The Jack Sheppard of America.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1752, 25 September 1875, Page 5 (Supplement)

The Jack Sheppard of America.

The New York 'Times' gives the following account of the career of a remarkable criminal:—A horse and truck, owned by Messrs Overton and Co., of Pine-street, were standing the other day in front of the Custom-house, when a young man accosted the driver in the usual manner, and asked him if ie could carry a case of goods. While the driver was looking for the case the thief stole away the horse and truck, and a case of tooth and nail brushes, valued at 500 dollars. A horse and truck, and three cases of tallow, valued at 400 dollars, and owned by William H. Diamond, were also stolen on the day following, under similar circumstances. The boldest robbery of all, however, was one on Messrs Arnold and Constable. One of their trucks had been loaded with a case of dry goods valued at 500 dollars, and was being driven down Broadway \to the Cortlandstreet Ferry, when a young man hailed the driver and asked him iflhe would cart a case of goods to Jersay City. On the turckma-" answering in Ihe affirmative he was informed that the dwse was on the second floor of a building near by. No sooner had he entered ithe buildxng than the thief closed and pltdlocked the street door, and drove awayjfith the horse and truck and goods. Il#tectives Eing and Lyon, who were ddfailed to investigate the matter; becarao convinced that there was

but one man capable of aucc^i, earring out these robCS, t^ Mahoney alias 'Jack Shepp^S remarkable criminal is known i • deeds all over the country. He h K^ imprisoned in almost every State 8' Union, and from his success in P from confinement, earned the nameS"^ Sheppard. He was born in this r t •* 1844, and his mother, an estimable w for many years kept a stand in Wa-v ton market. When a boy of eleven S * be escaped from the Tombs by ann • ' himself through the bars of his S^B dow. Agam convicted, and sent to?*' Sing, he escaped from there. On b« again arrested and sentenced to BlacW> 8 Tsland, he escaped from that instihr also. Next imprisoned in PhiladehVv he astonished the gaoler by ««». • ' during the night Arrested by S? Superintendent Jourdan for burglary ]T compromised with the authoritiesif entering the army and promptly desertin? At the close of the civil conflict he *» again arrested in this city, and sent I Sing Sing, but escaped by breakin! through the roof of the prison. Soa time after he was arrested, again for bonded-warehouse burglary, and le-stn tenced to Sing Sing. He was barely j« prison when he effected another escape driving oiat of the prison gates in a con! , ductor's waggon while under fire of tta guards. Again arrested for a burglar* in Boston, he was sent to the States prison at Charlestown. Mass.. whf-re he served | out his full term. On his release he vent 'to Philadelphia, and in company with some others hired a store next to the lace and Italian cloth warehouse ■of H. M Way and Son ; cut through the wall, and packed up 5000 dollars' worth of goods which he sent to New York by the Adams Express Company. He wag arrested, with a companion named John; Hathaway, while endeavouring toohtaia the goods, by detictives Walling and M'Dougall, and locked up in the Central Office on the morning of April 9,1872; he escaped from his cell the same afternoon,' completely out-witting the doorman in charge. Hathaway was sent to Philadelphia and convicted. After escape from the Central Office, he went to Chicago, was arrested for burglary, and sent to Joilet State Prison, from which institution he escaped a few months ago. and resumed his former occupation. Detectives King; and Lyon diligently scoured the city W search of Mahoney, and finally learned that he had been seen in the tenth Ward. They called Detective Wood to their assistance, and seeing Mahoney in, Delan-cey-street," near Chrystie, arrested and handcuffed him. He offered no resistance but laughingly said, ' You've got me again, just my luck, isn't it?1 He was taken to the police head-quarters, put in a strong cell, and a guard placed over him. Should he not be identified for the1 truck robberies he will be taken to Phila-i delphia, to answer for the Way burglary,