The New York herald., 1872-09-07

William J. Aiisn Sentenced 10 the STATE Prisel
for Twenty Years. by Judge Bedford, Upon
Three Charges ef Burglsry-Intsrsst-
ing Confession Of the Prisoner
Great Excitement in Court.


ing Confession Of the Prisoner
Great Excitement in Court.
The court room Of the General Sessions was the
scene Of great excitement yesterday A a va.
generally understood that william 7 Aikap the
notorious "burglar policeman who was convictaA
OF grand larceny on Thursday, would be tried the
following day upon some Of the numerous CHARGES
of burglary preferred against him by the Grand
Jury. Among the audience were number Of no
licemen in citizens clothes, who spent their ION
day in listening to this interesting trial. In which
the honor and integrity Of the entire force are moro
or less involved.
There was no dtnlcuty experienced In procuring
o jury; and after they were sworn, Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Sullivan informed the Jury that he
placed william J. Aiken at the bar charged with
burglary In the first degree, and In his opening ad-
dress gave interesting statement of the facts he
expected to prove In support Of the indictment.
STATEMENT OF THE COMPLAINANT
The first witness called for the prosecution Wis
John Keck, who said that he resided at No. sSl
East Fourteenth street and was there with hin
family on the night Of the 9th Of August. During
the night he heard noise, woke up, looked out Of
the window and heard rapping on the front doors
he went down, opened the door and saw Sergeant
Nicholson, another man and Aiken the prisoner;
Nicholson said he had q burglar and wished Mr..
Keck to 60 down into the basement; he accom-
panied them down and saw large hole bored
through the basement door and another partially
bored, with the bit sticking in It; the witness saw
a carpet-bag there which contained all kinds ol
tools.
Mr. william F. Kintzing, counsel for Aiken cross
examined the complainant, but no facts Of ip-
portance were elected.
HOW orRrCrR rTNNAN TRAPPED THE poIrCRNAN
BURGLAR.
Onacer Thomas Flnnan, OF the Eighteenth pre-.
cinct, was the next witness and said that he was
with Aiken on the morning Of the 21th Of August In
East Fourteenth street, when the prisoner drew q
vase over the railing Of Q house two doors from
s51, from which he took pair of false whiskers
| and put them on Finnan carried the carpet bag
into the doorway OF 351 and then signaed for Ser
geant Nicholson and officer Lacey who BY previous
arrangement were across the street; Ftnnan saw
Aiken run from Mr.. Kecks st0Op with his carpet
bag in one hand and the whiskers in another as fast
as he could towards Second avenue, and was ar
rested five doors from Mr.. Keck's place. In tho
carpet-bag was screw driver, 9, piece Of
prisoner was taken back to the house.
and the holes were discovered in the door
sticking ing in the door, Oacer Aiken told oicer Fins
nan that day that ne would rob Mr. Keck's houses
which & fact 1 the % latter Sommunicated @ to Captain
to commit the burglary on three different occa-
sions, but did not, on account Of the moon being
Oflicer Finnan was subjected to . Lengthy ana
severe cross-examinatiOn, during which he said
trated he knew that 1t was going to be done and
told his superior ofcer about IT. that he told Aiken
he the house, he was
s6 WAS to have hall the
ofncer . communicated this conversation to
was bad man ana should mot pc ii the depart
ment. The prisoner asked him TO select house
trict Attorney, O11cer Finnan said he was acting
under instructions from superintendent Kelso and
s L. s Sss q s
petrated twelve or thirteen burglaries. among
oS D e 90 Aiken ss5
him in the act Of committing = burglary: ~
Sergeant Nicholson was the next witness, $n6
his testimony was In substance the same as that Of
the previous witness, who was acting under hts IN.
arrest, he found sixteen pawn tickets In his pocket
book, and upon asking him how he came to do this
poverty drove him to It, and that he hsdn'f :
Captain Cameron stated that oncer Finnan acted
under instructions given Dy Superintendent Kes4
and himself to catch, II possible. Aiken In the ace
S he %ss pfuf @
tered several houses IN the precinct while acting
This Closed the case for Che people, District AZ
torney Sullivan asking for verdict OF an attemQt
at burglary in the first degree.
AIKEN'S EXTRAORDINARY CONFESSION. 49,
Aiken, the prisoner, then went into the witnes4
box, and amid intense excitement proceeded to
O ke possessed consderabie cons % intesence, iii % Coupled
@ nnsn peS H HESny Ss Dsyt ssSr 1 a sn % as
that he entered heart and soul into the mutual
rvs S1
could be perpetrated without tear OF detecti0ny
Aiken admitted that he attempted to break into
Mr.. Keck'e house. but wanted the jury to distinctly
understand that he had no pistol or weapon and
did not wish to be classified with common burglars.
geant Nicholson, taking his word that it would be
In confidence; that he frankly admitted his guilt
ment that the officers Afforded him the facilities to
make; that Sergeant Nicholson told him that Cap
tain Cameron rs said 4 he did the right thing
prosecuted for this attempt and get three years.
Aiken said he trusted in the word OF the Captain "a
Mason and gentleman and claimed that he was
captain sas denied e Aiken m
word that he should not be prosecuted on other
The prisoner replied that he did not say the
Captain gave him his word, but that 1t was gveu
District Attorney Sullivan and Mr.. Kintzing were
saved the trouble OF making summing up speeches
was guilty Of the specific grade Of osime for which
the prosecuting oficer asked verdict. Mr. Suill.
Mai OF Captain Cameron that he either Directly saS or
sss I2dSsot,X Agaertook 70 compromises bis duty q
The City Judge remarked that It was proper N6e
Mr. Sullivan TO make that statement to the juryx
but 30 far as the Court was concerned, It waG
unnecessary TO make the explanation for he (th6
JudGe) knew Captain Cameron 0f1cialy for the last
eight years. and had full confidence In his integrity
The jury having rendered . verdict OF guilty Of An
attempt at burglary In the Arst degree the prisoner
was asked what he had to say why sentence shoul0
moth pronoancea In response to the question pro-
teria portions Of his statement made In the wit
ness box, stating that he was led into "these dis
cYepancies" by being unfortunate In gambling;
that he had been met with prejudice at every step