-
!
1
'
Hots) for more than a
year he led four sepa
rate existences under
the same name and
formed the central
figure of a mystery
that baffled the police
of Scotland Yard.
Jin accountant by day,
a professional bicycle
rider in one suburb
and a society man in
another in the even
ing, and a burglar late
at night
Engaged to marry four
different girls at the
same time, his court
ship led to detection.
hmCLRK by day, a society man aome evenings.
I yev a professional bicycle rider on other evenings,
I ' and a burglar In the late hours of the night
I Jk, was Frederick Monks, a London man, who
a. - hai Inst hoan Buti t jro ..fl , ... 1 . . i
j"-- ...... ,...,.1,. . mcivc uiuiiiiis im
prisonment for robbery. He Is the only man
ever known In the annals of the London police
to live a " quadruple life," and his career forms
one of the strangest chapters In the romance of roguery
ever revealed to the public.
The strangest feature of Frederick Monks' quadruple
existence was that, while he lived four widely divergent
lives, mingled In four different classes of society, had four
sets of friends, and maintained four characteristics, he kept
the one name, Frederick Monks. In this fact, he afterwards
snld, lay the secret of his success.
In the morning Frederick Monks, In plain attire, took a
seat at his desk In a large Importing house In the city, where
lie was employed as an accountant. His demeanor was mod
est ad unassuming. He was deferential to his employers
and qulety congenial to his fellows. He ate his modest
lunch with Hem, talked with them on the only subjects on
which clerks iNially talk, and drew his thirty-five shillings a
week.
V
rierts ciaff mm.
"That bicycle rUar?" he would say In response to the
good natured chaflljg of his friends who asked him about
the professional athlete who had won the three mile race at
the rink the evenlg before. "No, I don't know himVHe can be
no relative of mine, even If his name is Frederick Monks.
Of course, I'm not a bicycle rider. If I could win 50 for rld
',ig around a racetrack In eight minutes, do you think I
would add up figures for 33 shillings a week? Not me."
At 3 o'clock in the afternoon Frederick Monks, ac
countant, would close his ledgers, carefully hang his thread
bare office coat on a peg, and leave the place, his day's work
being ended.
Walking a few squares he would take a bus and ride
to a quiet street near Kllburn Park road, N. W., where he
lived. Once at home he entered a gymnasium, where he put
himself through an hour's hard exercise with dumbbells,
weights and pulleys, and Indian clubs. Then, after a shower
bath and a rub down, he would don a suit of riding tights,
put on his outer clothes and a heavy sweater, and go to a
nearby rink and ride his bicycle for an hour. A sponge bath,
another rub down, this time by his trainer, a substantial sup
perand Frederick Monks, professional bicycle rider, after
an hour's rest, was ready for a race.
Wins Many Races.
At the gymnasium and in the riding rink Frederick Monks
was no longer the modest, deferential, unassuming clerk.
He was loud voiced, much given to swaggering, hearty, bluff,
and a good fellow. He swore much, drank nothing, and
smoked a little. No one of his acquaintances dreamed that
he could and did transform himself into a mere bookkeeper
every day In the week, Sundays and holidays excepted.
The name of Frederick Monks was known In every sport"
tng circle In London. His nam was familiar In every sport-
i ?iSeP yy families apparently had an entirely different circle of ac-
rV'Y : " fi Ml MyAAWy Going to headquarters, the detective secured a list of mya-
f - . - " fA WWyjflwjxiMwfflw terlous burglaries committed In London for eighteen months
f-"EZi Jl '; ?flWlYjvClSl0j$MVj' previous to Sept. 1, 1!M4. Selecting the ones reported from
If "A tTnCl . Lambeth, Fulham, Salisbury, and Malda Vale for they all
I 'X r I I IT V' CVyVLii. seemed strangely similar the detective began a canvass,
IT"' . VlV VyMVJMii'h I'fa applying at each house that had been robbed for a Hat of
With a dozen or more of these lists In his possession the
nr i i w&r m
Frederick Monks was advertised to appear at ti.o Princess
rink as a contestant In a hundred mile bicycle race, and
the detective secured a seat near the rail. For a long time
he was unable to get a clear view of Monks, but when he
did he became convinced that Monks the rider and Monks
the clerk were one and the same. This was the clew that
led to Monks' undoing.
