The Republican journal., 1875-12-30
Masked Burglars Gagged

NEW YORK, Dec. 10 The gang of
masked burglars and outlaws who planned
SO many daring robberies and burglaries
on the line OF the Hudson river last sum
lner and who have plundered railroad
trains in that neighborhood for some two
wears past, battling and detying the police.
have at last been discovered and hunted
to their lairs, thanks mainly to some very
okiltli and persistent detective work
Levy, the Cold Spring receiver of stolen
goods, has been arrested and is held in
$4,000 bail and Conway, the leader of one
OF the gangs. and one of the boldest and
wariest Of all, is in jail in Rome. Oneida
county, where he has turned State evil
dence Most OF the others are known,
and their capture is confidently expected
lie work OF terreting them out and pro-
curing evidence sufficient to convict them
was 4 labor Of time. One of the most
~hiltul detectives IN the country devoted
himself to it. Assuming the character OF
4 thief and craftsman, he formed the ac-
quaiutance of Isaac Levy, the Cold Spring
Adycnturer, and others who were suspect
Cd Of completely, and slowly and carefully
ingratiated himself into their confidence
lhroughthem he became acquainted with
others was told their plans and their modes
OF working, heard numerous schemes Of
robbery burglary, and even arson and
murder, himself suggested other enter
prises, thus drawing them out still further
discovered the perpetrators of many of the
crimes OF the past two years, and out Of
their own mouths obtain the evidence to
prove their guilt. The detective won the
entire confidence of Levy, although Levy's
wife for time suspected him. Levy is
rather young man, good looking, and is
the owner of tour places OF business in
Cold Spring, located together on the main
street, close by the railroad track. From
Levy the detective learned that three
men in Poughkeepsie were in the practice
of robbing freight cars on the Hudson
River Railroad, between New York and
Poughkeepsie, and selling their plumber
to him. On one occasion they threw a
bundle worth several thousand dollars
from the cars in front of LEWIS house. in
stead of into the yard The robbery of the
Hudson River Railroad flagman the de-
tective found to have been the work of a
notorious craftsman named Conroy. The
fiagman was seen by one of Levy's ''can-
vassers" counting $4,000 in greenbacks,
one evening. in his shanty. Soon alter
ward Conroy, with five of the Bowery
gang, made descent upon the shanty
Conroy arrived first, and bound and gag
ged the flagman and his wife, but they
found only a few hundred dollars in gold,
and they retired disappointed. They were
arrested Tor the robbery but were discharg-
ed for want of evidence. Anoth-r scheme
Levy had in view for this winter was the
robbery of the Fishkill Bank in Fishkill
village, the plan being to enter the bank
at noon when all the banks officers would
be at dinner save one, and to bind and gag
him. The robbery of the safes in the Cold
Spring foundry also appears to have been
planned by Levy. The robbery of the
Cold Spring Town Collector, who was ex-
pected about the close of next January to
have S15 900 in his house, is among the
plots which Levy is said unwittingly to
have revealed to the detectives that have
been shadowing him. His detection and
arrest are considered alone sufficient to
pay for all the work that has been expend-
ed. He is said to have been the only re-
ceiFer of stolen goods between New York
and Troy, and to have been one of the
most dangerous, and SO shrewd as to
make his detection work of great diff
Guilty. The burglars who robbed the va
rious dwellings along the Highlands, last
summer, were all from New York. and
mainly members of the so-called Bowery
and Tenth avenue gangs. These are
broken up, and their members are mark
ed men.