Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-16
A BLINDS MANS FEAT.
he Identifies the Man Who Robbed
Him, Though He Had Heard
HIS VOICE BUT ONCE BEFORE.
The Thief Proves to be a Valuable Catch
and Has Confessed.
GREAT sENSIFIvENEss OF THE EAR

There was a strange scene enacted in the
Office of Chief of Detectives Desmond at the
Four Courts this morning, saws the st,
Louis Post Dispatch in its issue of Noyem-
Der Z. Much has been said and more has
been written in praise OF the remarkable
memories possessed by the noted. sleuth.
who remembered a face unseen for 40 wears.
Where, however, can be found a more re.
markable instance than is presented in the
Identification of a criminal by a blind man
who had only heard his voice but once?
Yet this is exactly what was done to-day,
and there was nothing peculiar about the
mans voice.
Blind Louis Guibar had asserted that he
would recognize the voice of the man who
robbed him on the afternoon of October 2S.
Pat Kennedy was suspected of the job. He
was in the holdover on another case and
Desmond sent Detective Mcclure down to
bring the prisoner up. Then he went out
into the detectives room and told several of
his men to come in with Kennedy and as
they entered the Office to say, "GOod morn.
ing, Mr.. Desmond"
ACoMPLETE IDENTIFICATION.
This was done and then came Kennedy,
As soon as he crossed the sill he said: Good
morning, Mr.. Desmondr'
"That's the man! That's the mani I
know himP came from Guibar in an in
slant.
The blind man had been sitting in a chair
by the window facing the door. His sight
less orbs were turned to the passage as each
man entered and he held his head in an ex-
pectant attitude each man spoke. The
minute a sound escaped KenRedy's lips his
face lighted up with smile OF satisfaction
and ne leaned half out of his chair in his
excitement as he announced the identifca-
ton.
''Yes, that is me. Mr.. Guibar,'' said Ken
nedy. 81 took the money from your
drawer. 1 only got 20 cents, though, and
give 10 of that back to McGurry."
The blind man is an Intelligent looking
fellow, 80 years old. He is totally blind and
| has for some time made living by running
a small cigar store at 9191z North Ninth
street. He said: Between and o'clock
on October % L was in my place when some
one entered. He spoke to Frank McGurry,
the 15-year-old boy have in my employ,
and then sat down in chair.
ONLY HEARD THE VOICE ONCE.
'That is the only time ever heard his
voice, yet 1 am positive that this Kennedy
is the man. In a little while another man
came in. He was blind friend of mine and
we went into the rear room TO talk. After
while my friend ordered cigars and McGurry
| brought them to US. When l went TO the
till after my friend had gone found that
the 20 cents mad left was gone. asked
| McGurry, and he told me that when ne re-
turned to the store after serving US cigars he
! found Pat Kennedy behind the counter.
| Pat had threatened to beat him black and
blue if he told on him, AID had given him
10 cents if he would keep quiet. McGurry
knows Kennedy, and can identity him
positively as the man. He stole oaly 10
cents, but 1 want to prosecute the scamp.
The gang to which he belongs has been pill
tering from me for months, taking advan-
tage of my afdiction while my boy was
gone"
| Kennedy is the man who on Monday
evening boldly robbed Miss Minnie NAL
laney at Sixteenth street and franklin ave-
nue.. Miss NJ allaney was on her way homo
| In her hand she carried pocketbook con-
| tanning S21 and several pieces of broken
| jewelry of no great value. Suddenly she
was struck in the back of the head and the
purse was snatched from her hand
MORE SERIOUS CRIME.
Kennedy vas arrested in less than hour
| by Third district police officer and in an
endeavor to prove an aIibi became so con-
fused that he made a full confession of the
job before he finished. On the strength of
! this Detectives Allendar and Burke vester-
| day evening arrested skinny Woods a
| notorious thief, and obtained from him
| similar confession.
The men now acknowledge that they met
| at the corner of Sixth street and Franklin
avenue about o'clock and agreed to grab a
pocketbook if a good chance was given.
| They followed one lady from Sixth street
/ and franklin fo Al
Morgan, but neither dared to make the dash,
Then they tracked a second victim to EleT-
enth and Franklin. This lady took the car
] just as Kennedy was walking up to snatch
her purse. Miss Mallaney was then fol-
lowed to Sixteenth street and franklin ave-
nue., where Kennedy made the assault and
| got away with the leather. Woods then
rushed up, assisted Miss Mallaney to her
| feet, and asked what had happened. When
told by the frightened young lady that she
| had been robbed, Woods dashed away, aD-
parently in pursuit of the thief but in
! reality to catch up with Kennedy in order
to obtain share the pIunder.
ENJOYING THEIR PLUMBER.
The two met at Sixth and Morgan, where
they had supper. They then divided the 81,
threw the poeketbook on the roof of the
house at Twelfth and Wash, parts of the
d
the remainder in a sewer at the same corner.
Detectives Allendar and Burke went over
the ground and recovered the pocketbook
and jewelry in the places indicated. A
warrant will to-day be issued against Ken
nedy and Woods for robbery in the first de-
gree in the Mallaney case and against Ken
nedy for petit larceny in the Guibar case
Mr.. Guibar says he can give no explana-
tion of his ability to identify Kennedy other
fhn ind Iuf6 Af
the peculiar impression which he made on
him the moment he entered the room. Gui-
bar felt Kennedy over from head to foot be-
fore he left the detectives office and now in
sists that he can identify the man by the
scense of touch without his making a sound
in case he is dressed as he was to-day. Said
Chief of Detectives Desmond: "Never in
all my police experience have 1 seen such .
peculiar Identification.