The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-25
A SHARP TUSSLE.

"A
Effort TO Escspe-He is Shot at aud
POunded-Whst he has Been Doing.
1t is rarely that New Jersey produces a great
rascal, but when she does bend herself to this
work the result is usually very remarkable
one. James Neil 10 a native of her soil, and for
daring rascality does not bow to any of his pre-
decessors. His father a gentleman of respec-
liability, resides In Trenton, where his has
succeeded by series of bold and adroit crimes
in throwing the denizens of that city into
frenzy OF alarm, and of having heaped upon his
head the anathemas of men with well-flled
Golfers. He has been arrested in that city often,
but as he recently admitted, 'all Trenton was
not strong enough to hold him, "a declaration
which seems to have been verified by the immu-
nifty from cells and shackes which he has
hitherto enjoyed But now to a particular event,
or series of events, of recent occurrence
On the 14th of April, under cover of darkness,
he entered the jewelry store of w. o. Talcot,
in Lambertville, New Jersey, aud thoroughly
divested the safe, the cases, and the shelves of
all that was valuable, carrying off silver spoons,
knives, and every variety of silver service and
a few diamonds in clusters and in single settings,
securing in all quantity valued at sl50O;
week ago last Friday night Detective Officer
George l.. Dean, plucky official who has seen
seventeen years service in the detective busi-
ness, caught Neil and his pal; but as they were
drawing near Trenton the fellows broke away
| from him, leaped a high fence, and were gone.
Dean would have followed but he sagely con-
| cluded that his portly legs would stand little
! chance of success with the 1.-the fugitives. A
|
| but how he did is neither here nor there-that
! the rascals were in this CITY, Yesterday, there
| fore, he came here and secured the services of
| two plucky detectives-Gordon and Haggerty-
and a council of war was held. II was ascer-
| tanned that Neil was closeted In house No. 766
| North Twenty-secoHd street, and thither at an
| early honr this morning the trio proceeded.
| Dean stationed himself at the yard gate to cut
| off any attempted escape in that direction
| Haggerty and Gordon valiantly started to the
front door, where they rang the bell. The door
was opened, and they unceremoniously entered,
| carefully locked the door from the inside, took
! possession of the key, and then summoned Dean,
| who, covering wide path, entered the building
| from the rear.
While Gordon and Haggerty kept watch
| below, Dean moved up stairs from the kitchen,
| when to his amazement, no less than to his ioy
| he discovered Neil upon the landing. Just as
| Dean was about laying his hands upon him, Neil
| sprang from the top of the flight to the bottom
of the stairs leading into the hail. and was there
| seized by the two officers below, where he strug-
| gled in vain to free himself. Being reduced to
| lamb-like passiveness by blow upon the head
| from Haggertys pistol, he was led into middle
| room, having two DOORS one being then locked
and Haggerty planting himself before the other.
While Haggerty Cleft to guard the prisoner
while Gordon and Dean ransacked the house)
was yet congratulating himself upon the com
| placent behavior of his captive, Neil spraup
| upon him and endeavored to drag him from the
door. The struggle was short but terrible one;
| Neil fought with the frenzy of a mailman and
| Haggerty dealt blows upon his head, from which
| the blood streamed. II give in!" at last said
Nell and aaggerty eased up the grip he had upon
he; ''you're game, though. Won't you let me
| have some water to wash my face?"
| This was brought In, and the detective felici-
tated himself on the prospect of peace. While
| caught up the basin of water and dashed it into
| Haggerty's face, and with blow knocked him
| from the door, and sped out into the yard.
Haggerty was at his heels They flew into
/ O w "a dafa lrou l.;
| revolver, fired three shots in quick succession,
| but this running fire was Intellectual From this
| little alley they emerged into a back street,
which opens into Brown, and down this the
| pursued and pursuer dashed.
| The windows flew up, and frightened women
| looked out, screaming Murder" and yelling
| for the police. Haggerty again raised his re
volyer. Thrice he snapped the trigger, but from
| some unaccountable reason the barrels were not
| emptied. He redoubled his energies, and soon
cornered the fearless Neil in yard, where he
| grappled with him. and rained terrible blows
| upon his head, covering his face with blood.
In this attitude were the two when Dean and
Gordon came up, and secured Nei carrying him
| dogged, unwilling captive back to the scene
of his Intellectual exploit in the house.
"Why did you rum" asked Gordon, "while
| Haggerty was firing"
| Because it's safe enough. man can't hit
| you when he's OF the CO."
Finding that escape was now impossible, Neil
became tractable and seemed to have the
| highest admiration for Haggerty, to whom he
kept saying, You're camel" When asked if
| he had ever been in prison he answered, "They
have had me lots of times in Trenton, but they
never could hold mel" The prisoner is thirty
five years of age, and there is evidence among
his effects found by Gordon and Dean in the
house in Twenty-second street to
| convict him of four robberies - that
of Talcot's jewelry store; another
at Longetreets shoe store, Trenton; a third at
| large millinery establishment there, and q fourth
at wheelright shop, where tools were stolen to
be used in etfecting entrance into the jeWelry
| store. Last night Dean saw Neil at the Walnut
| Street Theatre and traced him to his lodgings
| where nearly all the goods stolen, or the pawn
| tickets representing them, were found.
He will now go back to Trenton. Perhaps they
| will hold him this time.