REAL JEKYLL AND HYDE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 317, 31 May 1913, Page 10

REAL JEKYLL AND HYDE

THIEF WHO TAUGHT IN SUNDAY SCHOOL. i New York, April 3. When Walter Thomas, an insurance agent living at No. 450, Classon Avenue, Brooklyn, was arraigned before Judge O'Sullivan to-day for sentence on a conviction of burglary, the usual biographical questions were put to him, and he said that he had never before been convicted. Judge O'Sullivan then handed him a letter from Scotland Yard, London, containing a description of himself, along with a photograph, and stating that lie had served several terms in English penal institutions. He also handed Thomas a letter from the warden of the Illinois State Penitentiary at Joliet, 111., also containing a photograph and description of him, and saying that he had served a term there for felony. Thomas broke down after reading the letters, and admitted that they were true. He was arrested the last time on February 2, in the Transit building, by -Tames Darren, the superintendent of the building, who turned him over to Detective Van Twistcrn, of the East Fifty-first street station, charging him with having robbed a number of the offices in the building. He was tried last week, and his remarkable criminal bent, coupled with a liking for respectable society and companionship, was brought out. After sentencing him to a straight term of four and a-half years in Sing Sing, Judge O'Sullivan said to Thomas: ''Yours is one of the strangest eases that has ever conic before tin's Court. On six days of the the week you were an honest, industrious, conscientious citizen, a Dr.Jekyl, earning a good salary, and associating with decent people; and on the seventh day that you were brought up to revere, you were a Mr. Hyde. You devoted the morning of (hat day to Cod, teaching in a Sunday school and instructing young people in the ways they should tread. Rut in the afternoon and the evening of that Sabbath day, you devoted your time to stealing. You arc one man in a million. Going to prison with Hie goodwill of those that believe you, despite tlie fact that you are a harden 1 - ed criminal, yon succeeded in drawing to you a cultured, refined yon*g woman. She was willing to marry you, and has written me and begged of nip to give von a suspended sentenoe in order that she mnv marry you. She believes that her influence would Ivave a reformatory effect upon you, but T do not see it in that light. You have thrown a shadow across lit*- life that will remain forever." When Thomas was arrested he had in his possession 30 dols.' worth of postage stamps and 42 dols. in cash, a screwdriver. find a "jemmy" of peculiar make which Ihe experts at police hcadiiuartcrs said was a distinctly English implement. Because of the discovery of this English "jemmv." Scotland Yard was communicated with, anil a description of Thomas was sent here.