The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-11-10
George Neise Has Very Narrow
Escape from Long Term in
the Penitentiary.
Arrested for Burglary He Never
Committed and Saved by
Confession.
Which was Cleared Up by . New
York Detective.

06fQ66nv
James Reynolds, of the Bergen Street sta
ton in Brooklyn, has saved an innocent
man from being sent to prison for long
term of years for burglary which an.
other man committed, and Of which he has
made a full confession. The innocent man
was arrested by Reynolds himself. The
burglary occurred on the night Of August %
at the house of Mrs. Charles F. Street. $40
Pacific street. The house was entered by
breaking the rear basement window and
the burglar made his way to the bedroom
of Miss Frances Street, one Of the occu-
pants of the second floor. Miss Street
awoke while he was ransacking the bureau
drawers. and raising her head from the
pillow got good look at him, such good
look, as she subsequently said, that she
would not lave any difficulty in identify
ing him. She began to scream, but the
burglar rushed to her bedside and threat
ened to kill her if she did not keep quiet.
She ceased her screaming and remained
still until she was certain the burglar had
taken his departure from the house. He
carried of with him several articles of Jew
elry and a gold-headed silk umbrella.
The robbery was reported to the police of
the Bergen Street station, and Detective
Reynolds was sent to Investigate it. Within
few days George Neise, of SO Main street,
was arrested BY Reynolds on suspician Of
having committed the burglary, and when
confronted by Miss Street.-The latter posi-
lively identified HIM. He was committed
to await the action Of the grand jury and
he has since been in Jail awaiting trial.
While Investigating the burglary REYNOLDS
discovered blood stains on the broken glass
IN the basement window and concluded that
the nafn0ffQfnF nnnak hQV0 Or1t hio hand
pretty badly. When he found that Neise
had not a scratch on his hands he had q
good deal Of misgiving as to his guilt, in
spite of Miss Streets positive Identification
and he lost no time in communicating his
doubts on the subject to his superior. Ere
quent interviews with the prisoner resulted
in confirming the belief that he was not
the burglar.
It was not, however, until the arrest of
John Wesley Ketchum for burglary on
Macon street, on the night of September
Ii, that Reynolds had a definite hope Of
cred that Ketchum had been engaged in
several robberies in Brooklyn for . month
or more preceding his arrest, and as he bore
close resemblance to Neise, he concluded
that he was probably the Pacific street bur
glar and that Miss Street had made very
natural mistake. Reynolds has been en-
ploylnR, the story goes, some mysterious
mesmeric power which he is said to possess
upon Ketchum and has at last not only in
duced him to confess that he was the mid
night visitor to the bedside of Miss Street.
but to give him the necessary information
to recover the stolen property. It is sup
posed that Reynolds has won his reputation
as q detective by good, square detective
work, but that he 10 willing to encourage the
idea that he possesses mysterious powers.
Some idea Of his method may possibly be
gained from his report of what the real
thief said to him after he had been sub
iected to the ''mesmeric'' process. "You
are he said to Reynolds, "the first man
who has ever been able TO get my conf
denoe during long Info Of crime. have
spent several years in prison and You are
the only man that ever said kind word to
me. am now satisfied that you have
taken all the badness out of me, and if
had had someone to talk to me the way Won
do would not be here to-day. committed
that robbery in Pacific street and don't
want any innocent man to suffer for it. If
you want to 60 to a pawn shop on Sixth
avenue, near Blocker street, you will find
all the stolen property"
The detective found all the stolen arti-
Giles in the place indicated and to-day told
the whole story to Judge Moore and Dis
trict-Attorney Rid0eway and steps will be
taken to have Neise released.