The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-20
THREE Thieves CAUGHT
The Real Robbers Of Coal
Dealer LaWrence's Safe
Neatly Trapped.
INNOCENT EMPLOYEES CLEARED
One Of the Thieves a Tough Ter
ror of Thirteen Who Tries
TO Fire The County
Jail.
INNOCENT EMPLOYEES CLEARED

G. w. Lawrence the coal dealer. Of NO.
2S7 Fafrmount avenue. had his Office en-
tered by thieves on July TO- who stole
large wallet containing as he claims.
500 in cash and a number Of notes and
checks. Mr. Lawrence reported the
theft to Captain Cox OF the Montgomery
street police station. After the captain
and Detective Larksns had made an in-
vestigatson CT the premises they cams
to the conclusion that the coal dealer had
been robbed BY some enc in his employ
Mr.. Lawrence was called into consnlta-
ton and then 1t was decided to arrest
9 couple OF the employees, Who were
about the premises at the time the wal
let was stolen. The men arrested were
James Herbert sof No. es4 Communipaw
avenue and James Leonard Of No. 3sS
West Side avenue. The men protested
against being arrested and asserted their
Innocence, but nothing they said would
convince the police or the coal dealer
that they were innocent.
Both Leonard and Herbert were placed
| under heavy bail upon the charge Of
grand larceny to await the action Of
the Grand Jury
On July Is Mr. LawFenee received a
/ signed A. B. G. 1t instructed H:m TO put
a personal in some New York paper stat
/ Ing how much ne would give for the re-
| turn OF the notes and checks stolen from
his Office. He took the letter to Captain
Cox who IN turn submitted II to Chief
Murphy The Grief advised Mr.. Law
renee to insert tsse personal in the paper
as directed and theh notify the police as
| soon as he received an answer
The personal was inserted and the coal
/ dealer received another letter, this time
from New York. but stiF signed A. b. c..
It asked him to publish in the paper that
| he would pay 800 for the return OF the
papers. 5fr. Lawrence did so and on
Saturday he received a call from a young
boy, who told him that if he wog;la send
some one with him with the $40 the
bearer would return with the papers
| which were stolen. Mr. Lawrence told
the youth that he did not have the 500
IN cash just at that moment. blst Il he
would return in a half hour he would be
able to comply with his demands. The
boy sad ''ail right in a gefltsemanly
manner and left the store
As soon as he was out Of sight Mr..
Lawrence ran around 10 the station
house and netiied Captain COX The
captain and petective Larkin accom-
paHsed hsrn back 70 the store and waited
around until the boy put in an appear
ance. They did not have long to wait
1 fcr5 preciseiy<at the end Of the half hour
! the youth returned Mr. Lawrence told
him that the gentleman standing Ia the
doorway 6poinEing 70 Detecuves Larkins}
had the money and would 90 with him
AgsAh me poy answered an right. sir.
as ne stepped UP to the detective and told
him TO follow MIN
Larkins followed close behind the boy,
! who took him over to the corner of Ber-
r FSirnd0rrff urne f4za
spoke TO two men. The men looked at the
detective. and thinking him all right ad-
yanced toward him: As they did SO Cap
| tain Cox crossed the street and arrived
by Larkins' side Just as the men were
! about TO speak to him. Before they could
| say a word the captain laid a heavy hand
on shoulder of each, while Larkins
grabbed the boy and also one of the men.
Il guess you three had better come with
US said the captain. The fellows were
taken by surprise, but did not attempt 70
Precinct Police Station and booked They
said they were Charles Kann, IL years
| old, Of No. 702 Hartford avenue Balti-
more; William Smith, q years old, Of NO.
l25 Newark avenue, this city. and Elmer
Brown, 45years old, Of No. 10 Vogle street.
Newark
Ezadquariers where Detective Pearson
recognized Brown as a man who had been
4 arrested a few years ago for burglary.
4 Chief Murphy found his picture IN the
narne william Morgan. He was sent to
State Prison in 1881 TOR lodr znd n;1sI
ye9rs. The description 81 fhe man on me
badks OF the picture stated tnat the name
katie was tatooed ON his arm. The
Il prisoners arm was barred and the name
was found.
sion. He said shat he and Smith were pass
| ing I1awrencess office on July 10 ard saw
II was vacant. They went in and finding
the safe open picked up the pocketpook
er aiming the money and paDerS.
Chief Murphy telegraphed to the Balti-
more police and learned that the boy
ISann is known there az clever young
thief They said. however. that he was
sixteen years Old aad not thirteen. Smith
IS unknown and his record will De inves-
tigated
rSsd thae he knew, the men or had any
49, to do with the robbery. He said
mat they picked him up and asked him
TO DO an errar'd fer them, whisp con-
: sisted in getting Mr. Lawrence to hand
up the SEQ. He was reticent and refused
! 10 say anything at all until after Brown
had eoufessed-
Tse prisoners We're arradgned before
/ | Judge Douglass in the Oakland avenue
police eofils this morning and held ur-
der 81 500 bail each to appear for trial.
W7lsn asked what they had to say tor
} themselves the men said, Nothing. Tne
boy however. wanted to know wat was
: de use anyhow cb sayan' anyt-ins- 4
ssfley. sssuablers ne shouted out at the
| reporters. just you guys stick in Your
papers DAT were faa.irs, and d;s court
When Mr.. Lawrence was on the stand
4 testffyi1lg to the contents of the stolen
was1sst, in which he said there was $l1o
: Ia cash. the boy tsasrupeed him sy say
Sect out. azee was only $50 In the pcck-
et-boo} ard you know 1t. pere WAS q
Z ten doilar bin and some ones and twos
and not a cent more Say, / might be .
y