They call him the handsome bandit, and he was.

Good looking, well groomed, and according to the stories, quite the charmer.

Don't judge a book by its cover, though.

Smooth, yes.

But this man was a smooth criminal.

Born in 1845, he was wanted for murder and robbery in two states before the age of 16,

and it only got worse from there.

With that life of crime came with a string of prison terms.

The first was a seven year stay in Missouri State Prison, ending with his release in

1890.

He was back in 1893 for 14 more years, and then, as if he hadn't learned his lesson yet,

he was arrested and convicted for burglary in 1908, spending one more year behind bars.

After that, he told them he was done.

He was ready to behave.

The crime was like a well-worn path in his life, and it was far too easy to slip back into

the rut.

So on New Year's Eve of 1910, he put on his best suit, his freshly polished shoes, and

that bowler hat he always wore, and headed out into the cold Chicago air.

When he entered the pack saloon on West 16th Street, he pulled a gun and shouted for

everyone to fill his sack with their cash and jewelry.

And he almost got away with it.

At the last minute, though, a police officer walked in and caught him in the act.

...