Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-13
APlCKp0Cke1
Who HaCked0ff
His Own Hand

that thy whole body should be into 529
Bible scholars have differed for centuries whether
Christ intended that stern adjuraton to be translated
literally or fguratiyely In fact small wings Of the
Christian regonone Of them in the Southwestern United
believe that al parts the Sermon the Mount
FOR literal Interpretation.
In that region about a year ago farmer who had
studying the Sermon reached the above passage
down his big family Bible STROBE INTO The Woodshed ana
Topped off his right hand with I'M
Still recently. midde-aged Jugoslavian pick
pocket repened forty Of petty hievery and
hacked off his working hand-in this case his left
with Ratchet
He was Dushan stanishtch native of the little town
of Podgorca the Albanian border. Dushan
to be known Professor Dushan" because he trained
Jugosavas sckest cutpurses He had started
his crime career when he was 10 years old
BY 10 he was an acknowledged expert and had struck
up acquaintance with Pavle Prlya, Of his most
successful" later Prlya developed
crook with international reputation and died in French
Jail while stu wanted" in half-dozen countries
There another unusual thing about Dushan.
though lie seadfasty refused to operate outside his be
loved Province Of Montenegro This vas in spite Of the
fact that operating restricted meant familiarity
with police and public and resultant decrease in
income
In fact Dushan achieved such close relations with the
gendarnes that they many times took him aside for
hearoheart talk on the opportunities for success offered
young piokpoekets IN parts ofs the world other than
Not me" Dushan would say patriotcaliy there is
charm about Montenegrans pocket that holds here
This patriotism was so extreme that Dushan often
boosted that he had never the inside Of non
Montenegran pocket.
Early in his career Dushan decided that the women
Of Montenegro ticlsh be good subjects
for his inorinately light fingers lie also found that
though he operated on. peasant women in the local
market places these women usually carried much less
money than their
After number hapless experiences introduced
him to the interiors Of many jas he decided specialize
male pockets exclusively The results of failure
painful and much sger but the chances Of
greater.
When Dishan became master thief and was training
his gang Of light finger artiss-for fee-"never
pick Montenegran womans pocket" Of his
primary for And he to 1t that his pupils
obeyed him to the letter.
Dushan came to know intimately all Montenegros
provincial judges prosecuting attorneys jail officials and
eendarmes He knew the law enforces closest family and
official problems and backward about offering
advice and counsel In later years he looked upon
kind of walking compendium OF police history births
of interest IN Montenegros legaland eXtfaegalcrcles
The precise reason for Professor Dushans' Spartan
method breaking bis bad habits is shrouded mystery
Some Montenegrans maintain that he merely fell
his overveenng patrotismtha he finally repented his
many years Of victimizing fellow Montenegrans.
A few Balkan cynics know Dushan slightly bet
ter-hod that he probably reached for compatriot's
wallet forth with Bible and proceeded to read its
contents However Of the Professors" almost
total lack or education unlikely
that he able to read any considerable part Of the
Holy Writ
and borrowed a Ratchet He told the he wanted to
chop himself a walking Then he ambled into
the wuodshcd
Not only did D1shan sacrifice his hand but he still
further eyes Of the Monencgrans
by doing the hard way Instead Of chopping off the
member at the with a single workmanship swing
Professor cooy pruned of his def fingers
by
Then he threw down that Ratchet bound his hand
dirty handkerchief and shuffed out of the farmyard
long ago prisoner startled Detroit, Michigan.
eofftsf Offering off thr fingers that got
into trouble Judge would put him probation His
name was James Gillespie had been convicted Of
smuggling "A deivervman with the butt of his revolver
The Judge sent him l. jail