3
. V K
MAN WITH LONGEST C
BY INSPECTOR JOSEPH H. FA ROT, HEAD OF THE DETECTIVE
BUREAU OF THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, MARCH 14, 1915.
RIMINAL
RECORD
If'
Ip ViL1
It x
K .TACK" SHCPPARD I
J JOSEPH H RMJROT
TD the police the principal figure in
thin tale is best known as Jack
Sheppard. - In reviewing bis crim
inal career we have to go back to the
jetr 1S60. He wasn't always known as
Jack SheDDard. for shortly after his
advent into this world, in New York
City, he was christened Charles Har
rington, and no doubt his fond and dot
Ins parents had great expectations of
their firstborn, who. however, plunged
early In life into a career of crime
which earned for him the sobriquet
Jack Sheppard, because of the daring
of his exploits, which in many ways
were like those of the old-time road
agent who bore that name.
He has so many aliases that it is al
most impossible to remember all of
them, although in our records he is
listed as Charles Harrington. John
Mahoney. Jack Mahaney. Jack Shep
pard. John Wood. John H. Mathews.
George Wilson. Charles Jones and
James Robinson.
His record, as I said before, dates
back to I860, and It might be well to
et It forth before entering into a de
tailed account of his crimes and , his
punishment. May 30, 1860, burglary,
two years. Sing Sing; March 22. 1866.
larceny. five years. Massachusetts
State's Trison; September 15, 1S75,
burglary, three years. Eastern (Pa.)
Penitentiary; April 25, 1879. grand lar
ceny, five years. Massachusetts Prison;
August 11. 1884. larceny, three years.
Eastern (Pa.) Penitentiary; April 25.
1887. larceny, two years. House of Cor
rection. Boston. Mass.: February 4.
1890. burglary, five years. Sing Sing:
April 16. 1S96, carrying concealed
weapons and burglars' tools, one year.
Blackwell's Island: December 14. 1S9S,
vagrancy, one year, Blackwell's Island;
January 18. 1900. burglary, seven years.
Trenton. N. J.; November 30. 1910. re
ceiving stolen goods, two years. Sing
Sing: short sentences In various places
such as Ohio. Illinois and the Middle
West, three years making In all a
total of 39 years.
With such a man at liberty and elud
ing surveillance it is little wonder that
we are uneasy and ever apprehensive
until we can get a line on him. But
the life of a detective Is a series of
surprises, end I must admit none was
more surprised than I when we in
vaded that little stronghold in West
chester County and came face to face
with Old Jack Sheppard.
Through underground channels we
learned a few weeks ago that a "bad
mob." tupposedly automobile thieves,
were quartered In a well hidden old
farmhouse not far from Harrison. X. Y
'We had no idea as to the identity of
the "mob," but as we had been pretty
successful In rounding up automobile
thieves of late we determined to swoop
down on the house and gather In all
we found thereabouts. With Detectives
Meyers and Wagner and State Automo
bile Inspectors Rotheim and Brlndell
we drove in an automobile to the farm
house. Aa we approached the house two men
darted out and rushed at us. ready for
a fight, but we had them covered and
they threw up their hands and were
vhackled. We entered the queer old
house,' the basement of which was fit
ted up for a fine kennel of dogs which
the owner had kept there prior to
subletting to the yeggmen. While in
specting the premises Jack Sheppard
ktrolled In and we promptly took him
into custody. Two others arrived a
moment later and they. too. were ar
rested. Our catch consisted of James
Wilson or Jack Sheppard. Richard
Martin. Henry James. Peterson and
James Casey.
