The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-06-19
BIZ yEA Service

NEW YORK, June 19.-Down IN
the Bowery's streets of furtive men
they need no introduction to the
steel-eyed, wiry-bodied little man in
the brown business suit.
They knew him when"
Over. his head hung prison SEN
fences aggregating four average life
times. Hidden away in various
places was a good fortune in cold
cash, gifted" in some Of the coun.
try's most spectacular safe jobs"
He could have taught even Gerald
Chapman a thing or two.
Crookdom lost it's slickest safe
cracker when Harry Hsines went
straight"
Found Crooked Trail
With all his intelligence. his su.
per-knowledge of locks and combi-
nations and safe doors, Haines had
found the crooked trail a short one
with an abrupt ending.
And that is why you'll find him
today in the Bowery Y. M. c. A. in
a well-pressed business suit, his
shoes carefully shined, his gray
streaked hair neatly brushed, his
face clean-shaven, his mind fresh
and his heart free.
1t literally pays to go right, even
II being good results in what may
appear to be the hunfblest of circum-
stances" he says. Even a half
way job is more profitable than a
= CIR trnina1's game. A crook never has
money long. It's milestone around
his neck and in one way or another
it sinks him Going right has moral
and spiritual value, but it also has
business value and that's what ev-
cry youngster- should think about
when ne contemplates going
wrong"
- None Is Past Saving
He is spending the rest of his life
trying to tell the Bowery drifters
what he learned from years Of the
most varied experience. And the be-
ginning of his story is always this:
There is no such thing as a man
who has gone too far for reclame
ton
Across his path come scores of
men who had heard Of him in the
underworld, some Of them dope
number specimens that he is able to
help, But the largest, group and the
group he is able to help most is
composed Of homeless men Of the
metropolis. They are not crooks
just temporarily out of luck and
friendless. They are the material
out Of which criminals are made I'M
less a Harry Haines shows them a
better way.
Harry Haines can Appreciate
their point Of view, giving them
straight-from.the-sh facts.
From the platform or in a quiet
corner he tells them his story with
the Scotch burr buzzing through his
words.
Coached BY Expert
II ran away from Scotland when
a boy and went to sea-" he relates.
Coming to this country a stranger
from first cabin gained my conf
dence. He said he would look after
me. He got me a job as office boy
in one Of the big safe companies.
And then, one day I learned that 1
was being coached by the head of
the biggest crook ring in America.
He was training me from the bot
tom.
while employed at the safe com
pany I was to steal blue-prints of
safes, was to learn the combina-
tons and study the locks and report.
Before long I knew safes inside
and out and was pointed to as the
smartest beginner in the game.
I'm the years that followed there
was no part of the country in which
I didn't work, no underworld where
wasn't known, no safe job too big
for me.
Booze "Gets" Him
1.-The years went by and my repu-
tation spread 1t got SO that I would
be called in on big jobs. They
would send me from one city to
another. The cops Of the nation
were looking for me. The Bowery
became my hang-out. had made
political friends through election
dealings of the old days.
Finally, must have had some
thing like $250,000 in loot. But like
the rest of the underworld, had
learned booze and dope and they
were getting me. The bosses of
crookdom knew it. They spent big
money on cures And did Jail time,
but never got the stuff. Nothing
would have done any good if hadn't
happened to pass a place where a
salvation Army band was singing
one night. That set me thinking.
There was a spiritual and moral re-
generation. gave God a chance
and got on the right trail at last.
Returns Loot
II went to Teddy Roosevelt. He
was then just swinging into the
mayoralty contest. I laid my whole
story before him. had something
like 260 years to serve in prisons.