National Republican., 1883-03-12
CROOKED WORK
Another Inmate Of the Jail Describes His
Method of Earning a Living
Coroborating His "PaIs" Account Of
the Robberies They Committed.
Mantzs Method Of Dealing With Them-HOw the
Detectives Made Themselves Useful.
Interesting Reading for People Whose
Premises Have Been Plundcred.

time since that Edward Berry, now confined
in the district Jail, had indicated his willing
ness to confess his connection with various
robberics, and give the names of parties who
were associated with him and the relation
they bore to the detectives and the fences.
His statement has been made before the de-
partment of justice, and is mainly corrobora-
tive of the confession made by Parker.
THE F1NCKLE RoDBERIEs.
Concerning these robberies he gives us de-
tailed account of the manner in which they
were perpetrated and how he took the booty
a seal skin coat q small box of jewclry, and
pocketbook, to Mantz in company with
Parker, and got So that night. In an hour or
two Berry was arrested. He didn't know
where the goods were until the next Sunday.
Officer West that day told him he
would be released, and that the things
were at A. B. Williamss office. Tho things
were sent back, and he was released about
o'clock from the station house. He says Lacy
also told him whore the goods were. After
his release he recovered pin stolen from Mr..
Fincklc by paying II dollar for it through
Jim Parker, aud il was given to officer West
by Lacy. He didn't 30 TO Nantes for week
or ten days aiterward. He gives full ac-
count of the robbery at DIR. Nichols's, on |
street, between Twelfth and Thirteenth
streets. where he got lot of silver ware,
which Parker TOOK 10 Manu- ana gave Derry
| So as his share of the sale.
The next robbery was that of gold plated
clock from II house on Fifteenth street and
| Massachusetts, avenue about May 8, 1852, and
pocketbook and some iewelry from u house
on l street, between Thirteenth and Four
| tccnth Mantz gave him and Parker $40 for
the booty Berry says he afterward met De-
tetive Coomcs, who told him he would give
| him $50 for the return of the clock. Berry
denied the robbery and all knowledge Of the
clock He was always afraid to trust
| Coomos, and hence did not give himself
away" Coomes aiterward arrested him for
the Wilson robbery, and again offered him
| $50 for the clock. Berry does not know If the
clock was ever returned.
MANTz's STYLE OF BUSINESS
The usual way when Berry carried any
thing to Mantz's was to leave it there Tor him
to examine. He would then so back and
make a bargain with "the fence" In one in
stance-the robbery of Mr.. Harry Sherman,
the Organist, at 2026 | street. he got only
valuable papers, among them two checks, one
for S663O aud the other for $50. Mantz said
he would hold them to SEQ If there was any
reward. Berry has never heard OF them since.
DETECTIVES WARMING TIE THIEVES.
Two days after this Mantz told Parker, who
told Berry, that Detective McElfresh had told
him Mantl) that Parker and Berry had been
talked about good deal at headquarters, and
that they had better keep out OF the way OF
Acton and COomcs. McEllresh further told
Mantz to warn Parker and Berry that when
they wanted TO do u robbery, or anything
like that, never to stay around house
the day they wanted to rob it, but
to 90 Il week beforehand or the very time
they went there to do the deed. If arrested
they would likely be identified McElfresh
also said that though they might be arrested
yet he was satisfied they could never be con-
yicted on such evidence as that of being seer
near the house. He and Parker robbed this
house between and 3 o'clock. He climbed
up on Parkers back and raised. the sccOnd
story front window. Parker did not go in
but "piped" the house. They got $40 il
: money, besides the papers. Mantz told then
it was worth their life to fool with sucl
things. He went TO Mantz after getting ou
, of iail on the Wilson case, in November
1882, but Mantz said he had torn the paper
! up, and of course that ended the matter fo
| Berry. The next robbery was that of u honsr
, on Columbia street of hfty-twO pieces of silver
; ware, for which Mantz gave Berry So, telling
him it was plated ware Soon afterwards III
stole twenty pieces of solid silver from
r house on street, for which Mantz sent hin
, IS. Lacey then told him Coomes and Actor
. were after him, and McElircsh told him tina
5 Berry ought to leave town.
:, He then describes the robbery at the Frencl
/ flats on / street near Fourteenth street, il
/ Dec, 1882 then q house on l street between
4 Ninth and Tenth, and IL house corner Eigh
Q teenth aud + street. The next robbery wa
9 at the Arlington hotel, where he got twenty
l seven dollars in money an Overcoat, and tw
= satchels. Mantz wanted the Overcoat, bu
i Berry had il pawned. He then robbed
4 house on IL, near Thirteenth street, and wen
: to Baltimore TO escape Lieut.. Arnold who wa
after him, but came back to get some none
. and was arrested by Sergt. Perry.
.sl. bon hat Man Nfnh A
Y liams to defend him in the Finckle business
/ Williams told Lacey he would defend Berr
= for nothing if he didn't give up the thing
and Berry declared Williams came to hii
about the Wilson robbery which Berry d,
MED to him OF having done, for the reason b
% says that if he had done it Mantz woul
Ia have got the things, and then he would hay
y, insisted on Berry's holding them,
II defending Berry and Mantz keepin
:. the goods, the result of whC
II would be that Berry would hay
l. been convicted just to let Mantz have Il
A, plunder. After that Williams got sore al
W would not defend him, because he thougl
a Berry did ii and would not tell him. He SCI
ie word to Berry by Lacey that If he gave up Il
le goods he would make n case against hiI
McElfresh also did not want him to give I
the goods. When Berry got out Alantz to-
h' him Lacey was sucker" and that
IN it hadn't been for him Berry wou
ID not have been "downed" on the Wi
m son robbery. Mantz said further it w
- enough to do business with the detectives al
~ not with the Eats" meaning the poll
- officers. lie told Berry he would have sci
=, ~ him money to get out, but he thought Lac,
~ was trying TO play him. He gave Berry
% aud the latter went away. He SCI
m Berry over to see Parker, instruC
NO NO ing him to tell Parker that he wou
- have a trial soon and that he would &
out. Mantz got mad because Lacey tried
induce Parker TO give up the jewelry he &
. from the Hamilton house, which Mantz hi
", in his possession, for Mantz wanted to Ike
NJ the iewelry, and would rather have Ii
IL Parker convicted than that the jewelry shOu
a be given up,
u- McElfresh, Miller, and McDevitt call
Il, m0>tly at Nantes. Berry met them there
On oH dozen of times. One day when Berry a.
ot Parker were together they met Coomes a
Ii,'c Acton, and CoOmes told Parker the thin
to ito had gone back, and he could get them aga
70 He said to Parker "lf you will only trust
,o j will make both of you all right In
- gard to the Columbia street robbery eitl
h McDevtt or Acton tried to get rewG
10 from the parties who lost the silv
''0 ware, but on account Of the recC
-, detective scandal they were afraid to put
I back The last time Mantz was down TO
~, ,u Berry he told him that Flinders and
~ w. Dewitt had already secured the names of Il
soc merchants to open private detective OIL
,,' VI and that they would do business Just
S same as before"
,od various parts of the city.