The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-18
EMINENT CROOKS.
Two Distinguished Cracks
men Safely Landed
in Jail.
HOW THE SAFE WAS OPENED
Adams Explains a Boston Mystery
and Tells How he and Stew
}ens Did the Job.

NEW YORK, Feb. IS, 1885, Detectives
Taylor and Pepperted of the West Thirty
seventh street station. after a thorough
investigation, had facts in their posses
sion this morning which lead them to be-
leve that they now have in custody two
of the most dangerous bank burglars in
the country.
They are now trying to find out if the
two prisoners had come to this city TO
organize gang of bank burglars with
an improved method for safe blowing
The men in custody of the detectives
gave their names as William f. Mason.
eighteen years old. and Thomas Stevens,
forty years old.
When arrested in Stevens room was
found some per cent railroad bonds
unsigned and $500 in cash.
Mason is regarded as one of the most
clever criminals that has ever come to
this town. He comes from the South.
He is well educated, and evidently has
been used to refined surroundings.
He is a chemist and has found new
way to crack the most thoroughly burg
lar proof safe. The detectives do not
think that he has ever served time in
any prison.
Stevens is man weighing probably
go pounds has powerful muscles, and is
of fine physique. He is supposed to have
furnished the experience for the pair.
A third man at least has been connect,
ed with the case. He was an old-time
bank burglar of the name of L. w.
Moore.
Mason and Stevens had lived at No. 81
East Twelfth street. Mason was arrested
while trying to procure a half-pound of
nitro-glycerine al a druggists. He was
heavily armed. Stevens was arrested at
his room while in bed. He had a revol-
ver and a dirk under his pillow.
Mason and Stevens We're taken before
Chez O Brien by DETECTIVE Taylor this
morning, and there Mason MADE full
cOalcSSiOn-
10 begin with. Mason told o'Brien that
his Eea. name was asedans, and that his
street, boston, and prominent citizen
c. the Hd5- lie said that Tor two years
he mad wortsea IN safe manufacturing
establishment ana While there had made
a study OF safe-Dlowiilg- He got hold OF
a noos on safe-blowlng, written by L.
w Moore. He experimental some and
deciatu That ne rad the greatest method
ever khcwE for D.ewing safes. 1t was
by rne use OF nitro-glycerine and otner
1he only trouble, ne said was in regu-
laisng the explosion SO as not to blow
W The buildias wnen the work was being
I Gur1e.
assans. 10 call hin, by nis real name,
hsin.ed l13 A1ora--wto. by the way, IS
old Bill Vosblrss son-ln-law-and Moore
seasme that lie agreed 70 help him to
start on his career eff crime. He intro
dtsced h.m to Stevens.
Moore then went 10 New Orleans and
made plans to rob national bank in
that city Then he sent for Adams ana
Stevens. They needed $500 to get TO New
Orleans. Tney decided to crack safe
near Boston 20 raise cash. Tney tried TO
crack safe in Newtonville. suburb
CT Boston and were unsuccessful. This
was in the otfice of the Cooperative
Bank.
On February they journeyed to the
same town to try Adams improved meth
&C on the safe of the Metropolitan Lie
Insurance Company; They bored holes
in the safe and Adams sprinkled mis-
There was terrific explosion. The par
titions in the Office were blown to pieces,
part Of the front Of the building was > de-
destroyed. The safe was completely
wrecked.
Adams says that the explosion was
surrounded the buildings. The two bur-
glars grabbed s77o from the ruins of the
s@-Is and made their escape by way OF
the roof. They came to this city to get
nIro-glycerine and do job or two on
their way to New Orleans.
All OF the facts in the Boston suburb
robbery were verified by Chief of Police
this morning when Adams told his story.
ir esciaiEing about the bonds, Adams
: said that he had bought them at the rate
cf two for five cents from peddler. He
that they had never been signed.
The detectives are satisfied that the men
know nothing about the bennett robbery;
Stevens refused to talk. Both men will
hn tai