The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-05-13
A Great day FOR CROOKS
Several Who Followed the Wild West
Show Were Run In.
DIX. O'BRIEN'S FIFTY DOLLARS
lie Was Relieved of II, and Several Other
Residents Are Losers-Six Fakirs
and Pickpocket Are Ar.
rested and Fined.

Buffalo Bills Wild West show
brought to Scranton an innumerable
army of pick-pockets and sneak
thieves, who operated with some sue
cess. Colonel Cody's aggregation Is
followed by small army of these
gentlemen, but in the employ of the
show Is a well-trained detective force,
at the head of which Is w. II. Hartley,
formerly OF the Pinkerton corps, who
| with his staff does much to protect the
| thousands of spectators from loss.
The picll-pockets do not ply their
| trade at the show grounds alone, but
work on street cars and railway trains,
and at depots and street corners, where
large crowds collect, waiting for trans
portation to the grounds.
DR.. j. Emmett OBrien, of Spruce
street was touched for $50; s. M.
Rhodes a prominent Elmhurst citizen,
lost $40, and C. l.. Mercereau, of Mer-
cereau & Connell, jewellers, lost his
pocket-book with good sum of money
in it. DR.. ii. c. Comegys, of the West
Side, was robbed of his pocket-book,
too, and could not state Just how much
money he had in it. A large number Of
smaller losses were reported.
IInd 10 Put Nippers on Him.
One DickDocket and six fakirs were
arrested. a fellow who gave his name
at the central police station as William
Murray, of Baltimore, age 81 years, and
occupation a peddler Is still at the
police station and was remanded for
further hearing. He is charged with
attempting. at the Delaware and Hud-
son depot, to remove from the pockets of
w. II. Freeman of the West Side, some
of his loose cash. Lieutenant John
Davis arrested him and Patrolman
Sloat took him to the police station.
On the way up he attempted to take
fall out of the officer but he failed
ignominiously and walked the rest Of
the journey with steel bracelets on his
wrists.
Mike Blewitt, a well-known man
about town, was arrested near the show
grounds on the charge of taking. When
the police took him in tow he exhibited
a license to sell jewelry one day for
which he paid dollar to City Treasurer
r. G.. Brooks. John Giegle, who is 4
fish huckster, and keeps a small stand
on West Lackawanna avenue, and Mos
cow Ryan, of Shanty Hill, were con-
cerned in the game with Blewitt and
were arrested. They had a tray of
cheap collar buttons. and by purchas-
ing one for 20 cents, the poor sucker be-
came entitled to q chance on some
valuable CD jeweIry Blewitt had in
another case. William M,athewson
from the farming country, bit three
times and then complained to the police.
Blcwitt Gets a Heavy Fine.
AT the hearing in police court yester-
day morning Blewitt was fined $50; he
paid $25 and on promising to pay the
other half as soon as he got out, he was
given his freedom. Giegle was fined
$25, which he paid, and when Moscow
Ryan was called he made long speech
to Alderman Millar and was dis
charged; he swore up and down that he
had not been identified with Blewitt,
that he was going, like a peaceable citi-
zen, to the show and stopped to watch
the suckers biting. 1t was so amusing
to him that he remained long in watch
ing, and was thus enjoying himself
when the police roped him in.
John Walsh, of Nanticoke, aged 90,
was arrested for being along with Peter
Boran, of the North End, and Daniel
McGroarty, of Wilkes-Barre, who were
running a chance game similar to a
nickle-in-the-slot machine. Walsh was
let go and Boram was fined $25 with the
privilege of changing it ITO thirty days
in the county Jail. McGroarty was
fined $50 They are still at police head
quarters.
Paddy" Gilbride, of the South Side,
whose name frequently appears on the
police docket, was arrested by Patrol
man Flaherty, who caught him in the
act of stealing artificial flowers from a
store on upper Lackawanna avenue.
Gilbrde was sent up for thirty days.
Renold Mcdonald was travelling
through Raymond court early Satur-
day morning like a roaring lion and
was taken in by Patrolman Meinzer.
He was committed for fifteen days.
Joseph Clapp got drunk Saturday
morning on the West Side and was
quarreling with his family. Patrolman
Saul locked him up and Clapp will be
behind the bars for the coming two
weeks. The man whom Special Officer
Griffiths found in an empty box car
on the West Side, sobered up and got
out of his delirium. He proved to be
harmless and was liberated upon his
promise to leave the city without delay