New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-05
A DETECTIVE PLAYS THIEF.
ONE o.. CAPTAIN McLAUGHLIN'S EXPERT
ENCES.
RUNNING DOWN A GANG WHICH TERRoRtzED

GANOIO.
RUNNING DOWN GANG WHICH TERRoRIzED
COUNTRY TOWN.
Captain william Mclaughlin. Of the First Precinct
has had as many varied experiences Of detective life as
any police officer in NewYork. except, perhaps, In
spector Byrnes His exploits in the detection of crime
both the Inspector right hand aide at Police Head
quarters and as precinct captan-have long made his
name familiar TO nearly every one in this city In his
Office the captain keeps scrapbook filed with the rec
ords Of his professional caTeerfrom the day when he
first put on the patrolman's uniform TO the beginning OF
the last new year This scrap book contains a lesson
Invaluable to all young officers In II Is to be found
the story Of iron courage GOODNESS and determination
Of falling persistence IN pursuit Of an object
while the object took the form Of a criminal OF
patience that nothing could wear out. and Of an In
eenuity and fertility o. that sometimes Dor
dered the superhuman. Many of the stories told In
the book are marvels Of constructive skill from the
novelists point of view, and would test the inventive
faculties of Dickens, Dumas or Wkie Collins
The captain always has inexhaustibe fund OF pro-
fessona anecdotes and 1t Is delight to the newspaper
man TO hear him tell of these stories In his dry In
cisfce, cleaF-cut style.
"One Of the funniest experiences ever had in de-
tective work." said the captain IN the course OF con-
versatlon with Tribune reporter the other day, was
In connection with those Tarryown robberies that WOKE
up that deadalve hole for the first and probably the
last time within the memory Of man. They happened
about four years ago. gang OF masked burglars
roamed from house to house in TarrytOwn making big
hauls everywhere ard frightening everybody to such
degree that the inhabitants afraid to go to bed but
sat up all night quaking with fear. OF course the
country police helpessas local police generally
are when they get anything beyond tramp or plain
drunk
Finally Inspector Byrnes took up the ease. After
brief survey of the situation he had made up his mind
what 10 do. At Nyack there large stove factory
In which good number Of eX-convics were employed
MANY Of these convcts accustomed to go into Tar
rytown and frequented certain liquor shop Inc IN
spector came TO the conclusion that the mysterious Dur
glars would most likely be found among this gang
Dick Lyman put on that part OF the case ana
worked 1t 20 perfection With very pretty and life
like get up he went to Tarrytown and passed
merry evening among the eX-cOnvcts The next morn
ing he teegraphed TO the names OF hVe men whom
no had spotted as members of the gang. Among the
crowd was a young fellow named Woods. We Knew
nothing against this Woods except that he was SHIFT
less good for-nothng lout. with taste for horse
racing and shady company His father was farmer
and one OF the best respected men In that district
Woods was closely watched, and one night came 10
New-Yotk where he met man at notorious tmeVes
resort on the BOwery. This man was one OF the usuai
class of accommodating Bowery tradesmen. We saw
Woods give him letter. Then wien the two mad
parted we nailed the Bowery man and took him before
the Inspector The Inspector. without wasting words
roundIv charged him with being concerned In the Tar
rytown robberes. The man caved in Immediately,
gave the whole snap away and confessed that he had
arranged with Woods for the purchase OF the stoch
nlunder-mostv Jewels and that he had arranged TO
meet Wood, on the following Wednesday night at Fth
ave and Twelfth-st TO receive the jewelry
at was arranged that should keep the appointments
in his place. got there at the appointed time' ana
opfe friend came StrOlUNB
along - is laid up with cold and cOuldnt
come, said and has sent me here In MS place
woods was a little scared and suspicious at first
but when showed hn the letter from The cmel oil ulo
gang which he had given to the Bowery receiver 10
took IL all in without a gulp. Then he produce" tho
sway which was mostly composed OF ladies' trlnket''
He wanted $40 for 1t. l couldn't afford to give quito
50 much as that and offered him go We'll, we nag
rIed and argued for half hour and finally he agreed
to take the s25 provided would give the extra go on
receipt of the slverware which lie was 10 Drng III
sleigh II was arranged that | should meet MIN III
another sleigh at the foot Of McComoS Dam Bnuoe'
Then went off to the Inspectors house, and walking
into his private paror' laiu the sV'4'H P''P''' va Wv
table before him.
Ipspector Byrnes has long got past being surprised
nj ANYTHING but YOU never in your lie saw man so
astonisled as lie was just then. For moment ''ero
yas a dead silence and then we 6oth Dnrst out dush-
ing You see, although he himself mad directed tho
whole movement, IL was, d. oiO O0'' ." 'N'' -
hone Probably he had not the faintest expectation
that ehouId succeed in getting Woods 10 talk much
less completely 10 lool nm do " e0' D.
the stolen property - r-,. !
on the date fixed was at McCombs Dam BRUCE
with the sleigh aud behind me at tle distance were
two more of tile boys in another Sleigh But guess
the birds had got scared, for no Woods appeared
Cro,vev and Mc(uire were then sent over 10 larry
Tow, n ,ror, with Lyman and get Woods. lie nearly
.c,nod Them owing mainly 10 local feeling which was
naturally strongly In his favor The pumpkins couu'
believe that this highly respectable young man. "hon
. nod all known from a baby could be guilty of any
ming 60 dreadful as burglary. Then, again, crowley
and Mccuire had worse enemy to fight IN the country
occ who Numbered and stumbled aud nearly trpped
i,o, an NJ every turn. slippery Nj. Woods was,
however they finally got fairly Oh his track ana nabpeo
hin, - siuc sing lie was brought 10 New-lorA ana
,l,., into Inspector Byrnes's room at Police Head
,orters The Inspector then charged him with being
oncorned in the burglares Woods tried tic VlrluOus
indignation racket she'd tears aud fairy loaned at inc
month with the consciousness Ol ms innocence
II is disgrace 10 CFds IeSPrV'"O'0 N'''|o' "''N
on such charge, nc atu. ...t,,.n , ,.;t .,o u,
spector ana then was marched mo tle Ioon DC
between Two pltr0lneh In an ola Clat am tlUusC,s,
d,fy collar, ragged tie and battered hat looked very
much as II had been locked up ioE four or i've GaSs
Woods turned as white aS corpse ana zen lhto car
." Perhaps you don't know that rascal. say tho
rrsnoctor uointng To me. YOu see we've got him,
and more than that we've got the !e"eHJ you saN0
him In Htth-ave the other night. 49,, .A, $500,
+" For a minute Woods was stricken speechless ana
senseIcss as block Of stone. All lie ana movement
seemed to be crashed out OF MN. -, -,
You've got me dedd nc Du4st iVI'u dt IdsV,
with sroan, and covered his faee with ms hands;
" After a moment his nerve came back 10 MIN.
Nav talk privately with that fellow for minutei
he said TO the Inspector ,o.,. ,,,t.,, hi $500.
II. a. 49, tom iauehing / dared not look al the
Inspector at that moment. II had should have