The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-17
A SAFE-BLOWING OUTFIT
POLICE CAPTURE TWO MEN AND A
FINE SET OF BURGLARS TOOLS.
Daniel III. Hurley and William Will
son, Supposed to BE Chicago Talent,
Now Under Arrest.

The detectives yesterday accomplished a
piece of work by which a. lot of burglar
tools and two men were captured. The
tools are the finest ever seen in Indian
apolis ard the men are supposed to be a
pair of the best talent ever turned out from
Chicago. They gave the names of Daniel
III. Hurley and William Wilson. The first
man evidently gave his right name. as
papers found in his pocket show that the
owner of the papers is Daniel III. Hurley, of
Summit. a suburb of Chicago. He is a
large heavy set man with reddish hair and
mustache and speaks with a slightly Irish
accent. Wilson is short and slender and
has a thin. short, black mustache.
The tools captured consist of all manner
of devices for entering buildings and also
for opening safes. They were found in a
valise in the room on South Capitol avenue
occupied by Hurley and Wilson. There are
four revolvers, one of which is a large
forty-five caliber Colts pistol. There is d
fine steel brace and a complete set of drills
and taps to be used with it; keys of all
kinds, including several well-made skeleton
keys, and a number of large keys such as
are used in large doors of stores; an in
strument used for. throwing the tumbles of
combination locks after the combination
has been knocked off; a package of powder,
a coil of fuse and a lot of caps; a pair of
outsiders" used for turning "a key in "a
door from the outside; fine steel barrel
saws and frame. There are also in the kit
a number Of pieces Of steel which might
be used for making any of the tools needed.
There is also a pair of heavy wooden socks,
which were probably Intended to be worn
over shoes to prevent noise. The police
pronounce the kit the finest ever seen in
Indianapolis.
A tip was received from the keeper of
Suspicion was aroused when the heavy
valise appeared. There were three men in
the gang. Two of them had been lodging
at the house for over a week and there was
nothing particularly suspicious about their
conduct, except their late hours. Monday
morning, however. the third man. Hurley,
arrived at the house and brought the valise
with him. II is a small brown leather
valise, of good quality and almost new. Its
weight aroused suspicion and the police
were notified. When the contents of the
valise were known yesterday afternoon
Captain Splan and Detectives Wilson and
McGuff set out to find the men. S They
wanted TO get the InTec lOSelneT- Al ID
o'clock they saw two of them standing in
front OF the saloon at the corner of Mary
land and Illinois and walked over toward
them. A fellow with whom Hurley was
talking called Splan by name, and then 1t
became necessary TO arrest the two and
take chances of getting the other.
IL is the theory of the police that two of
the men came here and have been doing
some of the stealing which has been going
on during the last week. In the course of
time the spotted" a place where they
thought a safe could be blown and notified
Hurley to come down from Chicago with
tools for the work. Hurley arrived Mon
day morning and the job might probably
have been done last night, the police think.
had not the men been arrested.
Hurley claims that he does not know
rived in the city Monday morning and just
happened to drop into -Agnew's saloon.
where he met Wilson. He denies having
STAYED at the South Capitol-avenue house
and says he slept Monday night with James
O'Brien. a mar who hangs about the saloon
a good part of the time. He says he has
been i'm the saloon business at Summit I'M
I'll a short time ago when he sold out. His
wife. he says. still lives I'm Summit. Wilson
denies everything and refuses to talk. The
police believe the men are safe blowers
and that they ave records in other cities.
Photographs of the men Will be made to-
day and sent to all the large cities i'm the
hope of finding some place where they can
he convicted of "a more serious charge than
that against them here. They are charged
at the police station will lettering and hav-
ing burglar tools in their possession.