Year: 1874



 1 of great crime.

 

 PRINCE HALF IN SOUTH AMERICA A Traveller Meets Harry Genet in Rio do JaneirO and Interviews Him. A New Yorker writing from Rio de Janeiro says that he there met and in- terviewed Harry Genet, known as Prince Hal of the Ring, who escaped from sheriff's officer. When asked, "Why did you not await the result of the application for new trial ?" Genet said, speaking in rapid and nervous manner, "I should have had to remain in prison for six months or a year be- fore the case could have been reached, and then the result would have been uncertain. If I was going at all" he said, with smile, " it was necessary for me to go at once, and not to stand upon the order of my going"

 '" It was reported, MT. Genet, that you had been advised to leave the coun- try by your counsel"

 "That is untrue. Judge Beach ex- pressed himself as confident that I could get new trial, and must have been as much surprised as any one. I consulted with no one concerning the matter except few of my friends, whose assistance was necessary. l didn't want to compromise any one."

 "Your escape made some trouble for the sheriff and his deputy"

 am sorry for that especially for Tommy Shields. He did the fair thing by me, and I was sorry to leave him in the lurch, but it couldn't be helped"

 "Have you any objection to telling how you succeeded in getting away without leaving any clue for the detec- tives to work npon ?"

 Certainly not. But of course I can't mention the names of any of my companions. They can't touch me now, but if the story should be made public those who befriended me would get into trouble. From the beginning of the trial saw how it was going to termi- nate, and prepared myself for the worst. I wasn't going to stay like Tweed and Ingersoll and some of the rest, and be sent to prison to make po- litical capital for the new Tammany. So instructed one of my friends whom I could trust, to prepare everything for the occasion. He chartered a large sailing vessel and placed in command a sea captain, who was under personal obligations to mo. They took in 8 small cargo in order to keep up appear ances, and got the clearances from the Custom House. Late in the day on which the jury brought in their verdict the vessel weighed anchor and sailed out into the Sound beyond Fort Schuy- 1o~ A IT oht boI 1oa,, ,,pav1ora1 and was left near the mouth of the Harlem river. After I returned home with the sheriffs officers found it so difficult to escape their vigilance that I almost despaired of escaping. They let me go up stairs about midnight, however, and it didn't take long to fix things then. Some of my friends were waiting for me outside, and within an hour we were on board the yacht and sailing out through Hell Gate. The wind was head, and it was long after daylight when we reached the vessel. I was very much afraid that our move ments would attract attention, and that we would be pursued, but we passed out into the ocean without sighting a vessel except those inward bound. Our trip here was very much like any other. We stopped at Jamaica, but didn't think it safe to land there. We had a good denl of rough weather and the voyage was 8 long one, but l didn't mind that. Anything was better than making shoes in the Penitentiary or picking stone at Sing Sing. I stopped at hotel for short time after my ar- rival here, but that was too public to suit my taste, and so moved out to the country"

 "Are you not afraid that the detec- tives will trace you here ?" I asked.

 "Oh, no. If they do learn that I have been here I will have disappeared long before they can reach Rio."

 ssWhat do you think of Tweed's course in remaining to serve out his term ?"

 "Tweed was fool he might just as we'll have left as not. He had plenty of money, and could have lived like a prince in Europe. He expects 10 get new trial, but even if he does get one he'll be convicted again"

 Genet inquired particularly in regard to public affairs in New York since his sudden departure, and expressed him. self as confident that before long there would be such changes in the political situation as would renderit safe for him to return. He regards himself as a political refugee, sort of an American Kossuth rather than as 8 fugitive from justice. He declined to disclose his plans for the future, but said he had no intention of leaving the continent.

 He disappeared as mysteriously as he came. When I asked for him on the occasion of my last visit, I was in- formed that he had "gone up the river" Whether he had really taken this course, or sailed for some other port, I could not learn. As he appears to have plenty of money, he will not lack friends in South America, where the dollar is mightier even than in the Qto%oc