New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-05-13
LOCAL CRIME.



THIEVES.
Mr.. Phelps, the jeweler, who was shot IN MS
residence at sixthave. and hirty-ninth-st on frusS
evening is somewhat better and the attendant
mink that there Is possibility of his recovery
believed that the bali struck rib. glanced on anu ",
have missed vital part. The ball has 'hus i"' -.
been found and the surgeons are averse to proonE'
w,n, tho, A. Vvould do more harm than good IN ine
critical condition Of the patient. Mrs. fne'ps ~
home at 4 d. m. on saturday from syracuse |a
was visiting friends She had been teesr"in'U 80 o..
after ner husband was shot. The meeting was % 49,,
ing and the excitement Il caused hau V'" "a
ratient for a time Mr. Phelps was res.int oOiuiO
a., o,o,,r, and was I'm every way much improved ii
M moro unfayor,ble symptoms be apparent Wlu' -
bours the attendant surgeons VIII nave s'rons nVp'
hs ultimate recovery . So. ,.d
ost the thieves A consultation was held on satur-
a., orr,n,- between the Superintendent, Capt Burden
~ the Twentyninth Precinct andCapt irving Oh Tue ue
tective force and plan Of operations arranged SeNo'
of the best detectives of the Central ono 'quao "efc III
trusted with the case. and detectives nom o"ei po
gincts we're also called requstion The low haunls
az thieves were searched; every saloon OF
thieves, resort in the upper part OF the c'y
was visited, and especial inquiry maze Ie".No
10 The thief who shot Mr.. Phelps, and VINO ost MS ~
in the subsequent struggle with Mr. Palmer Inc nnu
Ing OF bunch of skeleton keys in the gutter h i'u' u
the house i'm Thrtynlnth-st, and another at PORTUGUESE
assassin in his fight proves eoncusivey that the muir
derers were sneak-thieves and not burglars Accord
jrcy il is among this class that search has heeh ana
viii he made.
During saturday several arrests made, Tut they
rroved frutess aside from information Of more or less
lue obtained from the prisoners and nearly all were
discharged by superintendent Kelso after hearing
Among others were Thomas Ryan, BARTENDER ana L.
J. Lynch b-poster, arrested by the IeDth freelucV
Police, and James Bishop, eopyist' OF inc NlneeonI
Ward. WIN. J. Barclay an expert sneakthle' ree"sou
from Backwell's Island few days ago. was captu'eu
M saturlay morning in the room Of John H. MoFre,
guest at the Grand Hotel Later in the day nc
was closely questioned by Detective Ehier
relative certain gangs of sneak ona.o,e
W. il is Understood tbe Ne gave valuable information.
has ssoerained that the thieves had been IN the
cred by Linn They mad broken open two trunks ana
baca rooms ON The third noor ana haa o1e
the leading 10 the Stngroom when they were ds.
covered. The following Is the anteinOrtem statement
o, M Phelps, taken by Coroner Young on saturday
uloIeng .,.,,,, O., o,o,ocp 1obn r Palmer in
f7nad me HAT there two suspicious men lOungng
rear the store. and 1 told him that had better 20
froucb fhe house. Immediately came up stairs, tired
he mdde door and found t locked then went 10 the
door and on opening the door saw Two men t
second man came tn the assistance of tho man waS
strsgS %.n o a nam 4uS I "a id he shot me aud ran
a"wn the sairs | Immediately followed him down the
stairs aud found that shot IN the LETT breast ana sad
Io MIR Palmer 'Oh am shot Mr.. Palmer then took me
hy the arm and led me into the store did not Know
either 81 the men, The men had been IoDphg Tue n9usJ n
The Jury rendered verdict That the sad Chores H.
Phelps to his I'M ures by plsoi sho st Le HANS
~ uerson 20 him unknown while endeaNOfing 10 pro-
toot MS holse from being robbed. ,,. ,,o ,,.+ son
crime could have perpetrated business thor
oaghfare crowded with people, at that early hour N
for five blocks by policeman, should nave peeh
t far Tow ard insnring its success OF the robberes
b. sneak thieves that are peletrated I'D ths cry every
day and evening, not one IN twenty - supteneneo ~
A., no In
we'll calculated 10 startle the community, bnt not
more SO than the Rogers or Nathan murders. Mr. Rog
ers vas nortaily stabbed IA broad daylight within
short distance Of Broadway, and m pn sght OF mat
thoroughare, along which hundreds OF persons were
passing AT time and although there every reason
10 believe tbat the assassin was arrested ana detained
in custody for several months inc evidence was nO'
sufficient 10 convict him. and TIE authorities were com
RELIED to release aim. RetIbution, IN the hope OF bu
let from the pistol of another equally as desperate as
himself overlook HIM one year almost TO a DAY from
az tie wealthiest and most respected citizens IN
this community, was murdered III ms RESI-,
persons. The police claim 10 know who Is the perpe-
traitor Of the murder but eonsderng that rewards ag
tnat not arrest has been made, although two
the crime. the public may be pardoned for
treating this assertion win lnGred9nty; II
he was 70 lowed by Oicer Morgan Tor several blocks.
and the officer says that he could have easily mot me
feel justified in resortIng 10 so extreme measure
UNsUTTICIENCY OF TIE POLICE FORCE.
The small force Of police in the upper part Of the city
Less than 40 policemen duty at one time in the
spaee bounded by Fourth and Seventaves Fourteenth
and Forty-secOnd sts II might very readily happen
that no policeman would be hand 10 intercept the
living fhef when compelled 10 cover n section
of 20 blocks Further mp town the disprOporton
OF policemen the section TO be guarded i even greater
dredandteuthst., aud from Central Park TO
the North TO this large extent of territory
course not more than one-haif are on duty
at one time There 4. are post, , IN tbis pre-
committed at end OF one OF these long posts is
simply impossible for pstroiman at the other end 10
Bosrd of Commissioners acknowledge that the
force Is inadequate 10 guard the upper part
VI the city, but that they not responsible for IT,
their command and claim that if the uptown precincts
given larger force the extra men would have %
be withdrawn from precincts down town. aud that
extensive burglaries would be of much
frequent occurrence They are not empowered 70
think the police OF this city should he increased by
ditiOna outlay 100000 and this the authorities
unwilling To incur.
THE AssAssINs PROBABLY LoAFER THIEVES.
The detectives most conversant with the case, and
whom long observation and shrewdness have given
warrant for speaking by authority unanimous in the
opinion that thieves who entered Mr. Pbelpss house
and nearly cOmpassed his death, belong to the class
known as "lOafer thieves" They depend mainly on
stealing for existence scarcely ever making even
pretense of working at trade or performing menla
labor living. They not classed among the pro
i'm Tie work OF either although their Jobs done
bungug TO render il evident 20 the eye OF
majority OF this class young men, whose ages range
from ls 10 25 years. They are TO be met with on
night and day. Nearly all OF the street rObberes
burglares. They Invariably armed, and use their
weapons the smallest prOYOcaOn The professional
II discovered the commission Of theft or robbery,
Inowing that in nineteen cases out of twenty il lessons