The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-23
CHANGED TRUNK tags.
Detectives Arrest Two Men
for Robbing the United
States Express Com
pany.
"ED" HALL In TROUBLE AGAIN
He Is Believed to Have Planned
the Robbery and Lured
His Son Into 1t.
ED" HALL In TROUBLE AGAIN

detectives Dalton and Doyle, OF the
Headquarters staff, assisted by Detective
Alonde of New York, have arrested two
members Of an organized gang of robbers
and have unearthed a gigantic scheme to
swindle the United States Express Com
pany out of thousands of dollars worth Of
goods. They arraigned Harry Hall, of
No. 201 Railroad avenue before Justice
Potts in the First Criminal Court this
morning on the charge of grand larceny,
and Detective Dalton will arrive from
Whitehall, n. Y, this afternoon with Ed
Hall. father of Harry, who will be held on
the same charge. Justice Potts fixed bail
in Halls case at $500. The police have
been nearly three weeks in running down
the thieves, but they now believe that they
have evidence enough to not only convict
the principals who are already in custody.
but to send number of other persons to
States prison as well.
The theft for which the Halls have
been arrested was perpetrated on Decem-
ber g. On December two trunks were
received on the platform of the United
States Express Company at the Baltimore
and Ohio depot at Communipaw. They
were from Wilkesbarre, Pa, and COM
tanned silks valued at between 81, 400 and
$500. One of the trunks was consigned
to Hess, Goldsmith Co. of No. IA Greene
street, New York, and the other was for
Joullard & Co. of No. II Worth street,
New York. December being Sunday
the trunks could not be delivered until
the next day. In the course of a few days
the United States Express Company re-
ceived word from the consigners in
Wilkesbarre asking what had become of
the trunks as they had not reached their
destinations. The books of the company
showed that all of the trunks that had
been removed from the station on Decem-
Der were accounted for except two, which
had been delivered at No. 307 West Twen-
ty-second street to H. N. New. 1t was
found on inquiry at that address that
man representing himself to be Mr.. New
had rented a room there a week previous
to the arrival of the trunks and had left
couple of hours after receiving the
trunks. taking them with him
Colonel Byrne. special officer of the
United Express Company, called on Chief
of Police Murphy and told him that some
unknown person had changed the tags on
the trunks while they We're on the plat
form on Sunday and had substituted for
the original tags those bearing the name
of H. N. New. Detectives Dalton, Doyle
and Alonde were detailed to the case.
They went at once to the house in Twen-
ty-second street and got descriptions of
New and of a man who had called on him
just before the trunks were removed The
description of the man who had called tai
lied with that of Ed Hall, man well
known to Detectives Dalton and Doyle.
The detectives knew that Harry Hall,
Ed S SON. was employed as a driver by the
init n
quiring at the depot they found thar
young Hall had been around there on De-
cember 5, although he had no business
there.
The detectives shadowed Hall and his
son, and found that they had communi-
cation with well known fences in New
goods in this city and made a dicker for
the sale of the stolen silks. When the de-
tectives were satisfied that they had evil
dence enough to convict all concerned in
the robbery they secured warrants for the
arrest of the principals. Detective Doyle
arrested Harry Hill last night at the sta
street. Detective Dalton followed Ed
Hall to Whitehall, n. Y, where he ar
rested him. Ed Hall, alias Ed Barthole-
new is well known to the police. He is a
famous crook. Twenty-Five years ago he
had plenty of money and kept a fashy
establishment, restaurant and saloon CONF
bined opposite the old City Hall. 1t was
known as sThe Crystal and was the re-
sort of crooks, forgers, bank robbers and
thugs.
Hall was interested in the forging of the
Boston, Hartford and Erie bonds in 1873.
Over 100000 of these bonds were circulat-
ed, and they passed through the hands OF
brokers and experts for five months be-
fore the forgery was detected. Hall was
arrested in Montreal for counterfeiting
Canadian money Ten years ago he was
arrested in Reading for forging railroad
checks. He usually escaped conviction as
he never takes the part of layer down OF
forged checks.
Harry Half has never been arrested be-
fore. The police always considered him
as an honest young man. The fact that
the room was hired a week before the
theft leads the police to believe that the
whole business was planned by the elder
Hall.