The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-10-24
RANK FORGERY.
Erie Detective Vickers
Changes the Names in a
Warrant to Make
an Arrest.
The PRISONER DISCHARGED
Chief Witness Against Flynn
Gould Not Swear to His
IDENTIFY Detective
Scored.
THE PRISONER DISCHARGED

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by Police Justice Potts, in the First
Criminal Court this morning. It may re-
| suit in the crimina prosecution Of one Of
the detectives for false imprisonment.
With no regard for the sacred right Of
every American citizen to fife, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness" Patrick
vickers, of the Erie Railroad, deliberate
Iy took a warrant which had been issued
for one young man and inserted the names
of two other men. He also arrested a boy
without any warrant whatever, simply
because he suspected him Of having beea
guilty of a crime against the property OF
the Erie Railroad Company. The trick
was discovered by Police Justice Potts.
The prisoners were:-Robert Flynn, 10
wears old of No. 22 Pavonia avenue;
Henry Farley, 16 years old, of No 2SS
Thirteenth street, and Patrick Mack, lS
years old, of No. 152 First street. They
were charged with stealing milk from
Erie Railroad cars. Mack was arrested
without any warrant. The warrant on
which Flynn and Farley were arrested
was handed to Police Justice Potts. On
opening it he exhibited great surprise,
and turning to vickers asked
sWho altered this warrant"
II did, replied Vickers. st was issued
on the wrong man. | knew it was a one
armed fellow i wanted. but | gave you
The name of the wrong one. l changed +
when l found out the name Of the risht
man.
Flynn is the "one-armed fellow who
was arrested. He was taken on Satur-
day night in front of his nome. His faith
er protested against the arrest at the
time, and said that If his son was wanted
in Court he would produce him at any
time. In spite of that he was taken to
the Seventh street station, and was only
released when he secured a bondsman.
Lawyer Donelan represented him in Court
this morning. When Donelan learned
that the warrant on which his client had
been arrested was a false one he was
highly indignant and moved for the inl-
mediate discharge of Flynn. The faith
er of the prisoner ~interposed and said
DON'T sind on technicalitfes. Let the
boy stand trial and prove his innocence. :
Flynn was tried. Vickers said he had
arrested him on the evidence of a young
New York yagabond named Edward Shaw
whom he had caught in the railroad yard.
Shaw told him that if he would not prose-
cute him he would tell who robbed the
milk trains. vickers promised, and Shaw
told him it was a one-armed fellow.
On that information Vickers arrested
Flynn. inserting his name in a warrant
for two other men, in order to back up
his case.
The warrant on which Flynn was ar
rested was enough to excite the curiosity
of any person into whose hands it fell.
In Clerk Higgins handwriting were the
names of John Farrell and Edward
Burke. Those were the two men who
were complained of by viczers. John
Farrell had been scratched out with
ink. Above it was written Henry Far
ley. The Henry" was written in black
pencil, and the Farley in ink. Ed
ward Burke was untouched. Above it
was inserted Robert Flynn"
After Vickers told how he came to ar
rest Flynn his informant, the young
vagabond testified. He said he was steal
ing a ride to Kingston on a West Shore
Railroad train. Near the tunnel where
the Erie Railroad milk trains side track
to let an express pass, he jumped off
the train. AS he did so a crowd of young
men jumped up out of the long grass and
d one armed fellow hourished a knife in
his face. 1t was very dark at the time.
Would you swear that the prisoner
was the one armed boy who hourished the
knife?'' asked Police Justice Potts.
mo sir replied the witness, but the
fellow / saw had one arm just like aim"
There being no evidence against Flynn.
he was discharged. Police Justice Potts
severely ensured Vickers for the part he
took in the outrage upon the right of
Flynn.
ITO have a mans liberty taken from
him arbitrarily without proper warrant
is a clear and gross violation of the law.
The rights OF citizens must be protected.
If a man does what is wrong it is proper
that a warrant should be issued for his
warrant or to change a warran issuted for
another person is an outrage that viii not
be tolerated by the Court
He discharged Mack, who was arrested
without any warrant, saying, Il Will not
assist in any Illegal arrest
Ks The case of Henry Farley was next TAX
en- up. He was arrested on the same
warrant that was used in the Flynn case.
of John Farrell. Vickers said he arrested
him on Information received from Special
Officer Patrick DWyer of the Erie Rail
road. Dwyer testified that he was sent
been active for over a week. He came
in on a milk train from Paterson. Beyond
the County Road several tramps got OIL
the platform between the first and the
second car. He was on the next platform
a car length from them. When the train
stopped IN a side track the men jumped
off. He recognized one of them as Far
ley. He was sure of his Identification,
although 1t was ten O'Clock at night when
the incident happened, and he was sixty
feet distant from the milk thieves. Far
ley gave positive proof that he went to
bed between eight and nine O'Clock every
night last week. He works in Lorillard's
tobacco factory, and Is so tired when
he gets home that ne can scarcely eat
his supper. He was discharged.
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