At the lineup at Police Headquarters
the next morning our detectives and
Postofflce Inspectores Jacobs and
James Identified the mob as a notor
ious band of yeggmen, some of whom
were wanted for postofflce Jobs in this
tate Martin is better known as "Bis
Dick. and did 12 years for the Brook
lyn Poitofflce robbery. He .is thought
to have been with "Joe" Cohen when
he was killed after robbing the post
office at Nyack two years ago. James
is well known in the under world as
Monk Wallace. He is a great dog
fancier and has shown some of the
finest dogs in the country. It is be
lieved he. through his affiliation with
dog fanciers, was the man who leased
the house. Wallace has a long crim
inal record and has been arrested seven
times in New York City. Not long ago
jjj jj j
raised, but, nevertheless, he was put
away, and. much to my disgust, it fell
to my lot to have to look after him.
"Many convicts leave the places of
their incarceration with a new suit of
clothes and a few dollars in cash all
that stands between them and star
vation. Many of them, either through
riotous living or hard luck, soon find
themselves stranded and it is a case of
beg or steal for them. The great ma
jority choose the latter course. But
with Sheppard, who so blatantly pro
tests that the police never gave him a
chance, it was different. Upon conclud
ing his last term in the Eastern Peni
, tentiary he came Into possession cf
several thousand dollars from an es
tate left by one, of his relatives. There
was his chance had he elected to live
honestly. He had ample capital to
start in any business he might select.
What he did with this mony I don't
know, but in a very few months after
getting possession of this windfall ho
wa3 arrested in Boston and Kiven two
years In South Boston House of Cor
rection." One of my men met Jack in a New
York saloon a few years" ago. The de
tective was there looking for another
criminal. The barkeeper in this place
knows every crook of any note In thin
country, and when in New York they
all drift into his place, if only for one
drink. There seems to be an unwritten
law that compels them to sinew up
there and 'look the mob over." Jack
was the picture of dejection. He was
seated at a table, but there win no
drink before him. Possibly lio was out
o funds, having failed to wiyu out a
.previously contracted score wiuti flus'i
times came to him. Othcrwl.e he could
nave naa anytning in me nouse.
The detective posed as a fellow
crook and engaged old Jack In conver
sation. A heavy cold hud settled on
the old criminal and ho apparently was
in mortal dread of shuffling off for
good. "I am Just out of, 'stir attain,"
Jack said, "and I hope the bulla will let
me alone long enough to die lnt peace.
I was told in Dannemora when they
turned me out that if I ever came buck
again I would oio at once. Couldn't
stand the confinement, they said. I
want to dio on the outside and I hope
it will come soon, for 1 am down and
out and I have neither the deslro nor
energy to turn another trick."
But I am afraid Jack's wish will not
be granted. It looks very much like
a long stretch for him, and after look
ing him over I don't think he can
survive prison life very Ions. He was
hooked up with a pretty bad "mob" up
there lit Westchester, uml no doubt he
was used as the "locatt. r" for tho
bunch. But he Is an ex pi it o:i safes
and It would not have fin prised me In
the lea.st. despite his mre. If he had
intended to do the "FnulYtni;." enrc tho
safe was located unci icHiiy for the
blast. But tho "man with the longest
record" still Insists that we ure "Hom
ing" him and that tho police ure
hounding him to a prison rv.
IRELAND IN WAR
(CONTINUED FROM 1'AOE 4.)
for the
member of tho Ancient Order of Hiber
nians and an authority on Irish an
tiquities, voices the opinions of many
who maintain that Ireland' cause is
best served by conserving lier own re
sources her young men us well us her
are provided with 50 beds
nurses and servants.
Though far away from homo the
Irish soldiers will as ever wear their
shamrocks on this St. Patrick's day.
