THE JACK SHEPPARD OF AMERICA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 707, 5 November 1875, Page 3

THE JACK SHEPPARD OF AMERICA.

—o —• The New York Times gives the following account of the career of a remarkahle criminal :—A, horse and truck, owned hy Messrs Overton and Co., of Pine-street, were standing tlio other day in frontofthe Custom-house, when a young man accosted the driver in the usual manner, and asked him if he could carry a case of goods While the diiver was looking for the ciS' the thief stole away the horseaul truck, and a case of tooth and nail brushes, valued at-500dollars. Ahorse and truck, and three cases of tallow, valued at 400 dollars and owned by William H. Diamond, were alsostolen 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 Cortland-street -• Ferry, when a young man hailed (ho driver and asked him if he would cart a case of goods to Jersey City. On the truck - man answering in the affirmative he was informed that the case was on the second floor of a building near by. No sooner had ho entered the building than the thief closed - and padlocked the street door, and drove away with the horse and truck and goods. De; tectives King and Lyon, who were detailed to investigate the matter, became convinced that there was but one man capable of successfully carrying out these robberies - John Mahoney, alias Jack Sheppard. This remarkable criminal is known hy his deeds all over the country. Ho has been imprisoned in almost every State in the Union, and from his success in escaping from confinement earned the name of Jack Sheppard. He was born tn this city in 1844, and his mother, a n estimable woman kept a stand in Washington market When a boy of eleven years he escaped from the Tombs by squeezinghiraself through the bars of his cell window. Again convicted, and sent to Sing Sing, ho escaped from there, On being "again arrested and sentenced to Elackwali’s Island, he escaped,from- that institution also. Next imprisoned in Philadelphia, he astonished the gaoler by escaping during the night. Arrested by the late Superintendent Joimlan for burglary, he compromised with the authorities by entering the army and promptly deserting. At the close of the civil conflict he was again airested in this city, and sent to Sing Sing, hut escaped by breaking through the roof of the prison. Some time after ho was again arrested in this city for a bonded-warehouse burglary, and resentenced to Sing Sing, He was barely in prison when ho effected another escape, driving out of the prison gates in a conductor’s waggon while under fire of the guards. Again arrested for a burglary in Boston, he was sent to the States prison at Charlestown, Mas., where ho served out his full

term. On liis release he wout 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 was arrested with a companion named John Hathaway, while endeavoring to obtain the goods, by detectives Walling and M'Dougall and locked up in the Central Office on the morning of April 9, 1872 ; he esC 'P >d 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 burglarv, 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 in search of Mahoney, and finally learnt that he hud been seen in the tenth Ward- They called Detective Wood to tlieiv'assistance, and seeingfMahoney in Delancey-street, arrested and handcuffed him. He offered no resistance but laughingly said, ‘ You’ve got me again. Just my luck, isn’t it? He was taken to the police headquarters, put in a strong cell, and a guard placed over him. Should he not be identified for the truck robberies he will he taken to Philadelphia to answer for the Way burglary.