The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-03-30
Mrs. J. C. Moore, Wife of Safe
Cracker Killed at Trenton, Tells Of
Her Life With the Slain Robber

talkative. He would tell me things
but he was not the kind to strike
up acquaintance and exchange conf
dences.
Told Of His Youth.
"Once I remember he told me how
he came to take up safe blowing as
profession. When he was a young
chap he got in with two other boys
and they went about broke. They.
went into an Italian settlement in
city and began looking for money.
The Italians all lived in tenement
and they kept their trunks in one
room and stored their savings in
these trunks. These three young
men, one of whom was J. c.. Moore,
entered the house ard broke open
the trunks with a broad axe and Sc
cured between $4,000 and $4,000.
"The Italians soon came swarming
out after then and caught up with
the three in a freight yard. They
were about to be hung when freight
train passed. Mr.. Moore broke away
from the crowd that had him and
ran right under the moving freight
train and got out on the other side
end escaped into some woods. He
told me the other two boys were
hanged. I do not know in what city
this occurred"
Mrs. Moore has voiced few regrets
over her stirring past but yesterday
she said, "They say your father al
ways knows best. My father tried to
keep me from marrying Mr.. Moore,
and if I had listened-well maybe
things would have been different. But
Mr.. Moore was always very kind to
me, with never cross word and
while we were not millionaires, l
always had whatever wanted.
81 used to try to get him to stop
this business of safe blowing. He
was always lucky at cards, and for
amusement would often play, and
nearly always won. tried to get him
to quit safe blowing and take up
gambling; I know gambling is not
the best life, but it's better than safe
blowing. But he always said he
didn't like to gamble and so he kept
at his old business.
81 guess it doesn't matter about
using my picture" she said, when
reference was made to photograph.
"I've had so much notoriety already
that when 1 go out from this jail
every one will say, There goes that
safe blowers wife, so guess a little
more publicity won't matter one way
or the other.
Promised Machine.
when Mr.. Moore went on the
Trenton Job, he and l were planning
to buy an automobile. He had prom
ised me a red roadster-we were &C.
ing to see it when he came back from
Trenton, But he never came back
Mrs. Moore was more nervous yes
terday than she had been during the
day previous and showed much more
feeling when talking over the i've
years of her life with the profession
al safe cracker.
She said yesterday that she did
not know Portland Ned. For some
time after Moore was shot and killed
it was suspected in some quarters
that he was Portland Ned, the con-
vict. who it will be recalled, escaped
from the governors office at the state
capitol some years ago. Portland
Ned now, however, is serving a term
in the Atlanta penitentiary and, is
evidently not the same man as ]. c.
Moore. When asked yesterday If
she had a photograph Of Moore, Mrs.
Moore said she did not-that he
would never have a photograph TAX
en- of any kind.
It is likely that Moore was known
under other names to law officers
over the country and in investigations
now under way other facts with re-
gard to his life may come out.-The
Cfafo