"Black" Lena Kleinschmidt (c. 1835 – after 1886) was a
German-born New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
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* ...
criminal
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...
who, as a prominent jewel thief during the late 19th century, was an associate of fence
Fredericka "Marm" Mandelbaum and
Adam Worth.
Among others in Mandelbaum's "clique", she and con artist
Sophie Lyons served as protégés early in their careers of shoplifting and pick pocketing.
She was eventually arrested after being caught with
Christene "Kid Glove Rosey" Mayer attempting to steal two pieces of silk containing 108 yards with a value of $250 in 1880 from the
McCreery & Co. store at the corner of
11th Street and
Broadway
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Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
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** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
on April 9, 1880. During their arrest, police found in their possession property recently stolen from Le Boutillier Brothers on
14th Street.
Convicted and sentenced to five years at
Blackwell's Island
Roosevelt Island is an island in New York City's East River, within the borough of Manhattan. It lies between Manhattan Island to the west, and the borough of Queens, on Long Island, to the east. It is about long, with an area of , and had a ...
on April 30, Kleinschmidt fled while out on a $500 bail. She was soon rearrested and returned to New York, where she was convicted after pleading guilty and sentenced to four years and nine months imprisonment along with Mayer on April 30. She was released after her sentence expired on September 30, 1883.
Lena eventually moved to
Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack is the most populous municipality in and the county seat of Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. , and, while posing as the wealthy widow of a South American mining tycoon, became known as a local hostess giving elaborate dinner parties in the style of Mandelbaum. Although having no visible means of support during this time, twice a week she would visit New York "replenishing her coffers". Her charade ended when a guest allegedly recognized a jeweled (or emerald) ring which she had worn during one of her dinner parties which had been previously stolen.
References
;General
*
Asbury, Herbert. ''The Gangs of New York''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1928.
*
Byrnes, Thomas. ''1886 Professional Criminals of America''. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1969.
;Specific
Further reading
*Asbury, Herbert. ''All around the town: The Sequel to the Gangs of New York''. New York: Alfred A. Knoff, 1929.
*Eldridge, Benjamin P. ''Our Rival, the Rascal: A Faithful Portrayal of the Conflict Between the Criminals of This Age and The Police''. Kessinger Publishing, 2004.
*O'Kane, James M. ''The Crooked Ladder: Gangsters, Ethnicity and the American Dream''. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 1994.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kleinschmidt, Lena
1830s births
Year of death missing
Criminals from New York City
German emigrants to the United States
People from Hackensack, New Jersey