New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-21
HILLEN,S CASE REOPENED'
HIS FRIENDS SAY HE IS THE VICTIM OF
INJUSTICE.
.,.,.e, ,,,r SAID TO HAVE BEEN RAIL-
RoADED TO THE ELMIRA REFoRMAi'"i
nv DErECTIVE Marks

pOADED TO THE ELMIRA REfoH""'
ny DETECTIVE MARKS
?. ~, oo,tept,on Of the friends OF Edwaru nm.
be borne out, he the victim OF a eioss Noon an
of Justice Since November. 1884, ne has ,yarch "a
inmate of the Elmira Reformatory anu VI %..,a ha
last Judge Hurd ordered that new "'" ,rs
held upon his case. Hilien is twen.y-se sa. Iohn
ia a macbinist who worked for his rather, jim, ~,
Hllen a manufacturer Of gas meters q. ~ aoo
Baltic-st with shop across the SUE crond
John Hillen is a prominent memper Vi nv como
,r,, ard after the Civil War served Ior '''"e
years in the regular army. ...o,, .nd
Young Hen was fond OF socai aihuse e".n,.,ar
an ,ba eveninp of the first Sunday Oh Septe"oe.,
,sa. he was present at party heio d. ~.
Rrldge-st Next door, at No. 1's, lived MI 49,
In the latter house there was also pay " Co.,,
kind There was no dividing fence petwee" '
houses and some time in the evening i'e'
companed by a young man named heNS ""N IT..
other named Mcbride, went into the yaru' A
door and windows OF Morriss apartments were op'
and IL appears that Mcbride went III anu ~
out some plated ware and put IL ny VI. -,
throwing his coat over the articles Inc 49,
children raised outcry and the three 'o.'o -
ran away The police were called In. the shVet"aie
found and also McBride's coat in when was d 60
tho, identified him as one Of the men. All tniee
,,ora arrssted. IIllen was baed out ana iate' vi,
with Mcbride. was tried ana con''c'eu "
larceny and burglary before the late Juuse 'A
No proper defence had been mace as INC 'Oe
man assured his father that he could not De con
vcted having nothing to do with the case
nr,nc,naI witness was a Miss Morris. who hVed III
the next house but Is relative to the compiah"''
Frank Morris. She testified that she Sd" :" "a "
his shirt sleeves and bare head at the sidepoaiu' ~"
did not see his face She was brought 10 the -'uaA
Ct station to identify Hlen but could not 90 SO, al
,bouqh II is said Detective Marks made every eio'.
to induce to. and finally she said sne ,ue'.'i'e
him Kelly was acquitted; Mcbride ana h'iieh "e'e
sent to the Elmira Reformatory
About year ago an application for new triai
WAS argued before Judge Moore, VINO was '"en
sick man No action was taken and the matter
with many others. hung on until last IAN APp'.'"
ton after application was made through berhafu D.
York who was then chief clerk Of the Court OF Ses-
sions II was only when the election loomed up '"a'
he even condescended to speak 10 MT. Hiiieh "oo'
the case although x-District-Attorhey aS'
under the circumstances, favored d new trial Judge
Moore apparently could not be moved from ms
apathy; the election came and went, carrying Win
{, The defeat OF Mr. York for County Judge II was
then that he made the astounding statement tha'
new trial could not be granted
In the mean time Mcbride had died in Elmira last
Iu,v Much was said and written about his death
His friends had heard that he was doing well. ana
then with startling abrup;ness learned that he was
dead and received an inquiry TO the disposition
DespaIr.rg OF any action in the courts, application
was mate to Governor Morton for "a PARDON, ~
which application ex-District- AttOrney Ridsway
conquered TIE stolen silverware had been pur-
chased from the firm Of Webster * o.. Oh u.oii
- ana Frederick III. Webster made an aiiutsi.
stating the value OF the goods at the tlfne tne!
were stOl m allowance beinS MADE Tor uetefiorauoi
. caused by wear and tear. Most OF the art!ces
were plated and after reciting his knowledge OF tne
value OF the articles his estimate Oh their tnen
present value was only SO 81. less than the sum
OF the value OF goods stolen that Is required ~
constitute "A case Of grand larceny. based on .his
afildavit l.. j. Reilly went before Judge huru
and applied reopen the case; NO serious, %
lection was raised on behalf OF the Disu'ct-At
torney and the motion was granted 49, -.
Young Iiillen will probably be brought Gown irplh
Emlra on Monday. but his counsel does not pc
Iieve that he Will ever IT, called upon to plead as
mira His friends do not hesitate TO say thai
Detective Marks raroaded him to prison. ana USE
his influence with Miss Morris for that purpose
Marks died last fall. He appointed on the
police May y, 1885 anu is said to nave player tne
shrewdest trick on the Democratic leaders ana the
Police Department ever known In this city
Through much fighting and solicitation ne sus,
c.eded In getting from some OF the men theh IN
mower n promise to be made a detective when the
first vacancy offered. There was none theh, ana
he would create a vacancy for himself ana ne alo
30 He went 10 detective VINO wahtel to 81
out and said: Look here, you want TO guy; senu
in your resignation and viii pay you sL"U "a
h,rJ ash" After some dckering. $500 was paIi
down and placed in tho hands OF mutual lrienu
as A forfeit The day the resignation MAS
sent in and when acted upon the caance OF soc'
WIS paid by Marks. Then he tackled the Demo,
crate managers and much to their disgrst sno% ,S
them that there was vacancy ana cla'ine1 ''e
They never intended to fulfil the promise, but the
vacancy was there and they did not see their way
on, OF tho difficulty, and so Marks VAS MADE dc,
tective lie caught cold in the railroad strike ana