Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-05
The Gang of Burglars.

All Bound Over for Trial i'm Bridgeport New COnfeasiOnS- Twenty-stx Burg
 Iartes and One Highway Robbery. The gang of burglars arrested by the Bridgeport police Friday were brought before the City court in that city yesterday morning for preliminary hearing. The court room was crowded to excess and hundreds of people were unable to gain attendance and remained outside.
 Since their arrests the young criminals have confessed to twenty-six burglaries, be- sides giving away 8 number of places at which they had attempted to commit burg lary, or were intending to do so at future time. They are all young in age, but judg- ing from the amount of work done and by the plans laid for future action they can be classed with those who are old in crime. The oldest of the gang is Fred Smith, who gives his age as twenty. Williams claims to be but nineteen, Plumb eighteen, Burns seventeen and Judge sixteen.
 Burns and Williams have revealed to the police most of the work which has been done by the gang. As far as tho burglaries are concerned only Williams, Burns and Judge are connected with them as principals These three appear to have done most of the work. In fact, according to the statement of Williams, Judge was directly connect ed with only few, but he aided in disposing | of the goods after they were stolen and with | the full knowledge that they were stolen. Following is list of the burglariss com- | mitted by them: Sharp's rife factory, twice. 1 Lyon's corset shop; John Hurd's store, twice; John Hurd's residence; Smiths village store; | Geschke's pawn shop; John Carpenters cigar | store; Cushing $ Morris store; John Hugo's saloon; Mertens saloon; New York and New Haven company's tool house on Railroad ave- | nue. twice; Devitt's shoe store; West Haven | depot; Woodmont car house; Collender's | billiard factory, Stamford; Burlock's shirt factory, three times; Belkhap's bathing pa- l vilion; two stores in New Hsven Nichols Peek $ Go, and the highway robbery of l Superintendent Greening, of the Atlantic $ ] Pacific Tea company.
 | In connection with the above list they had | laid plans to burgiarize number of places and had also selected number of people. l who they supposed carried large amounts of | money, with the intention of attacking and
 robbing them.
 They had a scheme on foot to rob the | office of Beers & Deveau, on Fairfield ave-
 nue, Bridgeport. They anticipated making \ 8 big haul and would have operated there in a few days had they not been apprehended
 by the police
 The store of Goughlin Bros. on Main
 street, Bridgeport. was another place ss. l Iect.d by them Here they expected to oper- ate on the safe, and had already set the time | to do the work .- The night they were arrested, Friday, they wera going to Norwalk to burglsrize a large feed stors whsre they thought considerable
 money wRs left in the ssfe.
 Plans were laid to attack W;lpot s. Rey-
 holds, clerk in George W. Fairchild's jewel- Fy store, Bridgeport, as it was supposed he
 earrie& the store receipts home with him at
 night.
 Bridgeport, was another person selected to
 attack.
 The gang was bound over as follows:
 Hanford Plumb and Fred. Smith, highway
 robbery, S2,0 GOO each; Edward Burns, five
 counts of burglary, $1,0oO each; John Judge,
 six counts of burglary and one of theft, $1, ,OOo each; George E. Williams, six counts
 of burglary, $1, 900 each spd $2, 900 for high-
 way robbery.