On June 23, 1894, readers of The Auburn Journal learned of the fall from grace of a well-respected man, Henry Mullen, who was born in Auburn in 1862.
His father died when he was young, which left him and his older brother, Thomas, to care for their widowed mother and several younger siblings. Henry worked as a driver and clerk for T.E. Stephens’ grocery business. After Stephens died in 1891, the Lowell family operated the store and Henry continued to work for them.
As well-liked and industrious as Henry was, he began to suffer from an addiction. As The Auburn Journal put it, “Henry got to spending much of his time in the company of the soiled doves of Brewery alley.”
This required more money than Henry earned, so he began to sneak into the store at night and steal money from the safe. Mr. Lowell knew someone was stealing money, so he reported it to Sheriff Conroy, who stationed deputies Dependener and Armstrong there at night. They caught Henry as he opened the safe. He was arrested and immediately confessed.
Because he was well-liked and had never really been in trouble before, Henry received a light sentence of four years in San Quentin Prison. He was paroled in January of 1896 and, after working for Charles Keena for two years, moved to Seattle, Washington, where he became a longshoreman. He retired in 1936 and died there in 1946.
Photo: The T.E. Stephens/Lowella safe from which Henry stole money This safe, manufactured in Detroit, Michigan in 1878, is on display in the hallway of the Auburn Historic Courthouse.
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