The Washington times., 1922-06-25
CHICAGO. June "a.

man.
CHICAGO. June ~.
WHITING among the warrens
Of the loop district. harrted
= by police spied on by stool.
pigeons. there is q woman seeking
safety with the. key to q treasure
cache tonight.
She II the sweetheart Of Adam.
Prochowski. the genius gone wrong
Of the Western underworld. the
man who laughed once too often at
the law. '>
Prochowslxi II dead, done to death
BY blast Of buckshot fired In his
face as he attempted to rob the
mansion of Henry A. Blair. presi.
I dent Of the Chicago Surface Lines
Corporation--but he died without
revealing the location of the horde
Of gold he had collected in his
melodramatic career.
Two months ago. Prochowslsi.
university graduate. chemist. me-
chanic and engineer by education,
and first-ciass burglar by choice.
escaped from Joliet prison. where
he was serving a long term. He
escaped without difficulty. under
the very eyes Of the guards. just
rs he had promised. ~
Then for two months he played
q lone hand against the police and
Is credited with having committed
forty successful burglaries. netting
about 100000 in cash. furs and
Jewels.
He was a plunderer who special
lied in preparedness and made a
real profession Of his calling. Be-
fore he was sentenced to Joliet.
he wore silk underclothins. i'm.
ported shirts Of the same material
and outer clothing from the highest
priced tailors. -: @.
He never carried . weapon. A
small tube of chloroform was suffi.
cient for him to silence his victims.
He wore gloves always. that no tell
tale prints might prove his undoing.
A tall. powerfuily-built athlete. Pro-
chowski worked, alone because he
was a host in himself. sM
MIXED HIS METHODS.
But when the detectives sought
10 trace him after his escape, they
found nothing In the numerous bur-
glaries that he had committed to
identify, the cracksman.
It was, only the sheer nerve dis
played on the various jobs and the
consummate success with which
every one was executed UP to the
last that caused suspicion to be
drawn to him.
For to puzzle the detectives whom
he knew to be pursuing him the
genius Of crime used unusual meth
DDS. He wore a mask. brandished
pistol and dressed shabbiIy. But he
retained the chloroform vial and
the gloves. 'i.'..-
He cracked the Cudahy mansion.
the Blatchford. Norcfoss, Burdick.
McKenna, Skidmore and a score Of
other homes, working fast and sure
always. and taking only the small
Jewels and easily secreted objects
Of great value, with what currency
o. and securities calculated to make
$4,000 out Of every burglary. ard he
rarely took less. ....
THE BIG COUP FAILS.
The Blair burglary as the master
criminal planned 1t bore evidence
that 1t was to be his last job. ie
had amassed a big stake in short
time. Luck had waited on
his skill. He had a girl-the
picturesque, blonde now 30 sedulous-
ly sought-and he could afford to
quit.
The Blair burglary was to be the
masters last job-and 1t was his
last job.
Dressed In the shabby clothing
Of a iaborer out Of work. un-
shAven, slow. footed. he surveyed
the grounds and mansion Of the
traction magnate for two or three
days. without attracting attention.
There was an armed guard on
duty. a Captain Charles Pfauss.
formerly OF the United States
army, but he did not bother Pro-
cbowski--not then!
On the night Of nights, 'Prochow'
Ski vsui,ed the hedge fence. reach
cd the house safely and started
no,selessiy 70 climb the drain pipe
taward the chamber Of Anita Blair.
the traction magnate's daughter,
asleep in bed. Az.
FOHED BY A GIRL.
But Anita, restless, wakened and
went TO the window to pull down
the shade. Just as the shadow Of
Proehowski was outlined before
her. She called sharply. The man
dropped quietly. and the courage
. sus girl, raising the window. ralled
- <.~t.tvi TSfa mas fha c1lard.