Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-11-05
CUPID is KIND TO BANDITS
BY Frederic j. Haslzin

a. much aStOnlsneq discussion
in the press. In Paris, especially,
the leading journalists seem to have
been overcome by amazement and
for one to have abandoned their
usual attitude of cynical detachment.
Long and extravagant eulogies of
Berthe's noble act have appeared
everywhere.
That the girl should remain faith
full to her lover, Gabriel A1phonse
Mourey, who robbed the American
banker, Alfred r. Shattuck, of a for
tune in jewels when she might have
| claimed such a large reward for be-
traying him to the police, certainly
deserves praise, but 1t is not so ax-
tr~aordinary.
1t is a fact well known by crimi-
biologists that women rarely betray
their bandit lovers or husbands, and
American criminal archives abound
with instances of their remarkable
loyalty. If Mourey had been a re-
, spectacle business man, Berthe would
doubtless have taken great pleasure
in fleeing him. But there is some
curious fascination about bandits
which holds their women absolutely
faithful to them. The famous fem
mist novelist, w. l.. George. may
have hit upon the correct explana-
ton when he pointed out that
women are themselves natural out
laws; that having had no share in
making the law they regard 1t as an
outrage which they delight to see
challenged.
1t any rate, it is said that even
veteran deputy United States mar
shals of the Southwest, who have led
I-"ny a posse into the Businesses of
the wilderness in earlier days, can
not recall a single case of a bandit
husband being betrayed by his wife.
Many have beer trapped by women,
it is true, but these women were
abandoned or suspicious sweethearts
who cherished a secret grudge. Con-
slider the case of the late Pancho
Villa. Rewards were placed upon
his head at various periods in his
career, but none of the women in his
life aver made the slightest attempt
to collect them.
Another notorious outlaw, for
whom time and again a large re-
ward was offered, is Roy Gardner,
now serving q long term in prison.
According to United States marshals,
Gardner was the boldest single
handed train robber with which this
country has ever had to contend. His
record of crime exceeded in daring
the widest escapades of film and fc-
ton. But he married a nice, attrae-
tive girl, who remained profoundly
loyal to him. When he was finally
caught, strangely enough, it was by
an unarmed man, a mail clerk, who
used no other weapon than his fists,
This happened about two years
ago and ended an epidemic of mail
train robberies that that aroused
much indignation throughout the
Southwest. Always the bandit ap-
peared alone, armed with two pis-
tolls, and a leather bag, strapped to
his shoulder, in which he carried off
the booty. Always he worked with
such lightning speed that he had
come and gone before his opponents
had recovered from their surprise.
When captured he was at once rec
ognized as the slippery Gardner, who
had escaped from the federal prison
at McNeiIs Island, Wash, under the
fire of a score of guards. He had
been serving a sentence of fifty
years. Now it is seventy-five. if be
does not again make good his threat
4 I o1NtBS L Ahl5 Af0Ni
prison three times.
Throughout Gardeners career OF
banditry he kept in as close touch
as possible with his wife and nearly
was captured once by a posse when
he went to visit her. Now that he Is
in prison Sic has left her home in
San Francisco and gone to live near
him.
Another bandit romance of real
life that not ever the fancy of a nov
elist or scenario writer could excel
for beauty is credited to Henry Starr,
whose banditry extended W. TWEEN
ty-nine years, a period many times
tx LEM of the ordinary criminal
career. Repeatedly imprisoned and
even sentenced to hang for murder.
; he managed to squirm out of Difficult
ties by pardon and parole, and with
brief interruptions of exemplary lv-
ing he carried on his career of out
;awry in the most scientific and SAN
guins amer for three decades.
Henry STAIRS began in
the dramatic fashion of the best
moving picture serials. X was a
beautiful spring evening, thirty years
ago, and the bandit was engaged In
his usual occupation of holding up a
western train. While his followers
worked busily in the coaches, Starr
expertIy directed the job from a
train platform. Suddenly a girl
leaped wildly from her seat in the
train and dashed past the bandit
Screaming, she vanished into the
night. The outlaw impetuously fol-
lowed, and after hours of fruitless
seeking he found her. She was nerv-
ous and exhausted. He had hef
cared for at his camp until she could
be taken to her home in Missouri
Then, realizing hat he loved her, the
outlaw risked capture to court her
l Eventually they were married, and
it is sal they lived happily.
1t is generally supposed that only
degraded women marry outlaws. As
a matter of fact, 1t is the bad mar
who usually captures the virtuou'
damseI of good family. who has lived
; a sheltered life. Historical record
shows that the James brothers
mingled with the best society Of
, Saratoga, N. Yin their day the
: chief center of fashion-and were
> very nearly turned into respectable
business men by a couple of wealthy
debI tantes.
> AS it was, fate interviewed, and
Jesse returned home and married hi:
cousin whose guardian was a clergy
man. She is described as a beautiful
4 girl, we'll educated and gently reared
"a reigning belle of Kansas City
Jesse and she were boy and girl to-
gether. They attended the same
s. A~AANfA a.