The Washington times., 1922-08-11
WH|sTlIN|,
JACK RAN.
WITH GANG.
FIirtations With Erals" Coal
ShoveIing, and Auto Truck
Theft in Experiences.
BY Cosmopolitan News Service.

Theft in Experiences.
BY Cosmopolitan News Service.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. II.--A
remarkable story of hoao Florence
Grgy, ttoenty-tl0o, Uho for siSteen
yedrs. posed as "Whistling Jack
Mcconnell" became member of
tough city gangs and got Gtody
tOith it" for sirteen years, S0ds told
by the girl today as she sat IN
flGppsr costume, legs crossed, IN
her hotel here. Florence lost her
standing as q gang member a feto
months ago sohen "a pretty young
thing tried to force "yack Nc
ConnelP into marriage. But it
sOas not until one of her gang
struck her a blo,o on the nose in a
soda pdrLor, an arrest following,
that her identity became kno,0n to
the public generally. This Is the
story of her life:
:. BY FLORENCE GRAY,
Alias 'whistIing Jack Mcconnell"
II was born in New York city.
My father was a Buckeye boy. My
mother was a New Yorker. She
died when was two years old, Rnd
my father married again and Is
living in Asheville, N. c. My grand
father Gray took me when l was
four years old. He's supported me
since the day I was born, bought
my first baby clothes, and I've
travelled all over the country, from
coast to coast, with him.
Travelling around that way
seemed to attract the attention of
some meddlesome people who said
they were going to put me in a
home. cried, and grandpa dressed
me up in boys clothes and we
slipped away. =,
af got my first job in Cincinnati,
driving a grocery delivery wagon.
I guess was thirteen then.
"Made Up" TO Girls.
ct always got in with a gang
Kids wherever we went and in
Cincinnati soon got initiated into
the corner crowd. That's bow I
got to be d Fighter, I mAde up
to the girls. Just the same as the
other boys IN
And 1 walked home with them
after school, and wrote notes to
tbem--.Roses are red and violets
are blue'-the old stuff.
Grandpa was always after me
about the gang. He tried to teach
me at home, or to make me stop
work and go to school. He wanted
me to be a gentleman.
but I was of another mind.
Wanted to be husky and rough.
MANY times 1 got chased by the
COPS. Once when we were shooting
craps on a saloon corner In Cincin-
natl a cop nearly got me. i laid low
for a couple of nights, but he had II
in for me, and one night when was
down on my knees rolling the bones
he nabbed me. =
"I went along to the box and he
rang for the wagon. He had me by
the back of the neck, and while he
was ringing / said to myself: You
can have my coat for ride, copper,
hut not me- ] wiggled out and beat
It. II was a new trick for me, and he
fired and chased me. But / was too
I9HI. IllI0DlHB lCIlCCng Il botO hhy hotN
with nails and got blood all over my
clothes. 1 had to tell grandpa, and
again he took me away.
1--WE went to Cleveland then. 1t
was a good while before broke into
the gang there. They were the tough
est lot I'd seen. The fellows had
ring and trainer, and they'd have
bout at lunch time. That's how /
learned to take heavy punches and
get knocked down.
I'D learned to run a truck, and one
night the gang planned to take a JOY
ride with lot of girls. They. always
put me up to the dirty work, because
was scared not to go through
with Il.
Stole Auto Truck.
1--WE, my buddy and me. jumped a
truck, but IT was locked. OF sudden
q man came out and yelled and vie
squad was on us. We beat II. Next
night. though, we pulled it. changed
the license on the car and chiseled off
some Of the number. Then we went
for the girls and took a ride. was
driving at high speed and ran head
long into a Ford. ran too fast to
see what happened.
"one boy and a girl were caught,
but they didn't squeal.
Next place we lived for any
time was Brooklyn, / was eighteen
then. Got a Job making shells dur
ing the war. The superintendent
lived in the same house with grand
ma and me, and he spoke for me.
They put me TO running an electric
' crane inside. but the superintendent
knew was pretty husky and
thought could throw coal. So he
made me fireman Of a steam crane
outside.
''The engineer took a liking to
me and taught me TO run the
crane. I was proud, Of course, and
later took his place when he WAS
sick.
"A giri in our house got dippy
about me aud tried to make me
sriva I'm NV lob for office work.