The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-23
DONE, BY GREEN GOODS MEN
STOOL-PIGEON WHITAKER NEARLY
KILLED At PELHIM.

Acting in Conjunction with Secret Service
Mon. He Went to Beard tho Green
Goods Men-Got His Hands on $4,000
and Drew n Pistol, but Was Knocked Out.
| man named John Whitaker narrowly es-
| capped being killed by green goods men on FRI
| day afternoon in a road house up at Pelham.
| known as the Pelham Heights Hotel. AS re-
| suit OF the assault he is now confined to his
| bed. The story of his experience has been kent
| from the public in hopes that the men who at
| tackled him might be taken into custody before
they had chance to leave this State. The
| Secret Service detectives who are at work on
the case believe that they will have the men in
| a day or two.
For some time past, the officials OF the Post
| ONCE Department at Washington have been at
| work trying to apture the gang that succeeded
tho famous McNally crowd who for years
| operated in this city. Whitaker. 1t is said was
| employed by tho Secret Service Bureau to get
| evidence against the gang. He wrote letter
| In answer to q circular sent out by the green
| goods men. He gave them to under
| stand that he was Farmer Ford" who had
spent fifty years Of his life on Il farm up in
| Canada. The correspondence continued until
finally the green goods gang wrote telling
him to come to New York and register at tho
| Montreal. Can" He went to the Aston House
| on Friday morning and was assigned to room
| 100 lie had only been there half an hour
when a tall. we-dressed man raped upon
| the door Of the room.
Come in" said Whitaker. and the green
| goods man entered the room.
| Safety" exclaimed the green goods man.
| this being the pass word.
Safety" remarked Whitaker and the two
l,CA
Farmer Ford. at your service" said Whitta-
kcr. I've Just came down from Canada. and
| we haven't had col darn bit OF rain since
| Chuesday."
Tough on the crops" said Green Goods
| Floyd. The best thing you can do is TO get
| hold OF some OF the good money that we turn
out on our farm. and you'll nsver have to work
another day as long as you live"
| We'll" said Whitaker. Il can use all you've
| got up my way and nobody will get on TO It. II
it's anywhere near what you represent 1t to be-"
The green goods man then invited the farmer
detective to Join him in the dining room. where
| hoy ate neal that cost 81. They drank sew
eral bottles OF wine and had goo cd cigars.
Whitaker. who looked like typical country
man in tho costume lie had disguised himself.
is six feet two inches tall and weighs two hun
dred and forty pounds. He is broad shoulder
ed. and has the reputation Of being heavy
weight boxer. He readily agreed to accom-
pany the green goods man to the headquarters
OF the "counterfcitinG gang" They got on
Broadway car and Floyd pointed out
places OF interest until they reached
Twenty-third street Then Floyd took
his companion across town on
Twenty third street car down Third avenue to
| Fourteenth street aud then over Fourteenth
| street to Sixth avenue and then up on the ele-
waited railroad At Fifty ninth street and Col
umbus avenue. they left the elevated train and
took Fifty ninth street car. They rode to
Madison avenue and got aboard a Madison ave-
nue. car and went down to the Grand Central
| depot. Then they got aboard New
Rochelle local and rode to Pelham sta
ton. When they left tho train at Pei
ham. the green goods man told his friend
tho farmer that he would sell packages of
ST 600 at the rate OF SIS each. Whitaker said
that he was getting scared and thought the de-
tertives might be around and wanted to get
back to New York right away. His real object
was to communicate with Chief Inspector King
and some OF the detectives OF the Secret Ser
vice Bureau. He finally became stubborn and
insisted upon getting back on train to New
York The green goods man gave In and ac-
companied him back to this city.
Whitaker managed to slip note to mes
senger boy which was message to Inspector
King Then he told the green goods man he
| supposed everything was all right, and that he
wanted to get the money right away. The
green goods man took him back to Pelham
| Manor by way OF Yonkers. walking from Yonk-
ers to Pelham Manor. a distance OF Six miles
| Then he led him back another mile to the
Pelham Heig hts Hotel which is also known as
| the White Hotel. The green goods man met
| several acquaintance at the hotel and intro
| duced Whitaker to them.
| Whitaker was led up to a room on the top
| floor OF the building. whore he found man
| seated at desk on which were several pack
| ages labelled green goods" He carried =
| hand satchel with him for the purpose OF con-
| cealing the green goods that he was to pur-
chase. Reaching out for one OF the packages
| OF genuine money that had been shown to him
he proceeded to put 1t in the satchel.
| Wait minute" said the green goods m an.
| that contains $4,000 It's fine counterfeit
| money and can pass anywhere. but We want
| 1925 OF your money for it,
At this time there was only one Of the green
goods men in the room. The visitor then and
| there declared himself to be a Secret Service
detective and drawing a big pistol from his
| pocket he leve,ed it at the green goods man
and said Throw up your hands or TN blow
| the top Off your head"
| Whitaker stood with his back to the door
with his revolver close to the head OF the
green goods man. Three members Of the ga g
who were outside rushed in from the hall.
| Whitaker turned his head for an inatant
| an 4 as he did so. one OF the mon struck him on
| the arm with black ack knocking the revolver
| from his hand. The four men then bounced
upon him. One OF them struck him with club
| and another used brass knuckles. Whitaker
succeeded in knocking two OF the mon upon the
floor. The other two were still wrestling with
him when q NTH man appeared and caught
him by the throat. This man tried
to choke him to death. All three fell
upon the floor. and the two who had first been
knocked down hy Whitaker got up and at
tackled him. The struggle lasted for several
minutes. every one Of the men In the room
being cut and bleeding. Someone came up
stairs and carried one Of the Injured mon out.
| The gang finally got the detective on the floor
and kicked him in the back and in the neck.
Then they took their good money from him
and left him lying unconscious under the
| table