The Autobiography of a Thief

the Negoti

ime he was looked up to in the neighborhood as

e lad lived at the Newsboys' Lodging House, in Rivington Street, which at that time and until it ceased to exist was the home of boys some of whom afterwards became the swellest of croo

olice station, and was sent to the Catholic Protectory, where he was the associate of boys much older and "wiser" in crime than he. At that place were all kinds of incurabl

Hagen," whose duty it was to watch the Harlem bridge, and returned to the familiar streets in lower New

nsiderable. He began to grow rich, purchased some shoes and stockings, and assumed a "tough" appearance, with great pride. He rose a step higher, boarded tug-boats and ships anchored at the docks, and constantly increased his income. The boys looked upon him as a wi

l "hung out". Mamie's father and mother were poor, respectable people, who were born and bred in the old thirteenth ward, a section famous for the many shop girls who were fine "spielers" (dancers). Mamie's mother was one of the most skillful o

raft; he had a girl! He needed money to buy her presents, to take her to balls, theatres and picnics; and he began to "gun", which means to pickpockets, an occupation which he found far more lucrativ

the first employee arrives. He may even hire a furnished room opposite the store, in order to secure himself against identification by some Central Office detective who might stroll by. When he has learned the hours of the employees he reports to his "pals". At a late hour at night the four go to the store, put a spindle in the Yale lock, and break it with a blow from a hammer. They go inside, take another Yale lock, which they have brought wi

of spending money. Unless Johnny had some work to do they always met in the evening, and soon were seriously in love with one another. Mamie knew what Johnny's line of business was, and admired his cleverness. The most progressive people in her set believed in "getting on"

used to visit them in the evening; for the loving couple were exceedingly domestic, and, when Johnny had no business on hand, seldom went out in the evening. Johnny was a model husband. He had no bad habits, ne

t of money against a rainy day. To be sure, they had their little troubles. Johnny "fell," that is to say, was arrested, a score of times, but

ge jewelry store on Fulton Street, Brooklyn, artistically opened the safe, and made away with fifteen thousand dollars. It was a bold and famous robbery, and the search for the thieves was long and earnest. Johnny and his frien

e ears of the watching detectives; and the result was that Patsy and Johnny were arrested. It was impossible to "settle" this case, no matter how much "fall-money" th

the prisoner's "pen," adjoining the Court, when Mamie came to see them. The meeting between her and Johnny was very affecting. After a few words Mamie noticed that her swell Johnny wore no neck-tie. Johnny, seemingly embarrassed, turned to a Court polic

two fine steel saws. He gave one to Patsy, and in a few minutes they had penetrated a small iron bar which closed a little window leading to an alley. Patsy was too large to squeeze himself through the opening, but

led a "stool-pigeon". Mamie visited Johnny in the Tombs, and when she found the case was hopeless she wanted to go and steal something herself so that she might accompany her boy to prison. But when Johnny told

, and soon she was compelled to work again at box-making. She remained faithful to Johnny, although many a good grafter tried to make up to the pretty girl. When Johnny was released from Sing Sing, Mamie was eve

the Eastern cities. They made many important touches, but finally Johnny was again under suspicion for a daring robbery in Union Square, and was compelled to become a solitary fugitive. He sent word, through an o

r husband. When some of these adventurous girls saw that Mamie was discontented with her lot, they induced her to go out and work with them. So Mamie became a very clever shop-lifter, and, for a time, made considerable money. Then

here very long; nor dared to trust anyone: so he worked alone. He made a number of daring robberies, all along the line from Montre

ed. While in the city of brotherly love he was "tipped off" to a good thing. He boldly entered a large mercantile house, and, in t

rd and "on the level". Johnny was not suspected then, and never "did time" for this touch. For a while he hid in Philadelphia; boarded there with a poor, respectable f

for him because of the old crime, and that they were hot to discover the thief of the negotiable bonds. He sent word to

tionate in the extreme. They had not seen one another for years! And hardly a message had been excha

hen you and I will go away and give up this life. I am getting older and my nerve is not what it was once

bed for some time before she could say a word. She ordered a glass of whiskey, which she never used to drink in the old days, an

u something? It's pretty bad, but not so

ith a kiss and she cont

k; but the pay wasn't big enough for me then. So I began to graft-dipping and shop-lif

new him. He used to be sweet on you,

hed and lo

" said

e said the drygoods people were hollering like mad; and that he'd have to arrest me if I didn't

ou and dead to me. He's done time, and that breaks all marriage ties. Now, I want you to hitch up with

id the last words; and when she s

you d

she cried, "what else could I do. He wouldn'

rried him?" Jo

was in a

" she

bout the negotiable bonds. Besides, he loved Mamie and understood the difficulty of her position. His life as a thi

?" he asked, "bett

aid Mamie

for the old trick; and the detectives are looking everywhere for these negotiable bonds, which I have

will," said

tiable bonds. She had no intention of betraying Johnny; for she might be arrested for receiving stolen goods; a

ere looking for these negotiable bonds, at the very moment when they were safely stowed away in the detecti

an to attach to Johnny. Mamie's detective asked her one

rs," said Ma

tives suspected Johnny of having stolen the bonds, but of this they could get no evidence. So he was sent to Sing Sing for six years on the old charge. When he was safely in prison the detectives induced him to return the bonds, on the promise that he would not be prosecuted at his release, and would be paid a cert

ds to me, I would have been made a

detective, and the couple are now living again t