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WHY CRIME No. 3 it Series of Extraordinary Revelations Written by SOPHIE LYONS AR1 N( Ou The Most Famous and Successful Criminal ot Modern Times, Who Made a Million Dollars in Her Early Criminal Career and Lost If at Monte Carlo, and Has Now Accumulated Half a Million Dollars in Honorable Business Enterprises - I N my two previous articles I have tried to show by my own ex periences and by the experiences of some of my companions a few of the reasons why crime does not pay. It is thought by many that the only thing that prevents a criminal from being successful, happy and prosperous is the danger of being caught. But this fear does not restrain criminals. Curi ously enough, every thief feels sure he will not be caught—and if he should be he has an abiding faith that he will escape. Criminals do escape frequently, and on this page to-day I will explain how I, myself, have got out of prisons and jails and how some of my companions have managed to do the same. But at what pains, trouble, cost and risk! One-half the same expenditure of in telligent thought and patience put into an honest business enterprise would bring a splendid reward But the point I want to make clear is that it profits a convict nothing to escape I escaped from the stone walls and steel bars of old Sing Sing—an impossible accomplishment they had said—but I will show why I was worse off out of prison than if I had remained there. So, too, with “Sheeny Mike,” the store burglar, who nearly killed himself getting out of the great Charlestown Prison, near Boston, only to be arrested everywhere he went, month after month, until he was finally sentenced to Dannemora Prison, in New York, for nearly twenty years. And so, also, with Eddie Guerin, who escaped from Devil’s Island, the French penal colony off the coast of South America He has told of the weeks of horror and hardship in an open boat, under the blistering rays of a tropical sun, his wanderings through the malarial, fever-breeding swamps, full of poisonous insects and snakes, and his capture by a wild tribe. And so with Bullard, the burglar, whose partners, the famous Harry Raymond and Mark Shinburn, labored patiently tunnelling into the White Plains (N. Y.) jail and finally released him. Bullard secured his freedom only to be caught again, and he died in prison. SOPHIE LYONS. ddie n slam 'Alter a few weeks ira received the wa < aauy friends on o ling, we went to hildren who were ii ot long before out ou I thought thii ettilnd my husband urge him to get sent But he would That would be a ny money,” he sal own until I have e ie a decent start, tore good bank job out living differen Sophie Lyons Why We Were Worse Off After Our Escapes Than Before I T ll not easy to gee out of Sing Sing Prison. Ned Lyons, the bank burglar, my husband, got out, an-d so did 1. We were both serving sentences of five years at the'samo time Ned Lyons was a desperate man. and he had -no notion of remaining long In any prison. Although his body was already considerably punctured with pistol bul- ,eta be did not welcome the idea of In viting the ride balls from the armed sen tries who patrolled the prison walls on all sides A dash for liberty was out of the luostlon—If he was to escape It must be through gome adroit scheme which would not make him a target for the riflemen who surround the prison. My husband and I had a comfortable home on the Bast Side In New York, but I had very little peace of mind because of the activities of Lyons and his energetic companions. As I have said before, these men had found it very convenient to have my asslatance In their various enterprises, and to It was that my husband and 1 both got into Sing Sing at the same time— Lyons was confined in the men's prison and l was In the women’s prison just at the prison door must have before he allows anybody to leave the building. But my husband had serious doubts. About this time the matron’s two chil dren were taken sick and I was assigned to her house to take care of them. So faithfully did I nurse them back to health that the matron became quite fond of me and wanted mo to remain there perma nently as her personal servant. When Ned Lyons came to see me again he was amazed at my good fortune In re ceiving a position which was the next best thing to liberty Itself. It not only gave me all sorts of liberties but It en abled me to dress like any servant girl instead of In the regulation prison cos tume. This last fact would prove of tre mendous advantage when my opportunity to make a break for liberty came. “Red” Leary Lends Aid Besides this I was allowed a little pocket across the road. It was the Waterford, N. Y.. bank that had been robbed of $150,000 and In the party were George Bliss, Ira Klngsland and the famous Jimmy Hope. Of the whole party, Hope alone was not caught Just how my husband got out of Sing Sing I am able to explain, because l my self planned the escape. The day 1 reached Sing Sing 1 was turned over to the prison physician for him to And out what my physical condi tion was and what kind of work I was best fltted to do. This doctor’s name was Collins. 1 shall never forget him for be was one of the kindest hearted men l ever knew. In my hope of being assigned to some easy work where 1 would fbe able to assist In my husband's plans for escape, 1 pretended to him I was suffering from all sorts of ailments. Planning Lyons’s Escape "Why. doctor,” I said. T'u a sick woman and besides I don't know bow to do any kind of work. I’ve never had to work for a living.’’ "Well, my good little woman,” the doc tor replied, ‘you’ll have to learn to work. You’re In her for five years and uobody Is allowed to play the lady In Sing Sing prison, you know." “But, doctor," I said, “you wouldn't have Sophie Lyone be anything but a lady, would you?’’ "I'd like to make an honest woman of you, Sophie—that's more Important than being a ‘lady’," he answered gravely, "and 3'm going to try. I’ve got enough con fluence In your sense of honor to give you i position as assistant nurse in the prison Vospttal. If you profit by your opportuni- tiee there you can learn a good trade .hlch will enable you to make an honest living when your term Is up.” -Nothing could have suited me better. A Position In the hospital Is the easiest work the prison offers, and it wouin give me just she opportunities I needed to help my husband escape. But I tried not to let Dr. Collins see how delighted I was and pretended to be very tearful and penitent as 1 thanked him for his kindness. My husband was allowed to come and see me once a weed! under guard of a prison keeper. My conduct was so good •nd had given the matron and Dr. Collins such confidence In me that Ned and 1 were soon permitted to talk without any prison official being present to listen, as the prison rules required. On these visits we had opportunity for discussing -various plans for escape, but we both agreed that no one of them would probably succeed. 1 favored trylDg to got a forged pass—a counterfeit of the passes given to visitors. w)fich the keeper money to buy caudles, fruit and occa sional trinkets for the children. Ned brought good news this time. He had pondered over my suggestion of a forged pass and the more he thought of it the more it seemed a promising scheme. But there were several important things that must be done, and done well, to make the plan reasonably sure of success. Lyons, in prison, could not personally ivttenj to the necessary details. He must have outside help. Usually in such emer gencies 1 was the one who was relied upon to attend to matters of this kind— but, unfortunately, I, too, was iu prison and under close watch. So, In casting about for a reliable friend, Lyons decided to ask the help of "Red” Leary, the bank 'burglar, who had been associated with my husband in the famous $3,000,000 Manhattan bank robbery Word was sent to Leary and on the next "visi tors' day.” a gentleman with high silk hat and black gloves and a lawyer's green bag drove up to the prison and sent In tits card to the Warden—could Ned Lyons "lawyer” see hts imprisoned client? In this guise "Red” Leary, high hat. lawyer's bag and gloves, swept into the prison and was courteously allowed an Interview with my husband. Ned ex plained that two Important things were needed—a visitor's pass properly signed with the Warden’s signature, and a care fully selected disguise for the escaping man to use. Could “Red” Leary attend to these two matters? "Red" Leary could, and with much pleasure—and the first move in the proceedings then and there was to carefully chew up bis pass into a wad and tuck it behind hts upper molar teeth. Ned Lyons was led back to his cell and his "lawyer" put on his silk hat and arose to leave. He began searching his pockets and his green bag for his missing pass. An attendant helped him. Then the keeper at the door took a hand and looked through hts pocket-book and papers while the "lawyer.” In much distress, turned his pockets Inside out. But no pass could be fouud. At last the principal keeper. Connaugh- ton, was called and he reprimanded the "lawyer” severely for his carelessness, but finally allowed the visitor to depart—and behind “Red" Leary’s back teeth was the pass that was so much needed In forging a fresh one. with the proper day and date on it. Leary returned to New York and enlisted the services of a friend who was an expert check forger and soon had a pass that the Warden of Sing Sing him self would not know was a forgery. And this precious piece of paper was smug gled In to Lyons and he hid it in a crack in the floor of his cell. Ned planned to use this pass in making his escape ff he could get a wig to cover his closely cropped head, a false beard to disguise his face and a suit of clothes to replace his prison stripes in time for the next visitor's day. "Rec" Leary was to call to see me the next day and 1 was to arrange with him about securing these necessaries. They were to be left In an obscure corner gro cery outside the prison where a "trusty," whom my huBband had befriended, would claim them and smuggle them Into Ned’s cell. It was a Wednesday 1 Lad my last call from Ned Through one of those myster ious underground channels which keep the inmates of every prison In such close touch with the outside world, my husband had learned that on the following Tues day, which was a visitors' day, the war den and several other prominent officials of the prison were to be away attending a political meeting. That was the day he had set for his escape provided our friend Leary could deliver the necessary disguise in time. I had my doubts about ''Red” Leary, who was good hearted enough and meant well, but was prone to be careleBs about keeping appointments. To my delight, however, he was on hand next day and he got permission from the matron to see me. When I asked him if he had every thing in readiness he burst into a torrent of eager explanations. “It's all out there in the buggy, Sophie,” he said, “tied up in a bundle that you'd take for anything but what it is. Every thing’s there and everything’s right. Why even the shirt and collar are Ned’s right size. and. say. I bet they’ll feel good after rubbing his neck for months against that rough prison stuff.” The Prison Bell Sounds Alarm Leary was a talkative fellow and he was going on with a detailed description of