Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-05-12
CLEVER WORK BY THE POLICE. Capture of Gang of Thieves Yesterday l Affarnoou

Capture of a Gang of Thieves Yesterday
 Afternoon.
 Yesterday afternoon while the crowds on the ball ground were awaiting the coming of the Cuban Giants, a scene was being enacted in the rear of the center field fence in winch several police officers and four or five law breakers figured. Some time Sunday, one of the Naugatuck road freight cars which was standing on a New England road siding, was forced open and keg of black berry wine, several boxes of underwear and outing shirts and two dozen quart bot ties of grape juice were distracted. Of- ficer Dodds was detailed on the case. His suspicious pointed to a Brooklyn gang and yesterday afternoon he visited the old Monitor base ball ground, with Officer Reid in search of a clue. To their delight they | came upon gang of five men who were sleeping among the bushes. John Cronin, one of the gang. awoke and recognizing the officer, ,imme- diately showed fight. Officer Reid rushed off for help while Officer Dodds tackled Cronin and soon silenced him. In the meantime, two of the others, James McNamara and Bob Mulligan, awoke and made dash for the river. Both swan to the other sidA. Officers ] this time and the other two worthies were awakened to the stern reality that they were in the hands of the law
 Cronin refused to walk and had to be dragged quite a distance before a team arrived into which the gang were bundled. Officers Dodds and Reid then searched for the booty. They found the wine keg half empty, one empty bot tie seven boxes of shirts and one empty box. The plunder was loaded into a hack and taken to the police station. McNamara, who had escaped, came around last night and gave himself up. Mulligan is still at large as Is another party for whom the police are on the lookout. The three arrested besides Me | Namara are Michael Kane, Thomas Kelly and Jack Cronin. This morning all pleaded not guilty. Kelly and Mo Namara are the only two who testified. Kelly said that he was going up the track to the ball grounds, when he was called over to have a drink by one of the gang. He did not know any of them as he only came to Waterbury the night before last. When asked where his home was he said he had no regular home, he lived anywhere. McNamara | told the same story about being invited to drink. Judge Bradstreet imposed a fine of 30 days and costs in jail for drunkenness in each case and found probable cause and bound each over un- til the next term of the superior court, under $250 bonds, for theft.
 John Lyons was charged with the theft of a watch from the shoe shop of James Grant on Meadow street, about two weeks ago. Grant and two wit nesses appeared against him. It seems that Lyons entered the shop and asked to have his shoes repaired without hay ing any money. He was refused. Grant then left the shop and while he | was absent for a moment or two, Lyons also left. When Grant returned his watch, which had been hanging on the wall, was missing. One of the witnesses who stood across the street from the shop saw Lyons running toward the Water bury Lumber & Coal Cos yard. Lyons said he had good reputation and never was arrested before. He knew nothing about the watch. When arrested he was drunk and Judge Bradstreet i'm posed a fine of $1 and costs for drunk enness and $lO and costs for theft.