Bridgeton pioneer., 1897-06-17
IMPORTANT ARRESTS.
Constable Lore in Arresting the Wirchoslxy' g
Unravels an Important Mystery
in Crime.


Unravels an Important Mystery
in Crime.
The arrests of the Wirschesky's and
Barney Levin by Detective Lore at Car
mel last Saturday night, and the subse-
quent confession of one of their gang is,
perhaps, one the most clever pieces of
work on the criminal calendar of Cum
berland county.
The Wirscheskys, William and Sam
uel, brothers, have very dark record
and according to the confession of one of
their gang, are criminals of the worst
character. For years they. in connec-
ZION with others of their gang, have been
carrying on wholesale robbing of stores,
houses, etc., the greatest business in their
line being horse stealing.
So great an extent had this thieving
been going on that the authorities of
Cumberland, Salem and Gloucester
counties, where most OF this work was
done on gigantic scale, got together and
hired Pinkerton detective to ferret out
II possible, the perpetrators, the price be-
ing paid him was 1915. He worked on
the case without getting on to any clue
and gave up the job. Detective Lore was
put on the case and soon got clue.
1t was about this time that one Adolph
Honn, of Baltimore with man named
Davis was arrested near Belair, Md, and
sent to Jail on the charge of receiving
stolen goods. Honn's house on High
land avenue, Baltimore, was searched
and goods to the amount of $1,000 were
found there. Many of these goods were
afterwards identified as goods stolen from
this county and also from Wentzell's
store at Elmer. Davis, Honn's partner.
escaped Jail, but Honn was tried, con-
victed and given fifteen years in the peni-
tentiary.
Prosecutor Logue and detective Lore
thought Honn knew great deal about
the robberies which had been committed
on this side of the Delaware and they
started in on the case. Lore, who was
acquainted with Chief of Police, Davis of
Baltimore, went to him to help on the
case. What Messrs. Logue and Lore
wanted was canfession from Honn. A
Mr.. Wisiacre, of Baltimore, was Honn,s
lawyer. To him Chief Davis went in
company with the men from this city and
told Wisiacre he wanted Honn to confess
to them. After some persuasion, Wisiacre
wrote letter in Hebrew to Honn, and
Prosecutor Logue and detective Lore
went to the penitentiary to see him.
Honn had seen Lore before, and when he
entered he recognized him and told him
TO sit down on the bed. He read the
letter, and then in the presence of Messrs
Logue and Lore he unfolded tale, if
true, will send gang of horse thieves
and robbers to State Prison for long
terms. Honn said there were an organ
lzed gang, having sixteen members, of
which Sam Werchesky was its president.
The members were located in Cumber-
land county, Atlantic County, Thurlow,
Pa, Baltimore and other places.
Honn then went on and confessed that
ne knew about the entire business. He
told the two officials the names of the
gang who stole Joel Garrison,s horse,
also Jacob Hepner's horse and wagon.
Also who robbed Wentzelps store at
Elmer, when several hundred dollars
worth OF goods were carted away, and
said the team that carted them off was
driven down from Philadelphia, and the
goods taken there. There We're five of
them in this robbery. He told the per-
sens who took Smiths horses at Fairton
ana also the ones who robbed the Porch
Brothers store in Gloucester county,
when big haul was made. He said it
was members of the gang who broke
into the Fox house, just above here, and
robbed and beat the two maiden sisters.
He named the men who robbed the sta
tlons at Broadway and Rosenhayn, and
Joseph Josephs store in Rosenhayn.
Ihls store, he said, was robbed by Sam
and Blll'Wirschesky, because he had i'm
suited their cousin. Honn said that on
May IL, 1896, there was big case of
goods shipped from Finley Station, on
the w. d s. r. R. This proved to be
SO, for Mr.. Lore has since learned that
the goods were shipped from this station
on that date. These goods were stolen
from Joe Josephs store. Lore also
learned that there had been trouble be-
tween Josephs and the Wirscheskys,
just as stated by Honn. Honn said that
when he was arrested all the gang prom.
ised to stay by him and help him out,
but had failed to do so; this made him
angry and he felt free to tell all he knew
about them.
Honn said the mode of their operation
was to steal horses in Cumberland Co.,
which were shipped by the gang here
across the river down into Maryland,
where they were disposed Of. Horses
stolen in Maryland and Delaware would
be shipped over here and disposed of.
They would sell horse to man, get all
the cash they could and take note for the
balance. In the meantime if possible
some Of the gang would poison the