the wig and false beard which he had had made to order for the occasion, when Dr. Collins and the matron appeared at the end of the corridor where we were sitttng. I signalled “Ned" to keep quiet and led him over to a window. There, under pretext of showing him some geraniums 1 was trying to coax into bloom, I hurriedly explained where he was to ieave the things and sent him away on the errand which meant so much to Ned and me. The next Tuesday was the longest, most nerve-racking day of my life. I had slept little the night before. All night long my mind was turning over Ned's plans—how by feigning Bickness he would get permis sion to leave the shop and go to his cell; how he would change his clothes and put on the wig and false beard “Red" Leary had bought; and how, just as his fellow- prisoners were being marched In to their noonday meal, he would mingle with the little crowd of departing visitors, sur render his forged pass at the gate and walk out of the main entrance of the prison a free man. 1 had approved every bit of this plan— In fact I myself had mapped out a large part of it. Yet now, when I considered on what narrow margins its success de pended, 1 felt it was foredoomed to failure. Ned would be caught In the act—he would •be put in solitary confinement—perhaps he would be shot dead by some vigilant guard. I arose unusually early that Tuesday morning and worked unusually hard—to hide my nervousness. Nothing out of,the ordinary happened to relieve the awful tension. Early in the morning I heard from one of the other prisoners that the warden and his assist ants had gone away for the day. This, of course, coincided with N(fd’s plans, but it brought me little relief, for I feared that perhaps the officers left in charge might, In the absence of their superiors, be un usually careful in guarding their convict charges. Noon came and went and still I heard nothing to relieve my anxiety. "No news is good news," 1 keift saying to myself and In this case the old adage really spoke the truth. If there was no excitement about the prison it was good evidence th*< Ned’s absence had not been noted. And if they did not discover his absence until tuey came to lock the prisoners up for the night all was well, for by that time I knew Ned would be safe In hi3 old haunts on the East Side, in New York City. “But there still remained the discourag ing possibility that at the last minute some of his plans had miscarried and he had been obliged to postpone the attempt. Night came and I was setting the tabli ror the evening meal when I heard the sounds of some unusual excitement over in the men’s prison, across the road. There was much running to and fro, keepers were shouting to each other and presently the prison bell began to ring frantically. The sound of the bell made my heart jump—it was never rung, T knew, except in case of tire or when a prisoner escaped "What on earth is that bell ringing for?" said the matron. I was just saying that 1 didn’t know and was trying to hide my excitement when in rushed Dr. Collins, all breathless and worried. “Heard the news?” he shouted. And be fore the matron could say yes or no out he burst with the whole story. "Ned Lyons, the bank robber, has es caped!" he said. ’’He's been gone since noon and they never knew it until just now when they went to look him in his cell and found nothing there but his suit of stripes. It's the boldest escape there’s been in years. “According to all accounts he walked right out of the main gate, stepped into a buggy that was waiting and drove off like a gentleman. Of course he was dis guised, and so cleverly they say that one of the head gate keepers bowed to him at the gate thinking he was a member of that new legislative commission from Al bany.” A great weight rolled from my heart— Ned was free! I managed to control my feelings and it was lucky I did, for the next instant I saw the matron point a warning finger in my direction and at that the doctor lowered his voice so that I could hear no more. This door—a massive, iron barred affair —was seldom if ever opened. The big brass key which unlocked it hung with other keys from a ring suspended at the matron's belt. Kate Leary could easily have a dupli cate of th"t key made, but first I must secure a model of the original. This wasn’t a difficult task—I had often done similar tricks to aid my huBband in his bank robberies. I slipped into the ma tron’s room while she was taking a nap and took a careful impression of the key on a piece of wax. a Easy Ban: I agreed to this premonition that was finished, rselves back in S it turned out, I w It was not altogel e desire to live a c plead with Ned at there was a res d that at any m tective was liable In due time Kate Leary brought the key which had been carefully made from my wax model. At the first opportunity 1 tried it—it fitted the rusty old lock per fectly! Hiding the key away as carefully as I ever hid any stolen diamonds, I waited impatiently for the night set for my escape. It came at last. Between 8 and 7 o’clock was the hour, because then my household duties frequently took me Into the vicinity of the basement door. It was a crisp De cember evening. It had snowed heavily alll day. and it wa3 still snowing and was growing colder. About 6:30 I heard a peculiar low whistle. That was the signal that the pair of horses and the sleigh which were to carry me away were waiting outside. There was, of course, no opportunity to get my hat and coat. Luckily I was all alone in the lower house—upstairs I could hear the matron and her family laughing and talking over their dinner. Ned Lyons in Disguise Putting down the tray of dishes I wa$ carrying I snatched the key from