The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-06
BETRAYED BY A PAL.
Safe Cracker Mccarthy Turns
States Evidence.
his PARTNERS PLEAD GUILTY.
|btandnrd OIL Burglars Get Seven Years
Each-PIan TO Rob the North
i End Bank.

81 Harry Coniey, two OF the stahuhiu VI I'm
Il paryss safe crackers, and the release OF the
s fhifd John J. Mccarthy for turning states evil
ranence. ia a most remarkable and sensational
= lone not alone from the facts OF the crime u
! szsen but from the splendid manner in which
/ H4he entire matter, from beginning TO END, was
= &handled. The crime was scsrcely coIhIhit'eeu
i Xbefore the prisoners were behind the bars oW-
IA ING 70 the vigilance of Chief Rogers and his
ii Snssstants, and from confession secured yes
e ffcrday il appears the men had planned bold
n%robbery OF the North sesttle bank, aud were
sf@oniy hindcred in their designs by arrest.
n Adams and Conley were taken before Justice
6#von Tobei yesterday morning at ii o'clock, and,
q knowing they had been betrayed by their com
III pauiou in crime, they pleaded guilty TO the
charge Of burglary Later they were removed
Il 70 the superior court, where an information hao
&c been filed against them.
a. When brought before Judge Humes the men
! appeared considerably crestfallen, but had
IL nothing 10 say except TO plead guilty when the
u charge was read to them. The court, without
i comment sentenced each man to seven years
e 5u the penitentiary and 70 pay the costs OF the
action.
III abatement with the court in which McCarthys
81 action In furnishing evidence to the state was
~ Get ont and moved that the case against him be
81 dismissed The court accordingly ordered that
~ the inforrner be discharged from custody
"a The following affidavit was sworn to BY John
~ J. Mccarthy before Judge Won Tobel on Tues
nj day:
I'll John J. Mccarthy being duly sworn on oath
~ fieposes and says that ON the morning oil the
l* 25th dsy OF October, A. d. 1891 at about o clock
81 on SAID morning, IN tho city OF Seattle, King
h county. state OF Washington, he, ia company
III with Frank Adams and Harry Coniey, alias
"Deafy, went from ne kentuehy saloon ,Sa On
I5 city, 20 the warehouse OF the standard OH
81 Works, situated at the north end OF the Grant
street bridge that upon arriving there Conley.
~ nj ttDeafr.' remained outside WatCHlUw,
! while be aud Adams broke the Office door OF the
81 said Standard Oil Comp my warehouse with a
81 firnras: then he, the said Adams, went inside
ri and with drill, drilled hole IN the safe, then
Il. filed the hole with powder and put fuse ia,
after which be lett while adams igni ted the me
81 eatd Office and Adams handed him an
q Iron box, Adams having already gathered
81 mp the loose money in the safe. The tools were
81 then gathered up and passed Quito "Deafy,'
who then went down town with them, while he
81 and Adams then went up the hill to Twelfth
street: then opened the box with jimmy, and
Il after taking what money Il contained threw the
q box away; then started for town, aud on the
road threw the jimmy away; then went to the
Kentucky saloon ana divided up the money,
each receiving So; that no exchanged 80 in sill
8 yer with ''Hig Harry" one Of the proprietors OF
4 the Kentucky saloon, for IS in gold; that on
Friday, the ed OF October 1891, the said Adams
4 came 10 affisnt; that be wanted his assistance
i in getting 5000, saying that be would procure
the tools and do the work himself II athhnt
would look out for him. the said Adams told
afiAnt that 1t the Standard Oil Companys
& that he wanted, ana That tncfe was IN
1t. and that about o'clock Sunday morning
II would be good time to work it; aflant identi-
4 6es the box. two drills and ratchet drill, dark
4 lantern and fuse now in the possession OF the
chief of police OF the city of Seattle the prop
crty used and taken at said time of the blowing
OF the safe OF the standard OIL Company, sunday
morning, October IS, A. d. 1891
John J. Mccarthy, who sacrificed his partners
IN crime to save himself is 26 years OF age and
weighs It's pounds. He is feet So inches in
height. has black hair and gray eyes. On his
left forearm he has in blue ink crucihx with
the figure of Christ on it. On the right arm he
has an anchor with blue chain on the right
wrist In every movement he betrays the crook.
