The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1893-12-22
THE THIRD DEGREE.
HOW IT WAS WORKED ON SUSPECTS
BY INSPECTOR BYRNES.
The Shrewd Catcher of Criminals Had a
Way of Making the Guilty Ones Confess.
How McGIoin Was Brought to Time and
Increased the Rope Collection.

Way of Making the Guilty Ones Confess.
How McGIoin Was Brought to Time and
Increased the Rope Collection.
Scenes-intense. dramatic, horrible
beyond conception to the men who are
compelled by subtle force, a moral
magnetism, to convict themselves with
their own uncomfortable words-are not
infrequent at police headquarters.
An interesting case was that Of Nc
Gloin, a tough who killed French
man. There was little positive evidence
against him. Everything was supposi-
titious, but Thomas Byrnes' SUPPOSE
tions in matters of that kind are likely
to be not far from right. He was
reasonably certain that McGloin was
guilty, and that there had been three
witnesses of the crime. The names and
whereabouts of these probable witnesses
he knew. McGlOin had also pawned a
pistol. Byrnes guessed that it was the
pistol with which the crime had been
committed. But he had not a particle
Of proof of any one of these things.
One day, however, he had McGloin
and the three other men arrested, tax
ing care that no one of the quartet
should know that the others had been
captured, giving no one of them an in
king of why he had been taken into Gus
tody. This also occurred during Byrnes'
term as inspector. He occupied the
room now used by Inspector McLaugh-
lin an1 orO11n1 itc vy.,1lc in thoca do,
were the cases of implements and me-
mentOes of crime now ON exhibition in
the museum across the hall. Into this
room, where, as he entered, tall glass
case full of the ropes and black caps
which had figured in the city's execu-
tiOns stared him in the face, McGloin
was led. Neither the surroundings nor
the fact that he was to be closeted with
the famous police official worried him,
however. He was full of the bravado
of the tough"
One of the windows of this room
looks out upon the courtyard in the cen
ter of the building. Inspector ByrnC
placed chair so that its back wa
close aginSt this window, and anOthe
facing it, with only room for knees be
tween it and the casing. To the latte
chair McGloin was led AS he sa
there he had full view of the court
yard. Byrnes sat in the other chair
with his back to it. Close ON Byrnes
right was q desk.
Thus arranged, the plot began to un,
fold. For 10 minutes the inspector
talked earnestly to the prisoner without
good result. Then he touched bell
The door of the room opened, and al
obsequiOus Jew entered, and approach
ing the desk laid on it pistol. Nc,
GlOin's attention was attracted by the
noise of the newcomer, and he turned
to see-the pistol with which he had
killed the Frenchman and the pawn,
broker to whom he had pledged it
Without word, but keeping his eyes
on McGloin's, the Jew backed out o.
the room. 1t was a good deal of
shock to McGloin, but not enough t.
break down his bravado.
"What in - does this mean?" ht
demanded boldly.
"Oh, nothing" replied the inspector
nonchalantly. 1T is merely pistol
wanted to see. Then he picked it up.
Handsome weapon, isn't it, McGloin:
Might kill man, eh?''
Then, laying the pistol down again,
the inspector went on calmly talking
about the crime. McGloin, beginning
to feel the mystery, the dramatic force
of it all, was. getting nervous. He looked
for moment at the inspector, but one
long, steady, searching glance from
those penetrating eyes made him quick
ly turn away and direct his gaze out of
the window into the courtyard again.
Thus relieved of the strain of seeing
disagreeable things, he began to regain
his self possession. "A man named
Barber saw that crime committed"
said the inspector quietly. McGlOin
started a trifle at hearing the name.
Then Byrnes saw his face pale, and his
mouth twitch, and knew that Barber
was being led across the yard between
two officers, and that McGloin was
watching them. Even this did not
break McGloin down, however. Five
minutes later, though, when Flint, the
second witness, was marched between
two bluecoats across the court, he start
ed almost from his chair. sit still.
McGloin," said Byrnes impassively.
Another of those witnesses | spoke
about was named Flint" From that
time on McGloin weakened. Then, hav-
ing spoken about Flint's connection
with the crime, Byrnes said, few min
utes later, And the third witness. Nc
Gloin, was Henry Farley" AS the
words left Byrnea' lips Farley began a
slow progress across the yard. Byrnes
had worked the third degree. McGloin
yielded all at once. With cry of ter
ror, he literally sprang from his chair,
and falling to his knees clasped Byrnes
about his legs, crying like a child, con-
Tossing and begging the inspector not to
have him hanged. His prayer was not
granted, however. He was executed a
year later in the Tombs yard, and the
three witnesses were sent TO state prison
for ID years each. Among those rope
ends and black caps in that glass case
now is one bearing on bit of cardboard
the name "McGloin. New York
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