The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-04-19
ERIE ROBBED AGAIN
John Brown Unearths a Band
of Thieves That De-
fled Detection.
HOW THE GANG OPERATED
Cars Broken Open While on Floats
Between This City and New
York-A Confession.
HOW THE GANG OPERATED

The particulars of the extensive and
systematic robbery of the Erie Railroad
Company were disclosed in Justice Potts
court this morning. Warren Deaken, a
deckhand, of No. 27 Seventh street;
Samuel Martia, a foatman, OF NO. IA
Ninth street: Allan Long, a foatman, of
No. % Hopkins avenue, and Clark Phil
lips, a deckhand, of No. 1877 Ninth street,
were all araigned on charges of grand
larceny, preferred against them by De-
tective John H. Brown, of the Erie Rail-
road. The same official charges LOUIS
Reiter, of the American Tailoring Com
pany of No. 1s3 Montgomery street, with
receiving stolen goods. The prisoners
are all held without bail for an examina-
ton next Monday morning.
More than a year ago shippers of dress
goods, ready made clothing, and general
merchandise began complaining to the
railroad officials that goods We're being
stolen regularly from cases consigned
more particularly to Western houses.
The robberies became SO extensive and
the loss began piling up so rapidly that
the railroad company put ali or It's cetec-
tives on the case. Just where the ROD
berries were being committed could not
be discovered. Detectives followed the
cars when loaded in New York to Jersey
City, and vice versa. The seals were
never reported broken and the roboerles
were soon involved in mystery.
JOHN BROWN TAKES UP THE CASE.
Detectives escorted trains to their des-
tinat.on in the West. but upon arrival
N the West caused astonish-
rnent by announcing that the cases con-
signed to them had been broken open
and valuable dress goods and other
was missing. The detectives
kept at work on the case, but nothing
definite was ever unearthed. one week
ago ex-F.re Superintendent John Brown
vas r-e-engaged by the Erie Railroad as
head detective. He was told by the COM
pany that the robber.es mad TO De
stopped, as shippers were oeco7nlns
alarmed, and were patron-zing other
roads. Detective Browns first move was
to appIy to Chief Murphy for assistance.
Doyle and Clark were put on
the case. It took them only a fe" Gays
to find out thai the robberies were COM
m:tted while the cars were In TRANSIT
on floats between this city and New
York. Suspicion fell upon the crew OF
tho transfer tugboat Buffalo, the captain
of which is Fillmore Deaken; Engineer
James Osmond; Fireman, William II
simmons: Warren Deaken and Allan
Long. deckhands. and Edward Mass
7oatman. - l oom
Mass is not now employed by the ON
Dany- Suspicion first fell upon the crew
If the Buffalo when 1t was found tnat
Deckhand Deaken had been seiling goous
of all kinds to the American Iai!ortHs
Company of which Max Is the
~ N n III
HOW 1T WAS DONE.
Il was learned in an indirect manner
that the thieves mad peen apG h,askine
open the cases in the cars. Ine uoatAndn
who was III the ring reported the Seais
2. k. not n DTekel' we're Sep 'n MADE Sa'1 up into
trains and sent west. Inc gooos meagg
stolen always at night and concealea
i'll various parts OF the tugpoat "a un dai
vised various nethods OIL carrying II on.
Sometimes sacks We're employea: RE,
quently Deaken strippea nim asaId a b;a
body and made his way OF the ooai
without detection. Such goods as coula
not be secreted safely or carried Oh
IS estimated that at least 5000 worth OF
goods were disposed of in this naanner:
On Wednesday last the whole crew OF
quarters before Chief Murphy, who was
with the men for several hours,
but nothing definite could be ascefsainea.
MED any connection with the robber!es
but chief Murphy frightened him by
telling him he had a cass against nm
night, Deaken broke down and made a
complete confession. What surprised
Chief Murphy most was the reckless
able silk dress goods, clothes, silk UNI
breilas and such stuff overheard.
Deaken furnished the police with the
robberies and CONSEQUENTLY the prisoners
were arraigned this morning were
It appears that the thieves operated
almost exclusively on west bound mer-
chaadise. BY doing that they threw sus-
picion off themselves and made it ap-
PEE PEER +r that the goads A MsTe I se1lsn a ehDih Is
under arrest. denied for three days
any connection with the robberies. When
searched at Police H~eadeuarters, how
heinler, Peorio, III, was found in his
possession. The tag had been torn from
the back of an overcoat. When ques-
Palisade avenue. A few moments af,
terward he contradicted himself and said
that he found It on Hopkins venue;
Buffalo, in a statement to Chief Muir
ply, says that six months ago Captaln
Deaken called the crew together in the
cabin and told them that he knew they
were robbing the cars. He warned them
to stop, and declared that he would re-
port every man implicated unless the
robberies ceased. Louis Reiter of the
American Tailoring Company ~testifies
hat he met Deckhand Deaken at a
shoe store on Washington street. He
Of Cloth with him which he offered to
sell at a ridiculously low price. He
bought It and upon an invitation from
Deaken went to the latter's house and
for the past six months has been buy
ing shoes, silks, cloth, c~yercoats, suits
Of clothes, umbrellas, ETC., from him at
never asked peaken whcso ne got the