The detective's next discovery was that Frederick Monks
of Kllburn Park roud frequently came home at a late hour
at night. The detective watched and one evening followed
his suspected man to a private home In Miilda Vale, where. In
evening dress, he made a social call upon a young woman.
The evening clothes Identified Monks as the society man, and
from that time on he was carefully shadowed.
Engaged to Marry.
The detective soon learned that Monks, the society man,
was engaged to marry a girl in Salisbury and another one In
Malda Vale. Going boldly to the girl In Maldg Vale the de
tective revealed Monks' perfidy. The young woman In inger
gave the detective a letter she had received oily the day
before. It read:
Dearest: I am thinking of you atwayt. and your "good Httlt
talks " are Influencing m In the rlftht direction. ver navs I
realized so much aa last night the power for good porjeaaid by one who
Is blamelna. I cannot see you tomorrow night, aa I premised, tor I
have an Invitation, which I cannot refuae, to a parly at faavratoc
hill. With love aud klaeea. FFK2DIE.
The detective decided to follow Monks to the "rrty"
In Ilaverstock hill. The "party," however, proved to C"
Ing newspaper. He won many races and was undisputed
champion of bis class. And at this time that was a year
ago he was only 10 years old.
On the evenings In which Monks was not riding In a race
or training he became a different Monks. His dress suit,
top hat, and patent leather shoes fitted him as well as his rac
ing togs, and he wore them with the easy grace of a society
Idler. He had a wide circle of acquaintances In Ilaverstock
-,hlll, another portion of London and In Haverstock hill no
one presumed to know anything about Kllburn Park road
and professional blcyclo riders.
Society's Favorite.
In Haverstock hill Frederick Monks was known aa a man
of good position In the city, of some means, and of good
breeding. He was frequently Invited to parties and recep
tions, often made one of a theater party, and sometimes
was Invited to a half holiday,, over Sunday house party in
the country.
Monks was fond of society, especially that of young wom
en. He naturally attracted them, for he was of athletlo build,
rather more than good looking, always dressed In fashion
and In strictly good taste, and was well educated and ap
parently refined. So popular was Frederick Monks with ths
young women of his acquaintance that at the time of his ar
rest he was engaged to marry four of them, one living at
Salisbury, one at Fulham, one at Lambeth, and another at
Malda Vale. In his rooms at his own home In Kllburn Park
road were found their photographs, and with each photo
graph was a package of letters, all of a most loving charac
ter. Monks' love for the affection of young women was the
strangest feature of his character. After his arrest he boast
ed that he had made ardent love to many women, that he
had won the love of many, and that he had promised to marry
a number of them; but he declared that no woman ever
loved him to her sorrow or to her shame. He won the love
and trust of many and betrayed none.
Monks easily was able to maintain his character as a so
ciety man of leisure, and to dress the part, from his win
nings as a professional bicycle rider; but even If the cash
prizes hs won were insufficient he had another and a mors
sinister source of Income.
J
Burglar by Night.
Late at night Frederick Monks forgot that he was a clerk,
or a bicycle rider,, or a society man, and became a burglar
and the police are ready to testify that he was as skillful and
aa daring a man as ever wore a mask and used a Jimmy.
For two years a series of daring burglaries in Lambeth,
Malda Vale, Fulham, and Salisbury had puzzled and baf
fled the police. In almost every Instance the houses bur
glarized were entered between 2 and 3 o'clock In the morn
ing, and within a few days after the family had given a party
or a dance. This coincidence, however, did not strike the
London detectives for some time.
