The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-24
NEARLY CAUGHT.
Irving and Porter Slipping Through
an Ambuscade.
A LUDICROUS PURSUIT.
How They Made Their Recent
Liberty Profitable.
POWER OF A ROBBERS CLIQUE.
A LUDICROUS PURSUIT.
POWER OF A ROBBERS CLIQUE.

The city of Passac was thrown into state OF the
greatest excitement early yesterday morning by the
attempted capture of William Porter and John
Irving. the two notorious burglars who escaped
from the Raymond Street Jail. Brooklyn. about six
weeks ago. and for whose arrest Sheriff Riley has
offered 800 reward. number of their photo
graphs distributed over the country,
aud among the rest several found their way
to Passaic and into the hands of State
Detective Whitehead. who is the proprietor of the
Lyceum Hotel He does not do great deal of do
tective work, but when friend of his in New York
sent him word that he had good cause to suspect
that Porter and Irving had gone to Passaic or in
tended doing so he at once began to study the pic
lures He consulted with Carrot H. Odds. the local
captain Of police. and Assemblyman John Kennel,
and the trio kept q sharp lookout for strangers.
SIGNIFICANT ARRIVALS.
On Thursday. the 10th inst, the first clew to the
whereabouts of Porter and Irving was discovered in
the arrival in Passaic city OF Mrs. Mendebaum. Of
Clin-on street, New York, who was supposed TO be
in collision with the thieves and to be their agent
for disposing of stolen property. After ramble
about the streets Mrs Mendelbaum put up at Ret
fingers Hotel. in River street On the Saturday
following the notorious Mickey Welsh ap-
peared and in the evening also went to
Retngers Hotel, going in at the rear entrance De-
tective Whitehead at once surmised that Welsh Was
only coaching for Porter and Irving and induced
An exmember of the Passaic police to interview him.
The result served to confirm the detectives
picions. On Monday morning of last week
Welsh went to New York the early
train and returned on the nine O'Clock
train. accompanied by man who dt
once recognized as Porter though he had
altered his looks considerably by cropping his beard
and dyeing his hair Without any attempt at con-
ceament both he and Welsh went at to Ret
fingers Hotel In the afternoon the fpast two
train. came Irving, in company with two fashily
dressed women and colored maid servant. Welsh
met them at the depot with carriage, and they all
drove up the plank road toward Paterson. They did
not go oil the way. Welsh and-Irving returned
alone along the Dundee drive The women
had been conveyed to Clifton. where they took tho
next train for New York. Though the party and all
their movements were closely watched still Porter
had already been joined at the hotel by his wife and
she had come to Passaic city in some way unknown
to the detectives She returned to New York on the
Monday when Irving Joined her husband, Welsh
companying her.
FoRrY MEN AFTER TWO BURGLARS
At this juncture OF affairs word sent to Sheriff
Riley, who at once came to Passaic with five depu-
ties the Assistant District Attorney of Kings county
Passaic city police then let into the secret be-
sides several merchants doing business White
heads Lyceum Hotel. In all there were about forty
persons preparing for the capture OF two burglars,
and this force OF forty men was engineered by six
teen detectives and subalterns.
The party, or its leaders, concluded that Porter
and Irving safe in the mcshes OF the law, and
a. Sheriff Riley was anxious to secure the arrest OF
another person. who, he said. implicated with
them. there hurry about making the arrest
Detective Whitehead, Captain Odds and Assembly
man Kennel counsellcd i'm mediate action but Sheriff
Riley wanted to make clean job of the whole lot.
II was discovered that Porter and Irving had been
concerned in the 5ewelry robbery in Providence
obtained Porter and Irving, in company
with third man, had been hard pushed
had
accounted tor Porter's arrival Passaic city
time ahead of Irving. As it was apparent that the
# was expected that they would be joined there by
the other man concerned III the Providence robbery.
For their arrest in this matter $4,000 reward had
been offered by the Providence authorities and
Whitehead and the rest felt it already jngling in
their pockets From one OF the detectives. whose
especial duty 1t was to keep track OF Mickey
Welsh it was ascertained that Welsh had been to .
place in the neighborhood OF the Thousand Islands,
ON the st. Lawrence River and 1t feared that
Q robbery was to be committed there it was con-
cluded not to await the arrival OF the third man, but
to make the arrests at once From words dropped by
Porter it was surmised that he and Irving intended
leaving passac city early yesterday morning. but to
return in a few days.
suspected nothing. had been amusing themselves in
every way possible. Their principal sport seemed
to he to walk or ride about with the Passaic, city
bellies. who all seemed anxious to make the uaint
of the two elegant strangers who seemed to be
accomplished and spent their money freely. In fact.
Porter and Irving were cutting quite swell
Passac city society to the infinite pain and envy of
the young men OF the place. One noticeable feature
in their conduct was that they were never seen to-
gether and pretended not to know each other.
THE covEY FLUSHED TOO SOON.
On Tuesday "a council or held, and II
decided to surprise the two thieves in their
1t four O'Clock yesterday morning. Assemblyman
Kennel was deputed to see whore they slept and to
ascertain whether they went to bed or not Kennel
accordingly lounged about the hotel bar until about
midnight. when Porter aud Irving came in, after
the other. took drink and cigar each and
tired to their rooms. Kennel ut once reported the
facts to Sheriff Riley. Though the arrest was not to
be effected before four oclock 1t deemed best to
surround the hotel. that the thieves could not
escape. About one O'Clock Mr. Kennel and four
Main avenue and River street. about two hundred
feet from the hotel. when Mr. Betngcr. the propri-
etor came out. walked up East Main avenue
To the Erie depot and returned. A few
minutes after Mr. iettinger had reenered the hotel
Porter and Irving came out the front door and
rushed into William street, narrow way running
parallel with East Main and at light angles
with River street. In shed i'll this street
cealed two deputies. John Wynn, butcher who.
noticing that Porter and Irving were escaping at
unce pursued them and followed them arou nd the
hotel up River street to East Main avenue Mr. WYNN
cried out, Here they go! Stop theml" whereat
Assemblyman Kennel. tour deputies and Cap
tam Odds with two police officers rushed forward aud
soon the whole party were IN pursuit. The thieves
at full speed UP East Main avenue. When they
to the Erie Depot they lodged into q
small alley and were there confronted by Policeman
William Hendrie and revolver. Porter at once
drew his own pistol and fired directly into Hendricks
face. The bullet luckily merely grazed the skim
tho burning powder dishgured 1t badly, and it is
feared that ne Will lose the OF his right eye. Hen
Dire at returned the re but without effect Ia the
meantime John Wynn had run around through Pas
saic street to head the thieves off, but too late
just us he entered the alley Assemblynan Kennel
caught him by the neck pointed his revolver at him.
cooked 1t, and was about to fire, when Wynn
claimed For Gods sake. John. don't shoot mel"
During the confusion Porter and Irving had scaled
fence. had crossed through tho yard adjoining the
house of Henry Van 1derstno and disappeared. This
was the last seen OF them.
OF course everybody who had anything to do with
the matter Is heartily ashamed OF it. The Brooklyn
officers lay the blame ON the Passaic city police
whom they accuse OF being in collision with the
thieves and OF informing them of their danger They
IN turn, throw the whole odium upon the Brooklyn
officers because thoy refused to arrest the thieves at
The general opinion is that all concerned have
made fools OF themselves and had better retire from
public duty.
HOTEL KEEPERS STATEMENT.
Jiettingor says that Porter came to his
hotel and registered George NJ. May
Philadelphia" and that Irving registered
''Hcnry Warner, Philadelphia" He did not
know 1them. He went out yesterday to order