The New York herald., 1877-12-19
FRUITS OF CRIME.
The Murder of Officer 0'Brien Thir-
teen Years Ago.
PRISONER RILEY IN THE TONIBS.
A History Of Vice and the Wanderings
Of a Fugitive.

| Tho account in yesterdays HERALD Of the capture
OF John Riley hus the name is spelled In the official
papers OF the case which not accessible on Mon
day mighty recalled to tho memory OF old readers OF the
HERALD tho sensational murder OF Officer O'Brien
over fourteen years ago. The story had all the ele
mcnts OF a startling romance aud such was eagerly
read and commented upon. Yesterday morning
Riley, the alleged murderer was taken to Police Head
quarters by Captain Ward, before Police Supcrintend
! ent Wang. Mr. Walng corrected some OF the par
ticulars in the hastily gathered statements OF Monday
night. He said that he personally had nothing to do
with the efforts made thirteen years ago to capture
the murderer of Officer O'Brien, because O'Brien be-
onged to the Nineteenth precinct while he was at that
time the captain Of the Twentieth; hence It was erro
neous to say he had despatched Officer 0'Bren 10
Riley The account which he heard at the time
Of the murder that Oahcer Brien was OF duty
and in cizens clothes on Sunday IN com.
pany with Riley at saloon; that they
were drinking together; a quarrel arose. ana
then O'Brien, who knew that Riley was wanted by
the police for completely In the draft riots threatened
to arrest him. In trying to carry out this threat
fight ensued in which the officer was shot by Riley
1t was understood at that time that o'Bren had
Riley several before and failed to arrest him. for
winch, in the Superintendent's opinion, the officer
was undoubtedly TO blame.
CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS
The statement madc by Riley to the Police Superin-
tendenl differed essentially from that he subsequently
gave several reporters OF the press The Superin.
tendent little surprised at tho appearance OF
the prisoner whom he had known, thirteen years ago,
as young, vigorous man, and who now stood before
him with bent hgurc, bald head his face deeply fur
rowed ana greatly emaclated Riley stated subsan-
TALLY that although the shooting occurred long time
ago he recolccted 1t distinctly. O'Bren ana he were
raised together and knew each other Intimately.
When O'Brien became policeman he tried to black
mail ali sorts OF people, make them pay him hush
money he had often told Riley that he must pay him
money he would arrest him for being concerned in
the draft Before tho shooting the officer came
to him with similar demand, and went SO far
to attempt to search him Tor money when Riley do
clared he had Riley resisted and in the scunle
sho, the officer AS VIII be seen hereafter Riley, upon
subsequent deliberaton denied to several reporters
that he had shot O'Brien AZ al.
The prisoner sent TO the District Attorneys
office and then arragned before Judge Gildersleeve,
al the Court General Sessions where he pleaded not
guilty and committed to the Tombs, without bail,
for In the first degree In answer to the usual
questions the prisoner replied that he was thirty
years old In the United States and lutcher by
occupation. During all these proceedings he showed
a certain nervous anxiety which he evidently tried
hard suppress, but IN which he did not altogether
R1LEY's APPEARANCE IN THE roMBs.
and subsequently gave quite q icvee to Humorous
newspaper writer's He ls a wretched picture OF
stature is small and his body much aienuated, and
| yet the make OF the nun Is by no means delicate.
strength OF former years. HIS head long, angular,
| almost square shape with dull, heavy features,
small eyes; small forehead ana heavy Jaw. HIS
most striking feature ls his thick. black dyed mus
81 nsss Of dark gray hair The heavy choek
bones Tell OF and the deep wrinkles and
crows ieet nespeak tne man.ai anx whvh mas
nlne years old. Riley was not ut all communicative,
and evidently much afraid that ne might be drawn
into some statements which might hurt him in pubic
estimation or in tho defence ol his case
| HIS ACCOUNT THE SHOOTING
| His account OF the shooting was this:-OHicer
O'BrIen, he saId had for iong time been backmatl-
ing nm. he had made Riley pay hm at one time
SO at another SIS and again SIT, condition tnat
OBrien would arrest him. Upon another occasion
the officer took his amethys. ring Ana sl tho black
| mailer was not satisfied; he insisted upon has ing
| SlOo. saying that he could al any time max .
