The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-04-30
Court OF General Sessions.

CONVICTION OF A NOTED AND WEALTHY SHOP
LIFTER-INTEREsTIsG PARTICULARS AS TO HIS
CAREER, ETC.
The only case tried in this court on Thursday was an
indictment against Peter Hcernan alias James johnson,
charging him with grand larceny, which, it will be
seem has brought the of Of the most noted
shopfters In New York end for the present. The
conviction Of this Individual who has heretofore and
repeatedly succeeded in GLIDING the vigilance OF
the prosccu tng officers of the county, mainly owing
to the cxerons and skill of District Attorney Hail.
Itappears that several occasions when arrested and
indicted for offences similar TO the OF which he has
Just been found guilty, he 'jumpedr his bail, and
when he had absented himself sufficient length Of time
TO prevent the necessary witnesses for the people a-
pearng against him. would return to the city and resume
his ncfarious operations That was the fact in this
particular indictment; and IL may not be out of
place 10 state that I'll agent Of the watch company
who owned the watches stolen by HefIernan and
his wife (who always accompanied him his
foragng expedons) retired from business and returned
~ Switzerland The District Attorney, however, learn
ing that the clerks VI the agent, who in his employ
at the time the THEFT was committed, In tho city
found that their testimony would lie sufficient TO prove
the for the people and accordingly he procured the
arrest Of Herernan and placed the indictment on the
calendar for trial The counsel for the prisoner made
str efforts to have the postponed Wednes
day but Mr. Hall insisted the trial proceeding Re
corder Holman consented to have put over III the
next day with the understanding that IL should be posi-
lively tried. The District Attorney moved to have the
defendant committed, although he admitted that his
bail (which was In the sum Of i've thousand doars was
very good, alleging as reason that as Hehcrnan ran
before, he might do the thing agan. "A
bird in the hand worth two in the BUSH Counsel
for the prisoner opposed the notion but the Recorder
after celebrating Tor few moments, decided that the
ends of pablo justice required that Mr. Hencrnan APP
pearance in court The next morning should DO rendered
CERTAIN, and order him 10 be locked up IL is well
/ known TO tho authorities that Hcncrnan, In con.
junction with his WIFE has been operating in most OF
a series OF years, and that he has amassed re-
spe table fortune Some who possess opport mites for
acquiring informal on these matters, limited that he
worth forty tho sand dollars while others gave the
opinion that hall that amount would be nearer the truth
II Is certain, however that he has acquired considerable
| property by puroinng jewelry
The Indictment upon which Hcnernan was tried and
convicted yesterday charged him with stealing small
box, containing six silver Watches, worth about MY dol
lars from the store OF Mr. favcr Brandt In Maiden lane,
who was the agent Of the Ncuchaic Expectation Com
pany. On the morning OF the 9th OF December, 1867,
officer Golden, member of the detective force followed
Heernan and vile from their sidence in seventeenth
street down They visited two or three establish.
mcns In the vicinity of Broadway and Maiden lane and
they were passing through Fulton street the woman
took small box out Of her mu and passed TO Heller
! nan. They went INTO restaurant, followed by the
officer who arrested them and brought them to the sta
ton house The officer then proceeded 10 find an owner
for the box and succeeded in tracing 70 the store Of
Mr.. Brandt Mr. julius Decourmon clerk In his en-.
ploy, not only Identified the box az being part
OF an invoice just received from Europe but clearly
| identified the prisoners who came into the store
on the pretence Of purchasing damgnd set gold
wat h. which they selected and promised TO call for;
but the PROMISE like the pic crust which they
probably partook Of at tho restaurant was made to be
broken, On being brought TO the station house Heller
man attempted TO bride the officer remarkng that he
was dead to rights Ia phrase used thieves when they
are caught with the stolen property on their reIson
and would give him two hundred dollars at the North
River Bank II he would let him up. The detective OF
course refused when the wife of the prisoner suggested
the proprety OF increasing the TO Eve hundred dol
lars He replied, mo would sooner 60 to State prison
than do that; but will give three hundred dollars
The bride was not accepted and the jury rendered
verdict Of guilty Is likely that the contamination
which this lucky thief devouy wished will be realized
next week by receiving the sentence which Judge Russo
! will undoubtedly impose.