The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-03-10
WRONG MEN ACCUSED.
Complications That Have Been Caused
by the Burglarizing of Lukens'
Saloon on Capouse Avenue.

1t now develops, almost to certain
ty, that the three young men, Anthony
Kelly, John NJ. Ruddy and Michael f.
Ruddy, of Pine Brook, who are under
bail to answer at court the charge of
burglarizing John Lukens' bottling es-
tablishment on CapOuse avenue last
January, are wholly innocent of the
crime. Through the efforts of their
counsel, Quinnan & Donahue and the
aid of Detective win +. Clifford, the
crime has been fixed upon four other
youths of the neighborhood, three of
them having admitted it and one hav-
ing signed a written confession.
The real culDrts are Martin Nealon,
of Phelps street; Joseph O'Donnell, of
New street; Arthur Long, of Wyoming
avenue, and Joseph Mccain, of New
street.
The burglary was committed early
on the morning of January A. Lukens
was attracted by the noise of intruders
ana went down stairs in time to see them
running away. He thought he reCog-
niZed three of them as Kelly and the
two Ruddy boys and was so positive of
| his Identification that he swore un-
| eQuivocally before Alderman Millar
| that they We're the parties and 50 i'm
pressed the alderman with his assur
| anCe that the trio We're bound over for
| court.
The old adage there is honor even
| among thieves found an eXempMtica-
| ton in this case. Nealon, in "a saloon
| one night, made the statement before
a crowd that the Ruddy and Kelly were
| innocent of the crime and that he'd be
---- if he'd see them suffer in the
| wrong. He did not admit that he com
mitted the deed, but when the Ruddy
| boys, hearing of his statement, went
to him and begged him to set them
| right he consented to tell the true story
of the burglary providing they would
protect him and his companions as far
as they could.
This was agreed to and a meeting
was arranged at the Office Of Qunnan
& Donahoe in the Mears building.
Nealon. ODonnel and Mccain went
there and told in the presence of the
attorneys and the wrongly accused
young men who committed the burg
larry and all the details how it was
done A written confession was pre-
pared and Nealon on a later occasion
signed it. Long would have nothing
to do with the confession, but was I'M
|
The four real culprits arranged to set
tie the case with Lukens by paying fol
the stuff that was stolen but Long re-
fused to pay his share and as a conse-
qucnce the arrangement fell through
and Jail was staring them in the face
Long told them not to worry, that he
had been in tighter holes often before
and got out all right and would do g
again in this case The failure to eff
feet a settlement and Longs cOunSe
evidently made the other three sorry
they had confessed and as they WOulc
they expected have to go before court
and testify to their admissions they de
Cided to skip out. AT least the young
men who We're bearing the burden Ol
others crimes heard the quartette wa.
about to skip and yesterday had war
rants issued for them.
They We're arrested by Detective Cliff
ford and brought to Alderman Millar':
office where they We're questioned a.
to the character of the evidence tina
could be expected from them and thel
bound over as witnesses, each being re
quired to furnish $500 bail.
Much to the chagrin of Attorney
Quinnan and DOnahOe the quartett
either denied totally or admitted will
, ! extreme qualifications the confession
they had made Nealon could not g
! back on his signature but when tina
} was Haunted before him he said he onl.
did it at the attorneys solicitation t.
get the other fellows out of trouble an,
> that there was no truth in the Writtel
f statement at all. Mccain, however
. weakened before the hearing was owe
!. and said he was ready to reiterate wha
r he had previously confessed.
Lukens, the prosecutor in the origina