality. He is believes TO be
the chief schemer among the bunco
steerers who took million dollars in
easy money away from the credulous
tourists to Florida last season. He
seems to have been the leader of the
gang of sharps that fieeced the Pont-
zers out of $4,000 in Ocala last win
ter. He was nabbed by agents of the
postal department in Glen Falls, New
York, this month. Following is his
record:
Criminal record of Thomas Jeffer-
son Sharum, alias "Little jeff" alias
JEFF Schram, alias T. J. Sherwood, etc.
October Ia, 1891. Jeff Sherman, No.
Dab, G. P.
Sept. 10, 1905, Thos. J. Mason, No.
1902, for East st. Louis, Mo.
Oct. 2, 1882. jeff Shearns, Michael
McGrogan, ST. Louis, Mo. i
Oct. %, 1893, Charles Wilson, alias
Little Jeff, Philadelphia, Pa, profess
sional thief, discharged.
April 5. 1888, Thos. J. Sherman, No.
1929, four years in Chester, Penn.
for murder from St. Clair county; par
doned Aug. 5, 1885.
Oct. 9. 1886. j. E. Jeff, No. 2470,
four years in Chester penitentiary for
burglary from Alexander county; re-
leased Aug. 1. 1891, expiration of SEN
tence.
Nov. %, 1891, Frank Williams, SEN
fenced to Alabama penitentiary.
June 20, 1892, re-arrested at Chi
cago, Ill.
March II, 1899, Charles Wilson,
sentenced to four and half years in
Sing Sing for burglary; released July
1, 1902.
July II, 1902. John Smith, G. p,
fined $25 and costs, Pittsburg.
September. 1902, assault; fined 800.
Sept. II, 1902. J. A. Morris, Mil
waukee, Wis, discharged
September 1903. J. A. Morris,
Meadville, Pa. PIP; escaped Oct. l.
1908, from jail
April 1905. JEFF Sherman, Albany,
N Y.
April %, 1906. Richard A. Benton,
Chicago. 1929. forgery, to Joliet, ILL.,,
penitentiary, No. 9746; paroled July
Is. 1910.
March II, 1913. JEFF A. Morris,
Cleveland. o.. fugitive, turned over
to United States for forgery money
orders.
July II, 1913, jeff sharum. Chica-
go, H., sentenced in U. S. court to
three years in Joliet. H., peniten-
tiary, No. 3009. forgery of United
States money orders; escaped Aug.
27 1913.
July Is, 1914, returned to Joliet,
Ill, penitentiary and discharged May
%, 1916. and turned over to the Unit
ed States.
May %, 1916, delivered to the Unit
ed States for forgery of money orders
at Boston. Mass.
July ID. 1916, John Ryan. Balti-
more, Nd, larceny, PIP.
Aug. ?. 1920. Thomas Sherwin, alias
jeff Sharum, Colorado Springs, Colo,
Investigation, suspected bunco.
Respectfully, H. n. Graham,
Postofice Inspector.
Postal Inspector Graham describes
the operations of Little JEFF" and his
pals as follows:
Would you believe that member of
the banking fraternity-a winter visi- |
tor from the north-lost over 100000 |
to confidence men operating in Flor
ida last winter?
An extensive investigation shows
there was such case among the |
many discovered, and that for years |
confidence men, in increasing num-
bers, have swindled winter visitors In