The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-24
Green GOODS Men
Chief Murphy Believes He
Has Caught the Head
Of the Gang.
DISCOVERED BY ACCIDENT
Then Police Went To Work
and Found Him in
Newark.

Chief of Police Murphy BELIEVES that
he has at last dun down the leader of
the green goods gang which has been
| operating extensively in Jersey City, New
| York City and Brooklyn for nearly a year
to the knowledge ofg the police, but which
has until now successfully eluded the
police.
Last night detectives arrested a man,
| who registers as David Griffin, of No. 12
| Hamilton street, Trenton. He answers in
| every detail the description of the man
who was known to the come ons' last
fall as E. f. Garland, and who made his
| headquarters in the Pennsylvania House,
| Montgomery and Green street, using the
Western Union Telegraph office in Jersey
City in communicating with his victims.
The manager of the Western Unon Com
pany is under and indictment for trans
hitting Garland'S messages.
The police have heretofore used every
effort to locate Garland but unsuccessful
ly. They got their man late last night
through the mereSt accident. Early yes
terday morning a man approached Den
mis- Keardon, a milk dealer on Grove street
this city, and asked him the nearest way
to the ferry to New York. He appeared
nervous and as he carried a satchel Rear
don had his suspicious aroused. He told
Patroiman Mccarthy CT the Seventh
street SldllOu dlu hSS0i IL OiiOWN0 ti~
The stranger made a motion as if to
draw, a gun on Mccarthy, but when ne
weapon back. Mccarthy arrested the
man, who proved to be Matthew Gardner
of Long Beach, Cal, a farmer; He was
charged with carrying concealed weapons.
In his satchels were found a number of
green goods circulars.
Chief Murphy questioned Russ and
found that he had come East WIN a
of dollars with him.. He had been in
communication with green goods men Tor
He had an appointment with the green
goods men. He was to meet their repTes-
entative atsthe Palace Hotel, opposite the
Pennsylvania Railroad depot in Newark
catch the green goods swindlers. lie
~telephoned to Chief Of i.olice Hoppe. of
Chief Hopper said he would be glad to
lend Murphy any assistance in his power.
At Chief Murphy's suggestion, Hopper
sent Detective Jeroleman to this city. He
tective Doyle, who was assigned to the
case from the Jersey City office.
Chief Murphy arranged with Jerole-
man the plan which was finally carried
out. The chief was convinced from what
Gardner told him that although the tele-
grams to Gardner had been sent from a
Western Union office in the suburbs of
New York City, the man who sent them
was the same who operated from Jersey
City last year under the name OF Il. e
Garland and made his headquarters in
the Pennsylvania House, No. 81 Mont
gomery street. Chief Murphy had Mana
ger Bertholf of the Western Union Com
pany, in this city, indicted for sending
Garland's messages and receiving mes
saSeS for him.
Reuben Percivals, of Ithaca, N. Y, who
was victimized by Garland, and who has
been held in the County Jail for over
sixty days as a witness IN the case
against the Western Union Company was
taken out of Jail yesterday afternoon.
At $50 o'clock he arrived in company
with aGrdiner and Detective Doyle. The
object in taking Percival along was TO
have Percival iedntify the green goods
man if he proved to be the one Percival
hadd ealingS with.
Detective Jeroleman met the party. Ac-
cording to arrangements Gardner entered
the hotel and registered as the green
goods men had Observation-Disclosures
Gardner, California" He was assigned to
He had not been there five minutes
when there was a knock at the door. He
admitted a man.. who presented a cara
signed "Whitcomb.'' which introduced the
bearer as the confidential agent. of the
writer. Whitcomb was supposed TO be
he 'Old MAN." The visitor gave Gard-
ner the password. wh 1de 2, n Abe been rs t saa
fully introduced himself the visitor said
he would take Gardner at once to see
The "Olds Man."
0dIOiltl iIdo bt0h iiihii ~ ~ -"
part. He said he was not used to being
gut nights and would not leave the hotel
until morning.
"All right. said the steerer, II nave a
room on this floor and | will call for you
early in the morning."
AS soon as the visitor was gone Gardner
eft his room. A colored boy was on
guard at the door of the hotel. To divert
any suspicious which might arise, Gard
ner told the boy that he had terrible
ramps in his stomach and was going TO
he drug store to get some medicine. He
went at once to where Doyle and Jerol-
man were awaiting and told them what
lad occurred>in the hotel.
The went Immediately and arrested the
steerer whom they foun in his room. He
vas booked as Dudley Griffin of No. 142
hamilton street, Trenton. Reuben Per-
ciyaI was not sure of his identification, |
suit he thought the man was the same he
new as Garland. Griffin was held oy
the Newark police.
Chief Florgie, proprietor Of the Renn-
,ylvania House, No. 81 Montgomery street
% to Newark today and try to identify
Griffin as Garland.
The capture. the Chief believes. places
n the hands of the police the chief mover
IN the green goods swindle.