Throueh the Freeman Journal fund
and the co-operation of the military natural resources. Ho says:
and postal authorities there is a plan "Among tho reasons fciven whylrish-
to send newspapers and a sprig ct men should stay at homo ure tho fact
shamrock to every son of Erin serving that Ireland neeJs all of its young men:
in the war. A postcard from the front that Its population bus been drained
tells how eagerly tho Irish soldiers are to tho lowest safe limit; that there
looking forward to this news from were at tho outbreak of war Sri.OliU Irish
home and tho kits of green from the soldiers in the British regular army,
"auld sod " recruited in times of peace, a larger
The originators of this St. Patrick's proportion than English. Scotch or
day scheme assert that the papers will Welsh; that tho industries cf Ireland
carry the assurance that the soldiers aro hampered by lack of avalWibU
of Ireland, serving on a foreign battle- workers; that tho Irish have no quarrel
field are regarded on this occasion with Germany, have nothln.- at stake
with pride and admiration by those in the present war and are under no
who remtain at home in every station obligations to tho empire. Thero Is
f jjfe also a Btrong patriotic appeal thai
One letter inclosing a subscription every man who fights for Britain wcak-
for this 17th of March fund read: ens tho ubllity of Ireland to win na-
"Please accept inclosed expense toward tional recognition.
sending papers, shamrock and ny love "Remember, also, that Ireland has
to a dear Irish boy at the front." not yet obtained homo rule. The bill
From where Tommy Atkins fights has been postponed in operation until
and marches is a long way to Tip- th war is over. It tho war lasts a
perary- but every colleen knows that year parliament must bo dissolved, a.1
it is just as far from Tlpperary to tho it is limited to five years and ha. been
trench, where a certain shamrock is all in existence for four. A new election
that can carry an unspoken message "ill then be necessary and it Is prac-
; , tically certain that the torics will be
from home. . . ., , , , .,
In speaking of Ireland's relations to returned to power. The first act of th.
, . j T pr.r.cntative tory government would be tho repeal
ii J1(J mini auu i it.
James M. Graham of Illinois empha
of home rule."
Mr. Sullivan also quotes An Cluld-
heamh Soluis, tho organ of the Gaelic
League:
1 ...... ....... 1 ( .. .. ( (...... 1 ....... L-
they exist at present and not . from becauso Wfl arc Jrsh an(, W(J ,OV( Jr.
sized the point that people who speak
of Irish problems today should do so
from a knowledge of conditions as
land, and not because we are antl-
their status of 40 or 50 years ago.
. . vn " Y.a rlfli'lll f fi-
Ihe last u yeu.a, " English, or becauso we hate England,
"has wrought a decided change in both u j8 bu8tnesa to b(J AnU.anK.
Ireland and England, but it is most ap- or antl.Fren(!lli or alltl.Ucrman.
"THE DRIVER WAS EASIXY TAKEJT IJf.1
pard Is what one might call well pre
served. His shock of snow-white bair
ha tended to soften the Haas cf his
face, and at first glance one wouldn't
take him for "the man with th worst
record." It is only when one stares him
full in the face that the shifty, restless
eye of the criminal is discovered. His
features are not regular, neither are
they rugged, for sin exquisitely chiseled
nose, almost Grecian in its modeling,
is in Btrong contrast to the broad, flat
and blunt proboscis so frequently found
adorning the faces cf habitual crim
inals. Jack's nose indicates a refinement
and delicacy of breeding inherited from
his mother, a woman I am told who
was gentle, refined and highly cul
tured. His broad, square chin and jaw
denote a decision of character which
brooks no interference, and a stub-
he completed his third stay in Sing bornness of purpose by which he would
61ng. carry through to success any scheme
Peterson is known among his yegg he undertook, even were it necessary
friends as Hungarian Joe and is an to resort to brute force.
expert safe man. He. too, has done
time, having served terms in the Fed
eral prisons at Atlanta and at Leaven-
Chltles Harrington, as he was chris
tened, was but 16 years old when he
faced his first conviction. He had par-
worth. Casey we know little about, the tlcipated in a burglary and went away
only mark against him here being the
theft of an overcoat, for which he was
sentenced. In, the automobile we found
on the premises were several kits of
the finest burglars tools I ever saw.
for two years. wnne in prison aa
came In contact with many cf the
more hardened offenders of that day.
and. in consequence, when this young
ster was liberated he was fired by an
quarters took him his breakfast the
morning f jllowing his arrest Sheppard
felled him with a smashing blow on
the head just as he entered his cell.
