The sun., 1901-12-10
A ROMANCE IN CRIME.
Robbers Led by Girl Got $4,000
Worth Of Loot.
DISCOVERED BY A DECoY,
Young Woman Under Arrest Confess
ed to Another. Whom She Deemed
Also a Prisoner. Nature and
Extent of the Robberfes.

New York, Dec. o. Through the ar
rest in Mount Vernon of seventeen
year-old Mary Elizabeth Thompson
and the securing by the means Of piac-
ing .'decoy' in her cell Of complete
confession of many rohberies commit.
ted by gang of burglars, Of which
she and her husband were the prime
movers, the police have brought TO
light one Of the most interesting tales
of crime unearthed in years.
The systematic robbins of country
houses in a score of towns. planned
long beforehand. the safe removal Of
thousands Of dollars worth OF plunder.
its subsequent disposal at fence
miles away from the scene of the
crime, lore for her husband, mystery
and other elements of the modern de
tectiye story all enter into the history
of the Young girl and her fellow
thieves whom the police have.
Meeting with failure at every other
attempt 10 get the girl to talk, Chief OF
Police Foley Of Mount Vernon hit up
on a novel ruse which resulted in his
obtaining clews 10 many burglares
the arrest Of two Of the girls alleged
cOnfederates and the recovery in
Brooklyn Of over S2a.OO0 worth OF
plunder.
young woman employed by chiet
Foley, after feigned display Of fierce
resistance. was placed in the cell with
the Thompson girl.
Decoy's Well Told story.
Once there, the ''decoy" launched
forth on long tirade against the po-
lice which much Interested the clever
housebreaker. When She quieted down
somewhat, the new prisoner went on to
tell with much pride Of what clever
offender She was and Of the daring
crimes she had committed The de
coys" well imagined tale 50 won the
confidence Of the Thompson girl that
she at once opened her heart and told
10 her cellmate the whole story Of the
operations Of her gang Of piferers
The real prisoner according to her
story, was one Of several young women
who We're sent regularly from tile
headquarters Of the gang in Brooklyn
by her husband, Louis Pry. and his
brother, Robert, its leaders In rob
houses in the suburbs In every ease
tie two men had visited the scene of
the intended burglary and after ia.
miliarizlng themselves with the lay ol
the land, had planned 10 enter the
place at the time that seemed best
suited to their work.
Many houses had been entered. the
Thompson girl declared and in most
cases, the occupants s4ying returned
10 the city for the winter. she and her
confederateS had ransacked them lei
surely, taking only the most valuable
goods and returning with them to the
fence" in Fulton street, Brooklyn, fol-
the Iry brothers 10 dispose of So
cleverly had the gang planned it, work
and 50 successful had it been the
Thompson girl said, that shr was II i
loss to account for the fact that She
was detected
Fascinated by the work.
She had found entering and robbin9
the houses selected by her husband
such easy work that She was quite fas.
cinated with it and was angry that She
had been Interrupted Then with a
woman Chief Foley had placed in The
cell with her the location and owners
Of some Of the houses she had bm.
glarized. She mentioned many Of the
articles she had taken
When The "decoy" had exhausted tht
woman's fund or information, She was
taken from the cell and Immediately
repeated the story to Chief Foley
Turning over to nDetectiveT Lynch the NJ
dress Of the fence the chief II one,
hurried linn to brooklyn. The Noun
Vernon sieuth arrived AZ the fiat Il
200S Fulton street iii company viii
two Brooklyn detectives inst III time Il
arrest the Pry brothers as they wer
preparing to leave. Both we're dun
founded and refused 10 Say 4 word i
their captors.
After taking the prisoners to the o.
borne avenue station house scare
was made Of the fiat which rryrale
plundcr enough 10 lavishly furnish
home and provide costly wearing al
parel for i good sized family. The
were men 5 evening clothes, dinner an
street gowns opera capeS. tabl" liner
jewelry Of every description. overcoat
furs, silver plate sets Of surgeons i
strumpms. draftsman's tools. chin
closets. jewelry cnbinets and pieces
costly furniture.
In short the inventory Of the goof
read like an advertisement for a lara
department store. II took AL day % :
over the miscellaneous collection whe
was piled from floor to ceiling. even .
the beds, in every one of the sevc
rooms Of the fiat The police estima
ed the value Of the plundrr nj S25.Gn0
Vicar General Kelly Dead.
Somervilc, Mass, Dec o. Re
Hugh Il. Kelly, vicar general Of Il
diocese Of Ottumwa Ia, is dead he