$500 by arrcsung Riley. Riley had promised to pay
Reynods' saloon on Ninth avenue Riley tried to avoid
| tue officer, because he mad no money with him. He
| had ALREADY pawncd his watch and was ..hard up .
Tne ser came up to the table whore he was sitting
and asked MIN to scp aside as he wanted TO speak to
him privately Talk to me right mere # you want to
| speak TO meo Riley responded. "fou are IA -
| - -" the officer swore at him, "ior nov
giving me any money" Riley protested that he had
| none when The officer swore tnat ne 1cd and mined
his hands into Rlley's vest pocket AL thus Rey
sisted and appealed to Reynolds. the owner of tho
|
pulled a pistol on me-" Riley ended mis- narrative,
rand fired in my lace He missed me ana then
him. and ran out heard shot, anc ne tell in the
hallway l oidn't shoot him; IN fact hadn't even a
f'''o BRAvNa THE LION IN HIS DEN.
The story vi Riley's wanderng5 during these four
teen years would, no doubt have been iull OF ro-
mantle interest i the prisoner had chosen to give us
details to tho world. But he was too wary 70 40 that
"Why, could write big book about that, he said.
.Inscad Of having been here only Tor a week have
been IN this city Tor the last eight months. ia 70
TO The theatre balls and in iact, to every place
liked. have been 10 every prominent place IN the
cy except this. was Tor hours at the sessions OF
the Tweed committee, at the trials in the General SEES
SONS, and at ponce headquarters. went there
with u friend OF NINE VINO wanted to see some de-
"Did You think the police would nos recognize
your"
The only answer Riley was willing TO give o this
query was that "nc didn't care" But perhaps the
most remarkable thing SAID by tho prisoner Vas that
while away ON his wanderings he had used evory OPP
portun,y TO study Blackstone on homicdes, and.
kIcy added hc sucn clear case tor ai
acqutta his Ol the Witnesses OF the shooting only
one now lving Reynolds, thc saloon proprietor
RLEy's wANDERINGs.
The 1it;c that Riiey WAS wiling TO say about his
wan1erings was interesting enough. He was u hoei
clerk at White Pine, New, wnere lor tnc ne was
also drpQ,ne IN the SILVER mines. He thought ne had
got mold OF several tons o silver, but unfortunately
ana the dggngs we're abandoned. Then ho took TO
farming III California, raising wheat, cultvating
vineyard; but although he was always iond oI inc
grape the yiney ri was failure. Al Now Orleans ne
was q gnt nire months engaged III u business which
he would mention. In Kentucky he worked or a
railroad "wth the PICK and shovel, +" earning $25 per
month and his board, and AT Cincnuati he
leided freight cars--the hardest work ne
ever did in his lie, and which almost
killed hun AS TO the two female pickpockets with
whom he was allied here he said:-"Ihose we're two
! old girls | used to know the dances. One of
them dead but the otner think, is stiii LIVING
Alter he fed from New York he married, and his wife
is still living. He ardelty hoped that she would not
hear OF his present late He mad been seven or eight
timos back New York since his night always gong
about quite Riley was very ANXIOUS TO have u
published that when arrested on Monday he
was as cool as a cucumber, and 10y no means the
scared individual the new papers described MIN 70 oe.
THE oFfIciAL PAPERS IN THE CASE.
The papers ID the District Attorneys once SNOW
that the Coroncr's inquest on the oody oi omcoi
nesses being John Reynods, OF No o0I Ninih avenue
aud William IA. Van Arsdale, Of tho Nineteenth pre-
cinct. Reynolds the proprietor oi inc hquol
saloon No. 5O7 Ninth avenue, In which the murue'
was committed Ho Testified tnat hall dozen persons
| aaIon nnaS AuRNAt oil tnht