Dashing through the long corridor
where many policemen and detectives
had congregated, he made his way
through a rear hall to Mott street and
thence through an alley to Bleecker
street. By this time there was a regu
lar procession of pursuers, but Shep
pard cleverly eluded them and got
away. We afterward learned that he
made his way to the West and there
remained for some time. We didn't
hear of him again until we learned of
a big truck robbery in Boston and at
once surmised that Jack was up to his
old tricks and not far away from there.
Sheppard and one of his pals ' were
in Boston when they saw a truck start
slowly from in front of a big wholesale
cloth house. The two men were carry
ing a box under the weight of which
they seemed to stagger. When about a
block from the point where the truck
started they hailed the "driver and
asked him to which part of the city he
was going. The reply seemingly, sat
isfied them, for they informed him they
would give him a dollar to take the
box part of the way, and leave it at
the address they gave him. The driver
readily consented and the two men
climbed on1 the' truck with the driver.
There was every indication that the ambition to outdo the deeds of daring after depositing the box on the tail-
of which he had been told while touch- Doaro.
mg elbows with his fellow convicts. Stopping at the house indicated, they
After drifting about the country the offered the driver an additional twenty
few months following bis liberation five cents if he would help one of the
the vouth returned to New York and men to a room on the third floor of the
launched upon a scheme in which he building with the box. The big husky
convinced those interested, there was driver again agreed, and he and Shep-
little risk and big pronts. xiarnneiun p"" V 7. ,
oiintorlnir around through tne oox,
"mob" was Just about to start out on
aome big job.
I know of no more interesting sub
ject for students of criminology than
Jack Sheppard. He is so well known
to the police of thi country that his
name Is a byword. In fact, he has often
been designated as "the man with the
worst criminal record in the United
States." While he has never fced a
homicide charge there are so many
other marks against him that in re
viewing his career I cannot 9r.d room
for one thought, of compassion or one .
extenuating circumstance.
His wits are as keen as a brier, and
when it is necessary to think quickly
and act on impulse Jack can always
be depended on to come thrsugU. Since
the firt time he was arrested ho has
complained to all who would listen to
him that he was the victim of police
persecution, and he has succeeded from
time to time in interesting some very
Influential persons in his behalf.
Despite his 70 odd. yexj Jack hep
ski tpr
wholesale district, conceived the idea
of stealing trucks laden with valuable
merchandise and driving- oft- to some
point previously, arranged, where he
could dispose of his easily acquired
loot to advantage.
He handled several of these Jobs so
successfully that for some rears he
was the foremost truck thief in New
York City.
He was locked up in old Police Head
quarters. New York City, in April. 1S70.
for stealing a truck loaded with mer
chandise valued at 10,000. There was
a clear case against him and conviction
seemed a certainty.
When one oX tho attendants at Head-
which was fastened with a pad
lock and securely bound around with
rope. Arriving in the room. Jack found
that he had left the key to the box with
his companion and requested the driver
to untie the rope while he hurried
down to get the key.
The driver was easily taken in and it
is needless to say Jack didn't return,
nor did the driver find his truck and
his two new acquaintances waiting for
him at the curb when he descended to
the street 10 or 15 minutes later. There
was between $10,000 and $15,000 worth
of broadcloth on that truck, and the
firm that lost it was lucky to get its
horse and - wagon back. The goods
vera easily, dosposed o to a fence and
Jack and his "comrade speedily de
camped. We picked him up in Yonkers
a few weeks later and upon his return
to Boston he was given a five-year
term.
Sheppard rarely engaged upon-any
job unless big money was in sight.
His thoughts all turned to thousands,
and seemingly $50,000 was the mini
mum. In Philadelphia he stole the
entire contents of a clothing store.
