The New York herald., 1877-12-18
AFTER Thirteen YEARS.
Arrest Of John Reilly. the Murderer
Of Officer 0'Brien.
HIS LONG WANDERINGS.
Captured Near Ills Mothers lIOnSe In
FOriy-Seventh Street.

lug osu auise OF "murcer Will OUT was VERNE
last night IN The arrest of John Reilly, notorious
thiel ana burglar and the murderer OF police officer
John o Bren in the month OF August, 1854 For thir
teen years Reilly mas evadcd the sharpest blood
hounds of The law, but destined nj the very mo-
ment he thought himself and his crime forgotten TO
fall into the net prepared for him by Captain John
Ward and Officer John Cottrcil, oil the Twenty second
police precinct.
STORY CRIME.
During the draft riots OF 1868 tho cutlery store OF
John PARIS, No 647 Eighth avenue. was broken into
by gang OF notorious cracksmen, among whom was
John Reilly, alias '.Curlcy Reilly" ana John Bray.
Considerable punder was taken, and The police with
no very great difficulty fastened the Altar
Reilly and an active search made for h,m with
success. Immediately after the burglary hc ici
city aud was absent Tor about year. In August,
1864, he returned to New York. ana hts presence
soon dctcc.od Captain Waiting, at that timo captain
OF the Twcnty-second precinct. and now Supeiin-
tcndcni made every cfart TO catch him, aud
detailed Ofcer John Brien for that purpose O'Bren
followed him persstcntly and last located him at Nc
Intyrc 4 Reynolds liquor slorc, on the corner OF
Forty -irst street and Ninth avenue. Reilly was a
desperate character and often made MS boasts that
officer OF police should ever take him.
On the evening in question onlccr OBricn usccr-
tanng that he certainly In the liquor store, pro-
cccded TO the place and pushed opened tho door
Reilly was standing at tho further end OF The
room and turned he heard tho door
opcn sRciliy, ! want you to -" said
tho oticcr but tho sentence never finished
tor tho sharp crack OF revover was followed by the
low moan " U'Bren ho sank forward on tho
sandcd hoor shot through the hoars. Tho alarm was
given but Reilly escaped. The murder was tho topic
oi conversation OF tho day and was considered Of
the most cold bloodcI crimes IN the police annals
THE ESCAPE AND SEARCH.
Hunt made nigh and low lor the murderer.
anu every member or tho force considered
himself Tor tme u detective Tor that rur-
were OF value 10 him. ana he seemed 10
utterly disappear. No clew could be had OF his
whereabouts, although the police OF other cities
joined in the search Captain Walrg made almos. su-
perhuman efforts 10 capture tho now double mel nal
but Reilly was gono cieciually as II he had sunk
In the During his days MS pckpockct. before
hts ad, ancement in tho 'proession"t 10 the higher
innate with Two notorious female pickpockots,
numod respectively Betsey Mars and AMMO
Flynn. These women were placed under
vciliance, as was every one else with whom she
fugitive supposed TO have the slightest acquaint
ancc. When John A Kennedy became Supcrintsn-
dent Of Police he made extra efforts to dnd Reilly,
and at one lmc on a clue which he had obtained
despatched Detectives Irving and Phil Reilly, OF the
Central oaice, to Chicago, where circumstances led
him to believe Reilly 10 be found. Tho two de-
tecttvcs went heie. aud aitor long scarcn arrested
and broush. TO this CITY man whom
however, and the man was subsequently discharged
| from custody.
From that time nothing was seen or heard oil tho
escaped murderer. and Reilly At last tired ox,io
and iancying that the ch time had lett bis decd
SO fnr behind In the memories OF Tho police that It
could ncvcr be recaod came to this city, he
states lew weeks ago At nrst no remained carefully
secluded. but time advanced grew holder and
turcd abroad more often. e
swCURxD AT Last.
Abo ut week ago Detective Cottrcll learned that
Reilly was IN this city, and together with Captain
Wood Of the Twenty second precinct searched night
| and day 10 obtain u clew to his Whereabouts.
| For nearly u week the Captain and his detective
erkf 4, h<,tcn Dn
No. 437 West Forty eighth street. but they never
could obtain u sigh. OF the man they were looking
tor. They learned, however, that Reilly left tho house
| early In The morning and returned at dark.
Al about hafpast five last evoning while standing
in doorway at the corner OF broadway aud Forty.
street, still looking Tor their man, The officers
Reilly coming down Broadway and whom ho was
enough Detective CotIe stepped out OF the door
way, and laying his hand on Reilly q shoulder, SAID -
| johnny, Il ISN'T any uso to deny H. know who
| you are"
on being accostcd by the detective Reilly was con.
sitcraby surprised but alter moments hesitation
| no SAID
al guess you have made mistake"
"Oh, no know you, johnny replied tho officer
"Weil, suppose It Is denying IT, Coltreii;
might us we'll give up, as nm tired; but am sorry
Tor my poor OLD moher." The officers then took him
| TO the Forty Seventh street station.
THE PRISONER.
When Reilly was taken into the private room OF
Captain Ward he WIS very pale and extremely nerv-
ous SO that il somo time before be was abo 10
talk. Alter lew moments Of waiting, during which
mo prisoners s,cs, ayes .Ss w'eAeS s.mss snva.
| ard the following conversation ensucd Alter
| acknowledging that he was John Reilly, butcher by
trade forty years Of and lived In the Twentieth
ward Of this city, The question was asked, Whcro
| have you been since August, ls64Y" II went TO
Indiana, where | worked ut my trade. I then went
TO San Francisco, whero stayed tor nearly eight
| years, serving two terms 10 state Prison. l have
boen In New York number OF timos and was rccog-
nized by different parties O'Brien bad been persc-
cutting for some time, ana the reason that was
not arrested sooner was that o'Bren's friends were
| afraid would show him up ("
| When asked when he had been In this city before
he stated that he was here nearly five years ago. aud
| that lie had stopped all thc time at his mother's
house lie also stated that on his last visit he had
| stayed for nearly nine months, going TO various
places OF usemcnt without beng recoe nizod.
| Reilly Is about five feet eight inches IN height, and
OF rather sim build; his features are dark, aud,
gethcr with his heavy black mustachc dark nsshtng
eyes snd curly hair, give him the appearance OF
Southcrncr ana handsome man.
Tho police stale that ho is wonderfully changed 10
appearance, and extremely hard TO recognize as the