"The Napoleon of crime"

June 30, 2024 2:01 PM

In 1862, Adam Worth listed as "dead, he was now free to enlist once more and to claim another bounty. Like many others he got a taste for it, taking the money, deserting, re-enlisting again in another unit under another name. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, "The more things a man is ashamed of, the more respectable he is." "The words refined and gaudy, by all practical standards, contrast. But, somewhere between the ether of the two words there is a fine line that, when the words blend across that line, a rarity is created. This specimen is one of color but with an ability to control that color to his/her advantage; to sip of the grapes of life with a celebratory vigor and vim and always emanate what the Parisians call en elegance." In 1876, he stlole Gainsborough' Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire from JP Morgan's father. it wasn't until 1901 that the portrait was returned brokered through Pinkerton. "He nicknamed Worth ‘the Napoleon of Crime.’ Called Adam Worth, Alias ‘Little Adam’ by the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, you can read it here. 'A Master Thief, Irish Hostess, English Duchess, and the Origins Pan Am.'
posted by clavdivs (7 comments total)

This was fun. I am currently reading one of the Raffles books which, while dated are interesting.
posted by Thrakburzug at 4:33 PM on June 30

I am having trouble parsing the first sentence:

In 1862, Adam Worth listed as "dead, he was now free to enlist once more and to claim another bounty.

Was it meant to be this sentence from the first linked article, edited to insert the date and the subject's name?

Officially dead, he was now free to enlist once more and to claim another bounty.

posted by It is regrettable that at 4:47 PM on June 30 [1 favorite]

I am having trouble parsing the first sentence:

Weird, because clavdivs is usually so clear in his writing. More seriously, I think a comma is missing after Worth, which makes the sentence parsable but still a little strangely formed.
posted by Literaryhero at 5:49 PM on June 30 [1 favorite]

under another name(") And I spot another typo. drats.

I loved Raffles Thrakburzug. I would love to see it made into a limited series. John Barrymore and David Niven were great but a re-make would be swell.
posted by clavdivs at 5:52 PM on June 30 [1 favorite]

I am also currently reading some of the Raffles stories via the Raffles substack. Highly recommended if you're into that kind of thing.

Now I need to go read the article in the OP, which also looks fascinating.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 6:49 PM on June 30

Wait, so “The Napoleon of Crime” describes Moriarty, McCavity the mystery cat, and this guy?
posted by deludingmyself at 9:29 PM on June 30

>Wait, so “The Napoleon of Crime” describes Moriarty, McCavity the mystery cat, and this guy?

Well, sure, they're all the same. Master of disguise, dontcha know? "McCavity's not there!"
posted by lhauser at 9:33 PM on June 30