The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-12

Operations Of Thieves on the Line of the Great
New York kailroad.

bNVW NpEA htufOuus
Inc Syracuse, N. Y, Courier has the follow
ing particulars of the arrest of the New York
Central freight car thieves;-
over week ago we recorded the robbery of
ireleht cars on the New York Central Railroad,
between Utica and this city and the manner in
which the thieves secured the booty. The OIL
GERS otthe company were untiring in their efforts
10 secure the thieves, and at last have succeeded
in bringing the guilty parties before the courts,
Where IL Is expected justice will be meted out
10 them' The prrties were arrested last Friday
night at Utica. Their names are Andrew Fay,
seventeen years old; John Baker, seventeen;
Samuel Hickerby sixteen, and Peter Thaen,
seventeen-all hardened in crime for their age,
and well stepped in iniquity. They are all resi-
dents oil Utica. These boys claimed that an en-
gineer named William +. Ferry, at work in
Wornick IL Browns tobacco establishment,
MADE the tools with which they entered the cars
and broke open the boxes, and instructed them
how to use the same. Two of the fellows have
already been in the Penitentiary and one in the
House OF Refuge. One of the boys first told the
engineers dongs and then all confessed the
same. Ferry was arrested at his house last
Friday night, after he had retired to bed. He
denied all knowledge of the theft but his house
was searched and hats, shoes, tobacco, shirts,
etc., were found on the premises, conclusive
evidence that he was one of the most guilty
parties. These young thieves have no idea of
the value of goods they have stolen and de-
stroyed. The thefts have been going on
at least one year, and from all the information
that can be obtained, these boys have doubt
100000 and 100000 worth of property.
The thieves always got on the cars at Utica.
They used to enter the cars by means of the lad
ders leading down to the side of the doors. The
doors are not locked, but are sealed with some
kind OF leaden substance This the burglars
would tear off with a nippers carried for the
purpose. Once in the cars, the business was inn
mediately commenced. If the goods were not of
the desirable kind, they would jump off and get
on the next freight train. The goods were gene
rally selected before station reached.
Rome was the usual station selected. As the
train Stacked, the thieves would throw the goods,
previously stuffed into bags from the cars, and
then jump off, and under cover of darkness, OBJ
tam them and put them in u safe place. One
night the rascals did not make their selection
until the tunnel was reached. Here they
threw their bags out and then came into the
city and warmed themselves and returned for
the goods. This night ready-madc clothing was
sought. Several hundred dollars worth had
been tumbled out near the tunnel. On one occa-
sion they hid large quantities of goods in the
woods near Oneida, and thea made two trips to
that place to secure them. Large quantities of
goods had been thrown away. One of the par
ties says he threw away large quantity of Grape
veils not knowing their value. A few nights
since they tumbled off large quantity of
silk and fancy handkerchiefs this side of
Fome to which we referred at the time. One
of them took the silk upon his shoulders-there
was as much as he could carry-and, after bear
ing the same short distance, he was weighed
down by his load. Becoming disgusted, he
threw it into the ditch beside the track. The
silk was worth probably $4,000. And thus these
parties have probably stolen and thrown away at
Last $50, 600 worth of goods. On being arraigned
before the Recorder in Utica they at first plead
not guilty, but finally acknowledged their guilt
and were committed to await the action of the
grand jury. Ferry, the engineer plead not
guilty to being receiver of stolen goods.