The New York herald., 1869-05-27
THE TRIAL OF TaEO. ALLEN.

Examination mt Jefferson Market On the
Charge Of RcscuiDg n Prisoner-iow Allen
Foiled Private Detective.
In the HERALD Of last Saturday the announcement
was made OF the "rrest nf Theodore Allen. Of the
st. Bernard HOTEL on the charge OF rescuing pris
oner In the custody OF o detective named Robert f.
Townley, who was acting under Sheriff 0'3rlen's
authority. The complainant Is Mr. Townley, who In
his preliminary affldavit represents that on the
27th OF March, on q warrant issued by the
Governor on rcquistion from Governor J. NJ.
Palmer, OF Illinois, and the delegation upon
the warrant of authority from Sheriff O'Bren to
Townley to make the arrest, he secured william
Forester, burglar, who had been con victcd and
sentenced to State Prison for thirteen years but who
had subsequently escaped. He charges that while
conveying the prisoner through Mercer street, near
Aliens HOTEL Allen out and rescued the burglar.
The examination was set for yesterday afternoon,
before Justice Ledwith. At that hour Mr.. Allen,
with his counsel, W. +. Hane, and twenty or thirty
friends, and Mr.. Townley, with his counsel Mr..
DeCosta, appeared, and after the swearing In OF an
official stenographer the redirect examination Of
Mr.. Townley was resumed.
Richard +. Townley resumed-I reside 10 the city
of New York, and am the person named In this com
plant; the authority Of these papers produced
and arrested william Forester on the 9th of March,
had previously arrested him and taken him to the
~
viously escaped; when made the arrest he refused
to go; there was a scunic between us, lasting from
Bernard Hotel corner OF Prince and Mercer streets,
Kept 1 am Informed, by Theo. Allen; during the
evan sSnnle A Aer rnc came up; ns,nsS saw MIN coming
l was q deputy sheriff, with warrant for
the prisoners arrest, and ordered him TO
said, "Charley what Is the matter ~ she then sati
TO me- "You son OF b., what are you doing ~;
he separated us, and Forester escaped and ran In
Cross examined by Aliens counse:-,iy name is
Richard +. Townley, and have always gone By that
years CO. while in PENNSYLVANIA working up case,
went by the name OF George Brooks; my employers
it best that should not go by my proper name (;
] am an operative OF the National Police Agency;
In no court OF Justice have ever given any other
o. Have you ever been confined. A. was once
confined at the instance Of Theodore Allen; was
been on Blackwells Island; was sent to the Tombs,
think some TING In August, 1858; live on the cor.
ner Of Exchange place saa New AEs
two years ago last fall from Chicago, where was
working for this agency as q detective; was EN-.
Mr. Bangs frst entered my present employ three
years ago this fall; prior to that was student at
2 commercial college in Chicago; was Q student
between three and four months prior 10 that was
IN the wheelwrlght business with my brother, John
q. Towney, OF sharon, Henry county, ILL.,; was
army also; enlisted on the lst OF June 1891 and left
the regiment (Nineteenth Inois; on the 10th Octo.
Der, 1862 enlisted at ueneseo, and was discharged
for physical disability; before entered the army
worked on fHrn, then at carpenter work with DIFF
ferent persons worked with man named Sam
Mackey, and another man named LocklIn; also
worked short time at photographlng; do not re-
collect OF having worked at any other business, ex-
cept running steam engine for q short time In
Benton county, Iowa; l was not q witness In
the prosecution OF Forester at Chicago; first saw
him In December last, In the northwestern portion
OF that city; never saw him In any court OF Justice;
1t was In private house saw him first, and had
some conversation with him; assisted In arresting
MIN there he was taken TO the Joliet Penentiary by
me; that was the last saw of him until | met him
Ia New York; IL was september, 1868, left him at
Joliet; next saw MIN In New York, as have stated
several weeks before l arrested him; 1t was on
broadway, near Leonard street; but did not then
speak to him; after that met him several different
times, once on Broadway, near Houston. when
spoke to him for several minutes with regard
TO his Illinois case; I met him again
several days after that's had not been in Aliens
house previous to March 81; when met Forester
on Mercer street. near Houston, about three o'clock
In the afternoon, took hold OF him, but did not
strike him; there was great collection OF people
there; before Allen came heard no exclamations OF
'Shame on you;' cannot say whether the street
was blockaded, there was quite q crowd present.
and the sidewalk was blocked up; none OF the others
present interfercd with me there was quite an ex-
citement aud heard stage drivers haooiDg; was
surrounded mt the time by at least 100 persons;
one took part In the rescue but Alen he did not tell
me TO dosist from beating Forrester-at least I did
not hear him: did not strike Forester hut threw
him down two or three timee; was not Bneel.