The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1903-11-13
ROUND up OF
SHOPLIF TERS
Detectives Lee and Bennett
Capture d Batch Of Pro-
fessionals in Hobo
ken.
AFTER A WEEKS WORK
Booty Identified by the Own
ers- Story of the Theft.
AFTER A WEEKS WORK

Detective Sergeant Lee and Detective
Bennett yesterday rounded up several
professional shoplifters who have been
operating in this city, Hoboken, Newark,
Elizabeth and Paterson for many
months.
The two detectives had been working
diligently on the case for over week.
Their efforts were rewarded yesterday af-
ternoon when two young men were seen
leaving the house No. 80 Trenton street.
which is in "a more or less isolated posi-
tion near the brow Of the Hill, and not
far from the Pennsylvania round house,
carrying bundles. AS they were passing
the round house the two detectives over
hauled them. The bundles contained four
new suits of clothes, which were subse-
quently identified by Herman Aren't, of
No. 1856 Central avenue, as belonging
to him. He says they were stolen from
his store on Wednesday last. The two
men gave their names as William Moran
and Walter Brewer. The man with
whom they lived is Benjamin Goldman,
alias Golden, whose picture is said to be
in the rogues' gallery in New York. The
other occupants were Goldmans wife
and fve-year-old boy. and Miss Annie
O'Brien.
There had been numerous complaints
from clothing merchants of clothing being
stolen from their stores. The action of
the trio excited suspicion and the above
named detectives were put on the case
The National Quitting Company, No.
81 Newark avenue, had reported missing
four suits of clothes. Hart Abrahams,
manager of that firm, has identified the
suits found in a trunk at No. 80 Trenton
street.
When Detectives Bennett and Lee
brought Moran and Brewer down to po-
lice headquarters they broke down and
confessed that they had, with Golden,
been operating in this city for about four
months. On their confession Goldman
was arrested The two detectives found
him on the street in the neighborhood of
his home.
1t was ascertained that Goldman's
wife and child and Miss O'Neill were at
tending a performance at. the Bon Ton
Theatre. They were called out of the
| theatre and taken to police headquarters.
They were not placed under arrest, but
were closely questioned. Little informa-
| tien, however, was CLEANED from them.
They said thy supposed that all three
were working at some honorable avoca-
| ton.
The method Of the men in shoplifting
was this: The two young men would go
into clothing store and pretend to look
at suits with the ostensible object of
making purchases. While they would
engage the attention of statesmen Gold
man, who entered with them equipped
with dress suit case that opened and
shut automatically by touching a spring,
would watch his opportunity press the
l
spring, and slap suit of clothes which
he had been watching into the suit case,
which would instantly close.
Outside the men would go into Chin
ese laundry and wrap the garments up
in brown paper and pawn them. They
would tear up the pawn tickets. They
told the police where they could secure
thirty odd suits of clothes they had
pawned IL various pawn shops.
-Four stores were robbed in Hoboken
and number in Newark Paterson and
Elizabeth. The police of these cities were
notified. Detective Ser~eant Julius Mel
son came over to this city on a jump.
Shortly afterward a Newark detective
arrived.
The three men were each held in the
4 Eirst. Criminal Court in $500 each this
morning for further examination.