The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-26
He and Detective Egan
Neatly Fooled by the
Notorious Liver
pool Jack"
WAITING FOR THAT THIEF.
Police Went Home While slack
Went About His Business-Ide
titled by Chief Murphy.

The arrest of Liverpool Jack" one of the
most notorious and dangerous thieves who
ever infested Jersey City, last Friday even
ing by Policeman Beatty, is attended with
an object lesson for unsuspecting Police
Captains and detectives who allow them
selves to be duped by the very thieves for
whom they are looking.
1t will probably cause some surprise and
create a laugh at the expense of Captain
Nugent and Detective Michael Egan, of the
Fifth Precinct when it is known that
Liverpool Jack" the man for whom both
these police officials were looking, was leading
them about by the nose promising to aid
them in finding the thief who was plundering
barns within block of the station houses.
Had it not been for the fact that Chief Muir
ply identified Liverpool Jack" he would
probably have today been leading Captain
Nugent and Detective Egan on the same
wild goose chase he has for the past two
weeks.
THE WAY HE DUPED THEM.
The duping of the police officers came
about in this manner. Barns were being
looted by the wholesale in Captain Nugent's
precinct and no clue to the thief could be
found About three weeks ago Liverpool
Jack" who, however, kept his iden-
1ty unknown, was arrested by the
Church street, New York, police
for being a suspicious character At the
time of his arrest he had half dozen robes
stolen from Jersey City barns in his posses
sion. Captain Nugent hurried to New York
to see the prisoner He arrived in time to see
Liverpool Jack" leaving the station house,
having just been discharged by the magistrate
His discharge was effected by the keeper
of a Baxter street fence testifying that he
gave the prisoner the robes to sell.
Captain Nugent accosted Liverpool Jack, /"
and in his usual good-natured way un-
bosomed himself to the slick thief
OFFERED TO HELP NUGENT.
'Why, | know the man you are looking
forp said Jack.
The Captain was all attention in an in
slant, and within five minutes it was agreed
between Captain and thief that the dis
charged prisoner, none other than 'sLiver-
pool Jack" should come to Jersey City and
assist in the capture of the New York crook
who was robbing all the barns.
Detective Egan and Nugent 'fbit" like
good big fish and for more than a week
Liverpool Jack, y in company with Captain
Nugent and Detective Egan, watched around
the precinct and guarded the railroad sta
ton to capture the thief as soon as he left
the train
At midnight or thereabouts ''LiverpooI
jack would remark 'sWell, l guess that
thief won't be over tonight and we may as
well go home and come out tomorrow
night"
Disappointed, but not entirely discouraged,
Captain and Detective would go
home and Liverpool Jack " un-
molested would go through all the barns
possible in four or five hours and get away
safely with his plunder, and with the cool
ness that characterizes men of his stamp,
meet the police the next night and give them
the same Jolly"
Whar, Toolr rrac oo,,+,,,.od - 80, =, C,.o
tain Langes territory, and he had not made
peace with Lange's men.
RECOGNIZED BY CHIEF MURPHY.
Saturday morning Chief Murphy stopped
into the Fourth precinct and peeping in
Jacks cell, recognized him instantly.
Hello, Jack!" said he.
81 don't know you" replied Jack.
"Oh, yes you do" replied the Chief.
Detective Hottie happened near the cell at
this time. and the Chief motioned him to
keep quiet and listen.
The Chief engaged Jacks accomplice
ifteen-year-old Harry Williams in conversa-
tion, and then promised to help Jack all he
could to get him out of his scrape
The Chief slammed the door and pretended
to leave, and it was then that Hottie over
heard Liverpool Jack" say to his boy ac-
complice:-
Look out for that fellow. He's Chief
Murphy, and he is dead on to me. He'll
send us both away unless we are sharp"
This was all that passed between them.
NUGENT AND EGAN WON'T TALK.
The stupidity of Captain Nugent and
Detective Egan's action is remarkable when
1t is considered that Liverpool Jacks" pic
ture is in the Rogue's gallery, and that he
was arrested five years ago for burglary in
this city.
Captain Nugent dislikes speaking of the
manner in which such notorious thief
pulled the wool over his eyes and outwitted
him and his policemen and detectives.