The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-12
MANHATTAN BANK THIEVES.
JOHNNY HOPE, VINO rs SAID TO BE ONE
or the GANG, ARRESTED.


hopc hcHeNeu TO bc the hObbeff Leader.
blue-cyed, rosy-cheeked young man has
been confined in the Mercer street police sta
tion house since Monday evening upon suspi-
cion of having been one of the robbers OF the
Manhattan Bank. Capt. Byrnes. who arrested
him. believes that he has sufficient evidence OF
the prisoners guilt to convict him. The young
man is a son of the notorious bank robber who
is familiary known to detectives as Jimmy"
Hope. and he is still so young as to exhibit none
OF that self-control. under the most trying and
dangerous situations. that has always been a
marked characteristic Of the father. He trem-
bled with fright when arrested barely kept
bnck the tears in the station house and was
confused and shame-faced when confronted
yesterday by strangers. Yet Capt Byrnes be-
lieves that he is the man who WIS cool enough
| TO go TO the door OF the Manhattan Bank on the
Sunday morning of the robbery and tell
| plausible story TO the persistent milkman,
which sent that person away. He has been.
since the arrest. identified as that man by two
persons and by another as tho young man who
was seen in the alley in the rear Of the bank.
Hope. the father OF the young man under ar
! rest. was suspected OF leading the attack upon
the bank s vaults. within a few hours OF the dis
covcry. The suspicion was partly interontial.
and subsequently slight clues seemed to con-
| firm 1t. II was inferred that Hope might have
| been the leader Of the robbers. because II was
admitted by every one who knew anything Of
| his style OF work that he was one Of the few
men now out of prison who would have had the
daring and skill TO plan and consummate a
robbery OF this sort. He has committed similar
crimes that were as risky. although not 80
fruitful. With the jimmy. with cold chisels. a
| coppered sledge hammer and Worth's ratchet.
! Hope was able TO open such safes as the Man
haitian Bank had in the shortest possible time.
| He was known never 70 bungle He had
made study Of safe building. and knew
rs well as an expert all about them. He knew
when to use the chisel and sledge or when to
apply the jimmy and ratchet He taught
! younger men how to force the finest gunpowder
| into the huir-ike cracks ofvaults and safes with
the air pump. and he knew when II was bes. TO
use the pump and powder or the sledge and
! Jimmy. Such man. II was said. must have
planned and executed the Manhattan Bank Job.
as well as the still more difficult and dangerous
sons Hope could have done the crime. and
| when II was learned that he had been seen
| about the city shortly before the robbery. the
detectives felt that the possibility that he had
| planned II had become probability. Then fol-
| lowed a piece OF evidence. not yet TO be made
public. which confirmed Inspectors Murray and
| Dilks and Capt Byrnes in their belief that
Hopes new ganS were the robbers OF the Man
haitian Bank. The gang was composed Of six
men. Of whom Capt. Byrnes says. Jimmy"
| Hone. his son John. and. in all probability.
Abraham Coakley were three. John Hopes
| connection with the robbery was suggested by
the description OF the person who sent the milk
man away. Ii agreed with that on the records
OF John. He was known to have shortly before
served out sentence OF eighteen months for
stealing gold watch from q gentleman at the
Of those to whom the description suggested
John Hope.
Capt. Byrnes. with the assistance OF his own
and Central ONCE detectives. at once began to
search for the Hopes and others who were sus-
even covered several Western and southern
| cities. The arrest 81 Rcd" Leary. one OF tho
| NORTHAMPTON Bank burglars. was mistake
| the detective who apprehended Leary taking
| him Tor Hope. the inther. But the New York
| police have been looking for Leary for months
| and he was. therefore, Kept IN custody.
AT length Capt yrnes found that John Hope
was in New York. and that he was in the habit
| OF visiting a sister here. and the detectives a
dozen Of whom have been on the lookout made
arrangements 20 cover every known path that
| might lead 20 apprehension: They strolled into
| the variety theatres Of the Bowery. they leaned
| against the biz white pillars at the BOwery
| Theatre. and lounged about the door Of Tony
Detective sevin stood at the box office at Har-
| rigan and Hnrts. Monday night. ostensiblY
| talking with Manager Griffin. but really trying
| TO cover with rapid glauces the immense throng
| that were passing in 70 SEQ the Mulligan Guards
| night with the colored regiment. Suddenly he
caught the side view ~ young man who was
passing In with woman on each arm, and he
| left Mr.. Grifiin rather unccrcmOniOusly. but the
| young man was lost amid the throng.. Sleyin
| however knew that he was inside. and AZ last
discovered him seated in the front so that his
| face would be hidden by Braham's back rs
! he led the orchestra, and with a woman
each side OF him and his back to the
| audience there was little chance OF recog-
| milton. Tho young man never moved his
| head 70 the right nor to the left. and suddenly
efforts Of the Skidmore Guard chaplain 10
| slash into Harrgan's legs with a razor that
| they could nouce nothlng else, me young man
! left his seat and passed through the throng 10
| the lobby. and thus To the street. Here he
! hailed stage, and was lust entering when he
| felt heavy hand on his shoulder. Looking
around he saw Capt Byrnes with Detectives
poan ana SEWN, standing behind him. and
| proestations. and went quietly with the officers
| Why. johnny" Hope, for the young man was
! he. should got ny suddenly and 90 away Al tho
funniest scene in the play ythedetectives could not
! explain, ana they pressed him for the reason.
| He finally admitted that he saw Sievln as he en-
| Tered the theatre. ana wanted.to 60 away then,
| but his sister would not permit IT, Sevin.
so soon rs he had found young HOPE, called in
! meek looking but qulet-cyed detective to
| watch while he ran 10 Mercer street. He had
! went down broadway NJ h rate that attracted
| attention. In somu way Inspector Murray and
! Capt Kealy. who were Watching SIR Joscph's
sisters nnd cousins and qunts in The Pima,
! fore" at Niblo's heard that Young Hope had
| been cornered at the Theatre Comique and
| hoth these oficlqs went out OF Nbos on the
double quick aud were soon after at the Mercer
! street station house.
! Young Hope was confronted in the station
| house soon after his arrest. by three persons.
! Two ol thcm unhcsltatingy sald thAt he was
| the man who came to the door OF the bank on
| the morning OF the robbery, and sent the milk
man away. Inc other recognized him aS the
| man who WIS in the alley at the rear of the bank
| building Hope sad nothing except 10 insist
| that ho was innocent, but he had hard work to
! Keep back the teHra. Ills chin qulVcred. and he
could hardly speak connected sentence.
with eight others. Hc carried 4 dressy hat in
! one hand. and with the other uervously iumbled
! the lapul of fashionable English check cut
| away cont The little light whiskers beside his
ears looked. as he stood by the window. like
! iiny Glones Ql spray ana he seemed alIogether
nesses again selected him as the man who came
! 70 ne d99r ol me bank hope was remanded.