Finally one detective took a list of the guests at a party
In a house that had been burglarized on the following even
ing. The list gave him no clew, for all the names seemed
to be those of men above suspicion. Oolng to another house
that bad been robbed under similar circumstances the de
tective again secured a list of the guests. The only coin
cidence was that the name of Frederick Monks was on both
lists. No other name appeared on both lists, and the two
Irv Societ-
detectlve became convinced that there was a peculiar sig
nificance In the fact that the name Frederick Monks ap
peared In all of them, but that In other respects no two
lists were alike. Apparently Frederick Monks, whoever he
was, was on Intimate social terms In a dozen different circles.
The directory gave the detective no clew. There were
dozens of Frederick Monks. But the thleftaker copied the
names and addresses of all and began a discreet Investiga
tion Into the character of all of them. By a process of
elimination he soon reduced his list of Frederick Monks to
three.
V"W' l.1 l
. f."rv.,v.'.'."i,.'.T ' a
His Steps Shadowed.
At the Importing house the detective learned nothing but
good of Frederick Monks. His employers gave him the best
cf characters. The detective saw Monks at work at his desk,
followed him to his lodgings in Kllburn Park road, and found
nothing suspicious.
burglary, with Monks as the unlnvUed guest, and he was ar
rested In the act. His conviction and sentence followed.
The police have since learned that Frederick Monks Is an
assumed name and that the man who for two years has lived ,
four lives Is the son of a wealthy family of high position.
He refuses to reveal his true Identity, however, and declares
that when his sentence expires he will lead an honest life
in one of the English colonies.
'I 1
EVERT boy, these days, tries his hand at football, en
couraged by the hope that when he is bigger be will
be a member of a high school team and later of a
college team. Most boys say that the only way to
learn the game Is to begin when you are real young.
John Shed Holden, the son of J. E. Holden, says that
S years old Is the time to begin. He la 4, and ha haa been
playing for a year. Last Cbrlstmaa he asked Santa Claus to
I ring him a football and sweater, and then he got to work.
When asked if he likes the game thla little Trojan answers:
"Like football? J guess I do. It's the stuff. My broth
trs, they like It, too, James Edward and George Francis are
(heir names. We three play together. This la how we play
football: Jamea stands here and George la there, and here'a
me. I kick the ball like thla"
Jt J
Girls Can't Kick.
"Walt, John; not ao fast," Interrupted Jamea "She's
a girl, so I don't think she knows much about the game. Tou
see, when John kicks the ball we grab for It If George
catches the ball I tackle it, and If I catch the ball he tacklea
It, and ws both try to toss it back."
Though John Holden la i hs is going to kindergarten,
and be aaya that be will not be there long before every boy
Is fond of football. He la willing to teach them, but he la
going to reserve the kicking of the ball for himself. When
asked if be was going to have bis course of Instruction co
educational, he answered: " No, I won't teach, the glrla;
they ain't got no stuff, they can't kick."
There is only one little girl John Holden wants to teach
football, and that Is his baby alster. She ia Just 16 months
old, but John thinks she can begin soon. " She'll do It all
right; she won't let ua boya touch her now. She'a dreadfully
strong. J'll Juet take her out and let her kick."
Fun In Snobballing.
John la of the opinion that snowballing, after football. Is
the best sport for boys. " I guess we do have fun playing
snowballs, don't we?" he ssked of his brother. "Its the
W st snort on esrth. We each build a fort, and it's all closed
up. and when we throw our balls we rush out and than
rush back again."
John does not find himself at a disadvantage making
snowballs any more than in playing football. His brothers
admit that John's snowballs are as firm and hard as can be.
Thla 4 year old la one with his brothers In all sports except
In shooting. He Is sensitive about his brothers having air
guns, while he is only allowed a bow and arrow. But foot
ball, thinks John Holden, Is the best sport for a boy, and the
kicking of a ball Is most fun. He is willing to play with his
brothers now, but when he goes to college he says that
be'U " show the big boys how to kick a ball."
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