The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-14
CAUGHT AT LAST.
The Crooks Who Rob
bed the Millbury
Conductors.
NIPPED IN BRIDGEPORT.
All Were Desperate and
Dangerous Grim
inals.
NIPPED IN BRIDGEPORT.

The arrest of Arthur Vaughn, John
Brown, John Smith and Joseph Curyan
at Bridgeport, yesterday, by Assistant
superintendent G. S. Dougherty of
Pinkertons agency. is perhaps one of
the most important captures that have
been made for some time, and it is
believed that these are the crooks that
entered the car barn at Portsmouth,
R. l.. at midnight on July g. and with
drawn revolvers, robbed four conduc-
tors, two of whom were Millbury bo.,s,
of their days receipts to the amount
of 1850. The Millbury men are Thomas
L. Sullivan and Frank ]. Farron, and
both of these men, in company with
the other victims of the robbery will
go to Bridgeport today and identify the
prisoners. The robbers are noted crooks
and are wanted in various parts of the
country for serious crimes. Much cred.
it is due Mr.. Dougherty for the cap
ture. He was in Bridgeport on Friday
on business for the American Bankers
ASSOCIATION, and casually came across
the four men in the street. Dougherty
at once informed Superintendent of Po-
lice Birmingham who the men were,
and explained that they were wanted
Steps were taken for the capture of
the men, and after desperate strug-
gle, i'll which Curran succeeded IN IS
Gaping, the other three We're secured.
Curran was caught next morning near
Fairfield. At po4oe headquarters the
men gave their names as William Stan
ley, John Smith, George Brown and Jo-
seph Curran.
William Stanley was identified by
Dougperty as Arthur Vaughn, alias
"St. Paul Tip" alias Arthur Webster,
alias William Thornton, alias William
Fraser, alias William Knight, hobo
burglar, ''panhandler," "hold-up" thief
and all around criminal. In December,
1896, he was arrested In San Francisco
on the charge of highway robbery, with
two others. On the day of the trial he
succeeded II escaping from the court
room. His associates were tried, con
victed and sentenced to forty years
each in the San Quentin, Cal, peniten-
tiary.
On the night of November Is, 1897,
three mashed men entered saloon in
st. Louis and ordered all present tc
throw up their hands All complied
promptly The cash drawer was then
robbed. AS the thieves were making
their escape, three policemen, one OF
whom was Nicholas Hunt, arrived on
the scene and attempted to arrest the
men, but the youngest one of the "hold
up" thieves opened fire, killing Officer
Hunt instantly. All made their escape
Vaughn is charged with being one OF
the murdeTers.
John Smith was identified as a New
York burglar and pickpocket, callet
Sleepy John" who is known to the po
lice detectives of the various cities il
the United States as a hold up bur
glar, "pAnhandler" and pickpocket. Ht
was lately released from the Newport
R. T., jail, where he was arrested OF
the visit of Admiral Sampson in thai
city.
George Brown was identified as
James Maxwell, alias milwaukee,
Red who is a pickpocket well known
to the police of the larger cities, bul
lately he has been associating with
hobo" burglars, "panhandlers" and
hold up" men. He is said to have been
one of the men engaged in the mold
up of the employees of the Fairmount
Park Traction Company on July IS,
1885, In this robbery five of the trae-
ton company's employees were held up
by the masked men, and the company
safe openedSby the use of nitro-glycer-
inc.
Joseph Curran was identified as
banks, safes and vaults, with nitro
glycerine. His speciality is robbing
country postofice safes. He is a dan
gerous criminal, associating with the
most desperate men of his class. He
is wanted in several cities for numer
Gus hurglaries and hold up" thefts.
When this band visit a town for the
purpose of operating, they first call at
the police station or lookup, on the
pretext Of wanting lodgings for the
night, then bind and gag the officers
post office, which are usually in charge
Of the night Waterman OF the town.
and rob the safe. Upon being searched,
it was found that these men had upon
them self-cocking revolvers and a
quantity OF cartridges. Troy Joe" had
on him & large knife, with a four-incn
blade.