He carries himself like man who knows that
he is doing wrong. He skulks and he looks no
man ia the eye
His affidavit. though it served the purposes of
the law, ia not believed. He is by far the most
dangerous criminal OF the trio. He planned
the whole job, did good portion OF the work
himself and being caught in hole he acted the
traitor betrayed his companions ana escaped
with whole skin. His own class, the criminals
who prey upon society, look upon him with con
tempt BY this act he has become a criminal
blackleg and all hts future projects win have 10
be worked alone. lie is henceforth doubiy an
ontcast. Upon his release yesterday he i'm.
medlately left the city.
One OF the prisoners who viii spend the next
seven years in Walla Walla was so frlghtfulIy
indignant Mt the confession of Mccarthy that he
II.
story is full OF interest.
Adams, "Deafy' aud Mccarthy it appears
ore In desperate need of money. The former
two crooks stood somewhat in awe of McCa rthy.
I. who was the directing spirit in their eouusels
The tools were procured at Ballard and were
brought to the Kentucky saloon in a canvas
grip. where the men held consultation.
Mccarthy was in for cracking the safe of the
North Seattle bauk. Adams. alias .'Shorty"
disagreed. and showed his companions that
they lacked the proper tools Tor the job. shorty
said, however, that he knew place on Eighth
street where they could do butcher, baker and
grocer in one night.
ssThats too raw, !" said Mack
"well," said Conley. al You fellows want TO
J % piece of work, know safe you can do
the Standard Oil Company's in South seattle
AMI there's loads of swag there"
"wen blow that said Mack iii it's onIv got
/ two bits in IL twaat to see II Shorty can do
that kind of Job"
The men then gave the tools another exam
tnation. Mccarthy secured the oil with which
~ grease the drill, procured the powder. the
fuse. fixed the dark lantern. and arranged the
details of each mans respective duties. Adams
and Coney then went down 10 Eeeouuoltre
Coming back each secured h gun, and the
: trio with their implements proceeded to the
scene of action.
on the way. a bell attached 20 COW in a
stable near az hand made a ringing noise
aud Mccarthy ana Adams fed, Mccarthy with
a crook 5 superstition thought the bell an evil
omen,
Mccarthy directed Conley to get under a car
and watch. The signal was 10 DC a saappiug vi
the fingers three times
While the meu were working an officer came
along. The signal was given and the men Quit
work. Ia about Su hour Mccarthy came out,
and the lockout informing him that all was
well, he weat inside, giving Conley iastruc-
tions that II any OF the electric light people
were aroused by the explosion and ingerfered.
he should hold gun on them.
when the explosion did occur, Mccarthy
seized the money aud ran up tho hill. shorty
followed with most 81 the tools which he buried
in the cellar OF the Kentucky saloon, while
Conley followed Mccarthy to see that lie did not
get away with undue proportion of the
sroils.
Later they met at the saloon and divided the
spoils. each securing So. Mccarthy threw away
smarked coin. saving that those sort CT things
were - hoodeo"
Embroidered by this Temporary success Nc
Carthy was already planning for other Jobs.
The men al swoEe thar Il they had known the
swag was 80 ligAt they would never have under
taken the job.
Mccarthy then deliberately projected the
spoiatidn 81 the North seattle bank They cx.
yeetcd 10 secure from $I5.ot0 70 s2a.os1 The
sghVme wSs "a drive Up - the bank IN buggy
Monday or Tuesday following the safe cracking
'shorty was 20 &c LETT outside, while Mccarthy
aud Adams were to So in. pull ihslr guns on
shoSe ia Tie bank aud seeure the cash. They
were then 10 plant the money until the matter
blew over. Mccarthy thea intended 10 ro 10
eslt Lake aud own "a crooks paradise in other
words, saloon that should la the resort 81
thieves. with these p!ous inJc0tjous the trio
! went 10 sleep IN Mccarthy room. No. l. In the
Columbia house.
49, "a, q. a. q.