The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-07-05
AN IMPORTANT ARREST.
ANOTHER JAIL BREAKER CAL CHIT

august lOtn, 1851, VINO had been work
ing the crowd assembled at the laying
of the corner stone of the Battle Monu-
ment, will be recalled. Their escape il
also fresh in the minds of all who saw
the Jail as left by tbem-the roof was
there and portion of walls. Escaping
with the two was Rupert man who has
not yet been captured.
Sheriff Mccall promptly offered $3.50
reward for the return OF the three or $50
for the return of any one of them. This
resulted in the rearrest of Billy Perry
and his sentence to two years in State
Prison. 1t appears now that the man
who said wait and see" in response to
doubt as to the other ever being cap
tured, spoke somewhat as prophet, In
this job Sheriff Mccall has proved
himself a sharper officer than even his
friends admitted.
We give the record from the Police
News, which also prints Hurey's por-
trait:
"a very important arrest was made in
Boston, June %, by Inspectors Shelton,
Houghton and Watts of the bank dis
trict squad, and the possibilities are that
the man they captured will serve long
term behind the bars. His name is
Michael Hurley, 'Pugsey' Hurley, alins
Riley, alias Hamlin. The officers track.
ed him from State street to the Public
Garden, hoping that he might connect
with his pals Hurley had upon his
person a memoranda indicating that he
had planned to rob the Spr ngfield Saw.
ings Bank, the Hampden Savings Bank
of Springfield; the brokerage office of
William p, Matsen, 80 Klngsman block,
Spring6eld; the brokerage office of H.
NJ. Smith, 43S Main street, Springfield /;
the office of j. F. Merriam, room 4 Saw.
ings Bank building; the Safe Deposit
and Trust Company, and the office of
William III. JOrdon, 422 Main street, all
in the same city. Hurley also answers
the description of one of the gang which
broke into a jewelry mandatory at
AttleborO, two weeks ago, where they
gagged the Waterman and his son, blew
open the safe and got away with about
$500 worth of gold and silver. HIS
record is given by Inspector Brynes of
New York, as follows: 'Pugsey' is an
old Seventh Ward rounder. thief and
burglar, He was one of the New
Rochelle masked burglars.
THE gang consisted in part of Dan
Kelley, Mike Kerrigan, alias John Dobbs,
who is now in the Massachusetts, State
Prison, and George Mallard. Their
headquarters were at Malliard's saloon,
at the corner of Washington and Canal
Streets, New York City. Hurley has
served 30 years in the State Prison, and
the following is list of some of the Jobs
with which he has been connected: j.
X. Hammett at Pelham, New Rochelle,
in December, 1873 had his house broken
into. The burglars bound and gagged
Mr., Hammett, and robbed him of $3.50
in money. In October of the same year,
the gang broke into the house of Abra-
ham Post, three miles from Catskill, N.
Y. They bound and gagged the occu-
pants, and took away $4,000 in money
and iewelry. Dec. 20 of the same year,
they entered a railroad depot on the
Jamaica and Brooklyn road, bound and
gagged the Waterman, blew open the
safe, and decamped with $4,000 Soon
after this the residence of William X.
Souther at West Brighton, N. Y, was
also broken into and considerable valua.
bles and money were taken. In the lat.
ter case the gang were all masked and
heavily armed, and Hurley was one.
About this time there was considerable
excitement among the residents of the
suburbs of New Yorks, and nearly all
the small villages were banded together
for protection. Hurley and his gang
were arrested and sent to State Prison
for 20 years in the spring of 1876. He
attempted to escape from the prison but
his effort was unsuccessful. He was
successful, however, in April, 1882. by
cutting through the roof and climbing
over the wall. Later in the year he was
again arrested and sent back to prison,
He was discharged about eight months
ago.
He is also supposed to have been one
of the gang of burglars who with John
Dobbs, broke into Allison & Mason's
office on Russia wharf in New York,
some time ago, where they got away
with a lot of bonds and securities.
Dobbs is now serving time for this
offence. Hurley was arrested by In.
spector Brynes' officers, and a number
of persons went on from Boston to
identify him, but failed to do so.
"Hurley's family has a bad record.
His father was ticket of-leave man to.
gether with his brother Dan, both from
New South Wales. Michael Hurley was
born IN New York City. and commence
ed life as a pickpocket. Then he went
into the river piracy business on the
East River. He gave this up to engage
in the gopher business-which is a
technical term of safe breaking--and
began operations in Westminster county,
N. Y. At one time he won the affec.
tions of he wife of Judge Jemmey,
one of the gang and professional pick
pocket, and both went to California,
where Jemmey followed them, en-
countered them there, and shots were
freely exchanged between the two men.
The result was that Jemmey returned
East without his wife. 1t was not long
before the woman left Hurley,
stealing from him $1,000 in diamonds,
supposed to have been part of the pro-
ceeds of his numerous exploits, Then
she returned to New York and lived
wi Jemmey again. 1t Is believed that
otter Hurley's escape from prison he
was Swallowed by the man whose wife's
affections he had stolen. and that his re-
capture and return to prison was in
some degree due to the mans desire for
revenge.