its hid ing place under a flour barrel and hur ried noiselessly along the dark passage way to the door that led to liberty. My heart was thumping with excite ment—my fingers were trembling so that I could hardly find the keyhole. It seemed ages before the lock turned and I stepped out into the cold Winter night. Although every second was precious, 1 took the time to ciose the door behind me and lock it. By thus concealing the way I had gone, I would delay my pursuers just so much. From an open window above me floated the voice of one of the matron’s little daughters as I picked my way through the snow, bareheaded and with house slip- ' pers, .avoiding the regular path. ' “Mamma,” she was saying; “why doesn’t Sophie bring the rest of my dinner?" “She’ll bring it in a minute," the mother Wt replied. »* r I heaved a sigh or rener—quite evidently my absence had not yet caused any sus picion. • Hurling the key into a snowdrift, I ran to the waiting sleigh. Ned was standing beside the sleigh with a big, warm fur coat outstretched in his arms. Without a word I slipped into the coat, hopped into the sleigh and Ned gave the horses a clip with the whip and away we dashed to ward Poughkeepsie. The long fur coat and stylish hat which Ned had brought made me look like any thing but an escaped convict. After a good warm cupper at Poughkeepsie, we took the night train for New York and reached there safely the next morning. And so we were free! But what had we gained by our escape? We shall see. When my husband first suggested his escape from Sing Sing he promised me that if ho ever succeeded in getting out he would give up crime and turn to some honest and honorable work That promise was made while his remorse was sharp ened by bis sudden change from high living to poor prison fare, and I was now to see how weak his good intentions really were. • ginning to tell on try to laugh, my at I saw policeme iy I did.—at any oaths, asleep or a e slightest sound fleer come to take e could not live be constantly do- Wally running to The "one more Jo Ind was the robbe s looked the gro liking and then rs, Dave Cumm : k robber, to cor a ielp us. It was really a lg for three such i ere. My part of i i the shadow of a ie possible return ->.'o watchmen. T1 : his putting in iy husband had is acquaintance a tuning had been ale until he had nearby saloon. Inside the bank atchman. He wai discovered Ne< irough the rear w pened with their j stiff fight that ti o to stun him wil uff a handkerchii a his hands and f( 3 M was, they mi nearly had nerv ley where I was way ’’I think I’d bett id chap while yo jy husband saici ruised cheek he t The next morning, of course, the whole prison knew of the escape. "If I get out I'll have you out in a few weeks,” Ned had promised, and every day I was expecting some word from him. As time went on. the confidence the matron and the doctor had in me seemed to increase rather than diminish. Soon I was allowed to accompany the matron’s little daughters on long walks through the grounds outside the prison and even as far as the village. On one of these warns my attention was attracted by the peculiar actions of an old Indian peddler. He was a copper- colored, long haired old chief with Indian baskets and strings of beads on his arms. As soon as the girls and I stepped out of the prison gate this queer looking, bent old man singled us out from ail the rest of the crowd and began following us about, urging us with muffled grunts to buy some of the bead goods he carried in a basket strapped around his neck. 1 thought he was crazy and told him very emphatically that I didn’t want any of his trash. But this did not discourage him in the least, and he dogged our foot steps wherever we went. At last—more to be rid of the old fellow than because I wanted anything he had - I seleoted from hts stock a pair of bean slippers. As I handed him the money I felt hifn press a little folded slip of paper into the hollow of my hand. Quick as a flash I closed my fingers ovef it and in that instant ! recognized under the old Indian peddler’s clever disguise— my husband. Ned Lyons. He had come back to the Very gates of the prison from which he had escaped to bring this message to me! Kate Leary, wife of “Red" Leary, the bank burglar, was coming to see me soon —so the note said. I was to have my plans for escape all ready to discuss with her. Now, the only way of getting out of my prison 1 had been able to discover was through a door which led from a little used passageway in the basement of the moron's house to a point just outside the prison walls. How Ned Lyons Got Out of Sing Sing Prison d Came Ba My husband, Ned Lyons, who was serving a term in Sing Sing while I was also serving a sentence In the women's wing of tho same prison, se cured a disguise and a forged pass. His friend, “Red” Leary, the bank bur glar, arranged this for him. Lyons re ported sick, was sent to hit cell and at ones took off his prison stripes and fixed himself irp with a red wig, a con spicuous beard, slouch hat, plaid su-t and a car.e. <n this excellent disguise he miugl*** with the visitors who were strolli"9 through the corridors, and finally joined a group at the prison door who were leaving. Lyons edged along close be hind a party of ladies and handed out his forged pass. The prison keepej a* the door gave him a glance, saw nothing In the red wig and generous whiske sno businee,. suit to make him suspe^ an escaping convict—and bGtW'PS ’’9°'' morning" Ne<i Lyons passed Not many d. escape I was c ron’e children, I noticed an o tng around tr) beads. He fol noyed at his p bought a pan j him. As I „ pressed a tight Into my hand- nizea in that long-haired bla Lyons, I I’