A very interesting, authentic account of the life of a charming small-time crook in New York City's underworld at the end of the 19th century. Well-written, while incorporating the jargon of the time and situation. I thoroughly enjoyed it and heartily recommend it.
Hutchins Hapgood was born in May 1869 and grew up in Alton, IL, where his father was a wealthy manufacturer of farming equipment. He is the younger brother of the journalist and diplomat Norman Hapgood. After a year at the University of Michigan, he transferred to Harvard University, where he took a B.A. in 1892 and earned his Masters in 1897