New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-13
FOUR BURGLARS CAUGHT.
ONE SAID TO BE THREE TIMES A MOI.
DERER.


LAWYER AND BANKER SUPPOSED TO BIZ
HIS vrcTIMs-BoAsrEp HE WOULD
NOT BIZ TAKEN ALIVE.
can,sn MccIusky. chief Of the Detective Bureau.
has under arrest 1T Police Headquarters William
Mason. alias big Bill" whom he describes a. one
of In. most dcsperhtc criminals In the country
and who IL wanted 10y the P'.iitcrllna police for
the murder Of Major William c. Wilson. an Oh
bookseller and art dealer. who was found muf.
der., In his store at No LIZ WsInut-st.. IN t,,t
city IN August. last year. According 70 Captain
Ncf.,usky the police all over the country hays
been irving 10 arrest Mason. out he has MANAGED
TO evsdc capture ell this time. and number ~
;h4r crimes hive been committed By him since
he murdered MAJ or Wilson. He boasted that hs
never would be taken alive. and when arrested By
McCiusky's men he and one 81 his pals' tr!N1
10 snoo: tho detectives who seized t;en. They
wore taken into custody sitter q hard fight IN
which Mason's connpa Mon was knocked irsensbls
by blow from tho pistol Of the detective whs
had frustrated his attempt 10 shoot.
With Mason there were arrested three o'he'
criminals They are George. alias Red" Spencer
Thomas Reilly and Jim" Corey. All hands are
locked Up at Headqusrters. All are wanted by the
police Of one city or another. Mason most OF an.
He was found at Camden, y. j., last February.
and two Philadelphia detectives were sent 70 ar
rest him They found him In saloon and thefs
was fierce ight. in which Big BIZ" held up tbs
two Philadelphia policemen. took their pistols away
from them and escaped.
TRACED by McLrSKY's MEN
McClusky's men have also been keeping their
ewes open 10, Mason. They learned recently that
! he came TO New-York after the murder. and was
soon Joined bv CoYey the two going West. A short
time ago Coffey returned to NewYork and opened
a saoon in Cherry-st.. near Pearl-s'. Mccusky de-
tailed Detectives Fogsrty and Strip to keep COT.
fey under surveillance. as the Captain had an idea
that Mason would visit him.
ION Monday night Fogarty and Strip followed
Corey away from his saloon and him Join
Red" Spence, who Is ex-convct just out Of
prison The pair went to Forty-second-st. and
| Eleventh-ave where they were Joined by Mason
and Reilly.
The two detectives. seeing that they would have
four desperate handle. sent for Policemen
Mucare and Lesson. who are on duty at the Forty
| second-st ferry. When they arrived the police
dashed IN and told the four they under
arrest A fierce fight followed. in which Mason and
Spencer whipped out REVIEWERS and attempted 10
shoot their captors
| Mason had been seized by Detective Fogarty. lie
Immediately drew his revolver and pulled the tris
ger ia Fosartys face. Fogarty was quick. how.
and grasped the revolver with his right hand
| The trigger fell his finger. and this undoubtedly
saved him from being shot.
Detective Strip had taken hold OF Spencer who
also attempted TO shoot. but Strip had drawn
his own revolver. and with wel-directed blow
from tho butt u the weapon he knocked Spencer
nsensibe AT his feet. Strip then went 10 the
assistance Of Fogarty. who was struggling with
Mason. The latter was trying hard 10 discharge
his revolver. but Strip smashed him In the face
| with his own pistol and compelled him 70 drop his
! wea pom and submit TO arrest
ALL HEAVILY ARMED.
Policemen Lesson AMI Mulcare had less trouble
| In arresting Reilly and Coffey. who resisted to
| some extent but gave In when they found them.
| selves overpowered. Each had loaded revolver
in his pocket They disarmed and hand
cuffed Mason and Spencer also handcu6ed
the spot and the detectives. TO guard against
any further attack from the men. searched them
biz enough to blow on sRe side Of sos..
sad four r ste sn Coy sad , Rae
drills and the finger Of 2 kid glove when y 10
The arrests were made at about O'Clock, and the
| struggle between the police and the four cr'nnsis
caused lot OF excitemen. in the neghoorhood Ias
four men were taken to Police Headquarters, wns,.
| a surgeon had to be summoned 10 dress Mason
and Spencer's wounds. Mason described himself a.
carrage-maker and refused to give MS adare ,
Red" Spencer said he was a cabnet-make!. netny
and said he lived in East Fortieth.st, and Coley
|
that the four men were on their way across ~! me
Weehawken Ferry to commit some crime on TN, nns
great credit for making the arrests. The four men
| he says. are undoubtedly four OF the worst cr'm'
tectves took their lives in their hands in arrestns
| them.
! MASON's BLACK RECORD.
| Mason has long and black record WIN
Jack" Frey. "Reddy the Gloucester" and tvo
other crooks" he was sentenced to seven yea"
Imprisonment In the Michigan City Prison, IN Ind
haae but sruHs ous f4r eSFssskx
Incarceration and went to philadelphia WHERE I, q
sssSsa S ssyf n snsss nh
1900 gold watch and diamond ooRes Snc t dlns
trie Company. q ssheneetady and pr0m nss,r
nils IN his bedroom at his home al sehsnsctady
December last year from The sn su hss seS
os S has ss svs oersd cr , s9sn e
Ten days. after Mr. Blodgetts murder man
Hs'f IN and
to sell slverware which answered the dessrpSSSs s
man asked the dealer ito do the business on the
quiet" The dealer however. told the police, an, ~.
s cam mar Be- d$ NIT % sspaTR
has also been suspsstsd Of the murder Of :, w pros
dence r. l.. who was shot dead on March OF
this year by burglar ransaSkins tho house s I, n.
| robbery of several houses at Newburg y. T.. hss
year. He was seen In the town with man na me-
| Ray. who lives at Newburg and who was eue'
sequently arrested for receiving stolen goods
BEST CAPTURE IN YEARS.
The other men have records not so bad. Req
Spencer Is a second-story burglar. who has served
several terms In Sing Sing. Corey IS also q cure'
lar and has been three times In Sing Sing Re'Iy
| Is a burglar and second-story maHNwho has serves
| time at Sing Sing and at Elmira. ,.
Speaking OF the capture Of the four criminal
Captain McClusky said yesterday: This IL the o.
arrest ever made in this ONCE. Mason 10 the me-.
desperate crook In this country to-day. ne ~
evaded arrest all over the country. and has ooas'
| that he would never be taken alive" . ..
I The four arraigncd In the CentIe-sh