The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-04-08

dancer completely carried the poor
girl out of her senses and made
her forget all prudence.
Although l dared not openly
travel as a ''lord" in England, 1
allowed one of my old visiting
cards to drop where she would find
it. This caused her to believe that
l was concealing my noble rank.
This young woman had a mag
nifcent collection of jewelry,
which made an irresistible appeal
to my old instincts of a thief.
Among other objects she possessed
a. magnificent ruby of enormous
value and great beauty. It's glow
ing wine-red radiance hypnotized
me.
l praised it warmly, and the girl,
! having complete confidence in me,
took the ring off and gave it to me
to examine.
'''This is a wonderfully interest
ing jewell" I said. 81 should like
to show it to our old family
jeweller. He will probably know
its history"
The trusting girl left it in my
possession. The next morning
took the train for London, where
l sold the ring to a high-class
"fence." After that / travelled on
to NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to
enjoy the delights of the fashion
able boating season.
But the Scotland Yard police
were on my track in consequence
of the complaints of the Russian
Prince and the defrauded Hotel
Metropole. Detective Widocks
and Thompson, of Scotland Yard,
discovered and arrested me at
Maidenhead. They handcufed
me and started to escort me to the
station, to be taken to London.
: On the way I slipped off my
handouts by the exercise of the
extraordinary suppleness | possess,
but Detective Widocks had
thoughtfully attached light
leather thong to my arm. He held
on to this, and in another minute
the two detectives had me in their
clutches again and handcuffed once
more.
"Try to escape again and you
will get hurt" remarked Sergeant
Widocks. | believed him.
was arraigned at the West
Minister Police Court, London, be-
fore Magistrate Rooth on the
charge of robbing the Russian
Prince and the Hotel Metropole.
The evidence against me was un-
questionable. A complaint from
the Eastbourne girl reached the
detectives after my trial began,
but was not placed before the
court.
eff half that has been stated
about you is true" said Magistrate
Rooth with terrible severity, "you
have a shocking record. You are
said to have posed as a peer and
baronet and by that alluring bait
have deceived many foolish women
in a wicked and cruel manner. /
cannot at present give due weight
to those facts. The punishment
can infiict is totally inadequate to
the record which the police officers
have presented. cannot consider
the Eastbourne case.
"My jurisdiction is strictly
limited, but on the two charges
before me you will be sentenced
on each to serve six months hard
labor, to be consecutive and not
concurrent.
And so, after all my cleverness,
my success in imposing on Amer
lean society as ''lord," the easy
money and the luxuries l had en-
joyed, the dasbing role / had
played as an officer and an
aviator, I was condemned to
common Jail once more.
/ was conveyed to gloomy
Wandsworth Prison, in suburb of
London, to serve my Germ. l, the
gentleman crook" who had held
his own in the most brilliant circles
of society, was lodged in a cell be-
side common pickpockets, brutal
ruffians, wife beaters and incor-
rigible drunkards. No words of
mine can describe the misery and
monotony of term in Jail.
Well, has my chosen career as
criminal been worth while?
And the answer is:
''No! A thousand times Mop
The Bible asks whether a
leopard can change his spots-and
| ask myself, Can a criminal truly
reform? l am very doubtful.
But | shall try.