Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-02-12
WALKED INTO A TRAP.
FOUR BANK ROBBERS CAPTURED
 IN THIS CITY.

Desperate Men POunced upon by the Omcers-Only One of the Gang Escapes Taken to Newtown for Trial.
 Four as tough looking characters as | ever wore ''bracelets' or served time for l the state were nabbed by the Waterbury police about z 80 o'clock this morning and l locked up after desperate attempt to ] escape. The men are wanted for break ! ing into the Newtown savings bank, the postoffice, Charles Gays blacksmith
 shop and Minott Augur's grocery store | in the same place last night. There l were five cracksmen in the gang, but ! one of the fellows escaped.
 Deputy Sheriff Glover of Newtown l came to town this morning to take the birds back and was in particularly
 happy frame of mind over their capture.
 The story of their depredations as told by
 him proves beyond doubt that the gang
 is the one that has been cracking safes 1 all through the state for over year. | About 5:30 o'clock this morning Sheriff
 Glover was awakened by Thomas Riley,
 who lives directly opposite Charles l Gays blacksmith shop near the Housa
 tonic depot. Riley was greatly excited | and told the sheriff that the blacksmith
 shop had been blown to pieces. After
 the explosion he had seen five men going | towards Sandy Hook. The sheriff dressed hastily and notified Constable NJ. J. Houlihan, proprietor of the Grand 1 Central hotel The first thing they did | was to telephone to the New England de- ] pot and to Bridgeport. It was learned that 1 five men had boarded Conductor Bol- gers special freight going east on the 1 New England road and telegram was 1 at once sent to the police headquarters
 in this city.
 1 After making arrangements to capture the gang should they come to Water
 bury. the Newtown officers proceeded to l investigate and found that the cracks
 men had made desperate but unsuccess- full efforts to break the safe of the New l town savings bank. They first forced
 an entrance into Gays black
 smith shop, where they secured l chisels, hammers and wedges. To se- cure an entrance into the bank was easy
 work, but all attempts to force open the
 safe were futile. Four large holes were
 bored in the door and a large charge of Dupont powder only succeeded in de- ing the door. A large wedge was then
 used, but the tough old safe was proof against all the skill and desperation of the burglars.
 From the bank the burglars went to the postotfice where they secured small amount of change for their labors. Minott Augurs meat market was then
 visited. but here also only a few pennies and some canned goods were secured.
 Failing in all their efforts the gang re-
 turned to the blacksmith shop bent on mischief In one corner of the shop stood an old safe that was seldom known to be locked. Last night as usual it was
 left open. There was nothing of value
 in the safe and it must have been from pure maliciousness that the burglars
 bored the door full of holes and inserted
 an immense charge of powder, which was touched off when they were ready
 was terrific and woke everybody in the neighborhood. The safe was
 completely wrecked. The huge iron door was hurled across the room and tore hole six feet square through the
 side of the substantial wooden building
 A desk that stood in the direct path of
 the safe was reduced to kindling wood.
 Every window in the building was shat
 tered. The place looked as if it had been
 in the path of a cyclone.
 When the Waterbury police were noti- , fled of the occurrence shortly after 6 ; o'clock this morning Officers Bannon,
 Healey, Pagan and John Sullivan were } detailed to act as a reception committee in case the burglars should favor this city with visit. Upon the arrival of { Conductor Bolger's freight it was learned 7 that five men had jumped from the train
 near Burritt foundry in the Brooklyn district. The officers started down the railroad and when near Guilfoile's mark
 ct spied their men slowly walking up the
 track. Officers Healey and Pagan, who
 were in citizens dress, walked along the
 track towards the burglars, while Ser
 geant Bannon and Officer Sullivan , lay in waiting near Guilfoile's market, Brooklyn. The two former
 officers passed by the men and then sud- , denly wheeled and bounced on them.
 man. He picked out the hardest looking
 customer in the gang, a big fellow with
 a cross eye. Officer Pagan grabbed an , other, when the whole gang drew revol-
 vers. They were covered by Officers Healey and Pagan in the rear and the
 other two officers in front and were F taken so completely by surprise that , , they could use their weapons. The fifth
 who was the smallest man of tie five, , made his escape through M. Gilfoile's z barnyard, to Leonard street.
 ; Officer Fagans prisoner expressed the I opinion that Waterbury was a d-d..hot town, when being disarmed but had
 nothing more to say. At the station , house the men furnished the following biography of themselves: Michael O'Donnell, aged 3S, residence, Ireland Charles Butts, aged 42, a natter by oc- cupation, belongs nowhere; Thomas !, Casey, aged 31, residence, Syracuse James Bulger, aged 22, lives nowhere. At the station house the men were thoroughly searched. About half pint of pennies was found in their possession. One of 7 the coins was large German piece and
 can easily be identified. A coil of fuse such as the crdcksmen who have been working Connecticut have left behind them in several places was also found upon one of the men. A small bottle ot
 pickles and a can of fish were also among their effects.
 : The revolvers were all dangerous look. ing weapons, two of them being of the improved double-action kind. All were
 loaded.
 Sheriff Glover says the five men ar
 rived at Newtown at 12 o'clock Sunday
 night upon freight train from Water I h11r.x