That piece of work netted him about
$10,000. He rounded up several truck
loads of fine merchandise In the same
city during a single visit 1 and each
load was worth upward of $5000. He
always played for high stakes and, as
with all of his kind, women and law
yers got it all.
It was' in 1896 that Detective O'Con
nell was walking through Washington
street. New York City, when he saw a
wel-dressed and dapper-looking man
carrying a satchel. It .was apparent
that the satchel was well filled, for it
was obviously heavy. There was little
or nothing in the man's appearance to
arouse, suspicion, yet instinctively the
detective's curiosity was aroused, and
he "tailed" his man for a few blocks
until he disappeared in Smith & Mc
Neil's hotel. The detective waited for
him to come out, thinking perhaps he
had only gone to the restaurant for
luncheon.
When his vigil stretched into an hour
O'Connell went into the hotel to. investi
gate. He met his quarry just coming
down the steps from the room he had
engaged. O'Connell interrogated the
ministerial looking gentleman, and as
his replies were not quite to his liking
he cut the interview short by saying:
"I think Captain O'Brien, at head
quarters, would like to talk to you.
Come along with me."
The usual protest followed, .the
stranger insisting that he was a repu
table business man and that he was the
victim of a "terrible mistake." But
O'Connell was firm and the result was
the stranger arrived at Police Head
quarters, where he was instantly recog
nized as "Jack Sheppard, the man with
a fast-growing record."
O'Connell went back to the hotel to
look through Jack's baggage. In the
satchel, which was securely locked,
were found two large sticks of dyna
mite, weighing several pounds and of
sufficient power to blow up Police
Headquarters. Primers, cartridges and
the customary fuses were there in
abundance, together with knives and
drills such as safeblowers use and a
bundle of waste such as is used for
cleaning tools. Evidently there was a
big bank or postoffice job in sight and
Jack was in the city to either direct
the work of the cracksmen or to do
the job himself. The drills were all
hand-made and the work of an expert.
Captain O'Brien .was elated, over the
capture and was confident a big job
had been nipped In the bud. So you
can see from this that Jack was not
being "tailed" or hounded, but was
picked up by a man who . had never
seen him before and one, fortunately,
who was possessed of a sixth sense,
which all good detectives must have in
order to make .good.
Sheppard was such a notorious of
fender that the Warden of the East
ern Penitentiary, in Pennsylvania,
made a close study of the man during
his several stops in that prison, and a
report he made is on file there.
In part the Warden's report follows:
"Arrested in Boston shortly after one
of his sojourns in the Eastern Peni
tentiary, he was sentenced to the new
prison at Concord. Mass., which was
looked upon as a model of its kind. He
hadn't been in that prison a week be
fore he was up to his old tricks, caus
ing dissension and unrest among his
fellow-prisoners, and this he kept at
until he had the whole institution in a
turmoil. But he- was clever and re
sourceful, and. before long articles be
gan to appear in the newspapers deal
ing with the reformation and recon
struction of the discipline in that in
stitution. He was the author of these
articles, and in them he openly charged
that outrageous methods were em
ployed to oppress and persecute the
prisoners. So much credence was
given to these articles that a commis
sion was appointed to investigate the
charges, and as politics crept into the
probe-conditions within the prison be
came almost unbearable. There were
frequent uprisings and other acts of
insubordination, and in every case
Jack Sheppard was the ringleader.
