The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-07-08
FOOL POLICE
Patrolmen Nevin and VAL
entine Refuse to Arrest
Notorious Couple.
"THEY HAD NO WARRANT"
Mr.. and Mrs. Belden Wanted
for Weeks for Robbing
Tax Clerk Connolly.
HANDED OYER TO PRECIOUS DUET
When the Man Who Caught
Them Returned, the Birds
Had Flown-Chief MUIR
ply Rages.
HANDED OYER TO PRECIOUS DUET


Because he had no warrants for their
arrest, Patrolman Valentine of the First
precinct police station, yesterday refused
to arrest Mr.. and Mrs. Ernest Belden,
pair of the most expert thieves in their
particular line of grating. They stole
about thousand dollars worth of goods
from the home of James Connolly, at No.
81 Mercer street, clerk in the office of
the Tax Commissioners. Valentine will
appear before the Board of Police Com
missioners at its next meeting to answer
charge of neglect of duty. Patrolman
Nevin will also appear on similar charge
because he was with Valentine at the TIME
Valentine refused to make the arrests and
he also allowed the couple to go unheeded.
Some weeks ago Mr.. Connolly engaged
an elderly woman as housekeeper. She
was perfectly satisfactory for a time and
Mr.. Connolly thought he had prize.
About five days after the new housekeeper
took charge of the house Mr.. Connolly
went out and was away several hours.
When he returned he got the impression
that he was moving out. Everything that
was left in the house, and it was little,
was thrown around.
Mr.. Connolly took an inventory ana
found that pretty much everything of
value that could be quickly moved had
moved. He was dazed. Then he went
out and looked at the number of the
house to make sure It was his own. Then
he told the police.
Chief Murphy recognized the house
Keeper. She was Mrs. Belden- The chief
Z gut out circular with pictures of Mr.
and Mrs Ernest Belden. giving minute
descriptions of the two so that police
man should be able to recognize them at
night The woman is known in police
circles as Marie Peters, alias Mrs.
Cooper. She was the widow of a Civil
War veteran when Belden met and mar
ried her. She is fifty years old and Belden
is thirty.
The circular says the couples scheme is
to put an advertisement in paper for a
position as housekeeper When the wom-
an secures a position she packs up every
thing of value in the house as soon a.
possible and removes it at favorable op-
portunity This was the way the two
worked Mr.. Connolly.
Yesterday shortly after six o'clock
Matthew Anderson, a friend of Mr.. Connel-
iv. saw the two thieves in Grand street
and followed them until they reached
point near Grove street. He then went
TO Officers Valentine and Nevin, who
were on the corner and told them who
the couple were. When the two thieves
neared the officers and Anderson, Ander-
son held them up and said:-
s.Officers, 1 want you to arrest this
woman. She robbed Mr.. Connolly. Just
hold her for q minute and I will bring
Mr.. Connolly here.
Here you," said Anderson turning to
Belden 81 want you too.''
At that Belden ran and boarded a pass
ing Bayonne car Neither officer took the
trouble to follow him. Instead Nevin
turned TO Valentine and said
ITS on your post. You had better take
her.
Mrs Belden said:-
81 am not the woman. Let me co.
s.You are the woman said Anderson,
.I know you.
Then Mr.. Anderson went for Mr.. Con-
nelly and found him at home. When Mr..
Connolly and Mr.. Anderson returned to
the place where Mr.. Anderson had left
the woman with the officers all three
were gone. They found Valentine and
asked where the woman was. He said
she had gone.
"Why did you let her go?'' asked Mr..
Connolly.
well, had to pull my box and I mad
no warrant anyhow" replied Valentine.
Mr. Connolly was told of the incident
and he Immediately complained to Chief
Murphy, who began an investigation. He
called Valentine and Nevin before him
and asked for explanations. What de-
fence they made will not be known until
their trial 1t is thought that the fact
that they had no warrants led them to
refuse to make arrests, because they did
not see that the people wanted to commit
any act in violation of the laws.
Chief Murphy says he cannot under
stand how the policemen could have acted
as they did. He is much disturbed over
the escape of the thieves, particularly as
they were within arms reach.
The men will be tried under Section "a
of the Police Manual, which says that
when any officer is told that person mas
committed misdemeanor and he can
reach that person he should make the ar
rest