"The New England press made a
great to-do over the "revelations' of
Jack Sheppard; yet, strange to say, a
very few months after his term ex
pired there he was back in my prison,
having been -caught redhanded in a
big burglary In Philadelphia. Of course
his old cry. of a 'police frame up' w4
nnrent in Ireland, where the intiuence
of education so long denied is mak-
It is our duty to bo pro-lrlah, and if
we fullill that duty we shall fulfill thi
Commenting upon tho Gaelic League,
Mr. Sullivan says:
"The most potent forco in Irish af-
- .. ... 1 - I. nr. -
ins ltseir felt, until now . whole duty we have to fulflll ln th)
Illiteracy among this generation m worlJa politl(.s
ages of from elgnt to zu. iimto .
is but little illiteracy save among the
aged: and with the God-given right of
crtiif.iinn restored. Ireland has oee.n
gradually awakening from the mental fajr5 j3 tno Coello League, which for : I
sleep of centuries to a new understand- years has been teaching tho Irish
Ing of herself and her needs. people that they have a national soul;
"Whatever Ireland may be doing in that they have a literature, an urt, a
this war to help England, she has no history and an Individuality all their
personal quarrel with Germany or Aus- own. They have inspired an enthusiasm
tria or, indeed, with any of the nations tor the Irish lantruago and a love for
Involved in this conflict: for It is an things Irish; and have convinced a
largely due to Germany and her pres- vast number of Irish peoplo that their
ervation of the manuscripts of the an- salvation lies in their development on
cient Irish monks that the present re- Irish lines. They point out that to do
vival of the Gaelic literature has corns things after tho English fashion is
about." mere Imitation, and thnt to develop and
Mr. Graham explained the beneficent succeed they must do them In tho nal
work of the learned and cultured ural Irish way. Letters, art, commerce
monks of Ireland throughout Europe and patriotism havo felt tho qulckenins
by recounting the influence of Irish Influence of this organization and its
culture upon art, literature find muslo many ramifications, which pervades
that is recognized even to our time. every part of Ireland.
Representative M. Clyde Kelly, of "An ,outgrowth of the Gaelic League
Pennsylvania, expresses his hope for is the national volunteer movement,
Ireland's future as a result of the war with 250.000 of tho vlrllo young mau
as follows: hood of the nation. Their avowed ob-
"Ireland's history for centuries is Ject Is to secure and maintain tho
bright with song and story. Its pathos, rights and liberties common to all tho
its humor and its heroism alike distln- people of Ireland. They declare them
trulsh it Divided against itself, be- selves not to be ln opposition to tho
trayed and oppressed. Ireland has been Ulnter Volunteers, and Sir Roger Casc
the Niobe of nations. Her soldiers have ment. hunsclf an Lister Protestant,
have won renown on a thousand bat- who is one of the leaders of the mov.
tlefields. helping many times to the in- ment has declared that a iplrit of
dependence for other nations which friendship and co-operation exists be
they could noa win for their own. tween them and tho Ulster Volunteers.
"The Irishmen who are today fight- a that in some instances they us, the
lnff side by side in the trenches in "mo drilling grounds, and that the
France will I hope, come to under- Ulster Volunteers have loaned their
stand each other better and, with guns to nationalist volunteers, who had
united effort, prevent the evils which none to drill with.
are feared in home rule for Ireland, "Sir Roger Casement gave till ad
when it is administered in the future, vice. 'Let the Irishmen and boy. slay
I hope that the bitterly antagonistic In Ireland. Their duty is clear before
factions will end their misunderstand- Cod and man. We as a people have no
ins with the same knowledge that auarrel with the German people. Ger
came to Pat Donahue: any has never wronged Ireland, and
" 'As I was going over the bridge the w her nior tnan ono dubl of
other day,' he said, T met Mike O'FIa- graUtude.'J
says I, "How are
herty. "O'Flaherty,
ye?" "Pretty well, thank ye. Burke,"
says he. "Burke?" says I, "that's not
my name." "Sure, then, no more is
mine O'Flaherty!"
" 'With that we looked at each other
of us.' " I
Mr. Joseph D. Sullivan, secretary of
He Knew tlic Cur.
(rittsl.urw Tost.)
"Vou are charged with giving assist
ance to the enemy."
"How so?"
"They have your automobile."
'They, took it forcibly. BC&Mes, it
the Irish. Home-Going Association, a won't assist them any."