New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-03
SAY THEY KNOW CRIMINAL
TELL OF L4TIHER CASE.
Menet, from Clinton. Writes Letter
Another Victim Also.

Island City July is Of the same year has
been received by Captain Reynolds, of the Fifth
ave station. Brooklyn. Both murders were
mysterious. and although the police worked for
months on the cases not clew TO the mur-
derers was found. a number Of arrests
made on suspicion, especially in the Latimer
case. Charles Backham. a member of the no
torious Buckley gang. gave information months
$50. il was learned yesterday. duplicating two
other members in the same two murdsrs
Latimer who we'll to do. lived with his
wife in a fashionable neighborhood in Hancock
st. and had enemies. SO far as known. The
front bedroom on the second floor was occupied
by Latimer and his wife. on the night of the
murder, it is said Mrs. Latimer heard noise.
and told her husband. He arose and started to
investigate. when the murderer. who is believed
10 have been concealed in closet, grappIed
with him, and in the struggle shot him. The
murderer is thought to have fed by way of the
front veranda.. He left behind him a pair of
sneak shoes. a cap and a bicycle lamp.
Captain Reynolds. at the time of the murder
was in charge Of the local detective bureau I'm
BROOKLYN. and directed the investigation of the
case Recently ne has been detached from the
detective service, which apparently not
known TO the convict who wrote the letter, as it
was addressed 10 the captain as chief of the de-
tective force
fession made 10 him by a fellow convict in Au-
burn, who said he killed Latimer. and knew all
about the Sheridan murder. Menet says the
murderer told him he ran into the closet when
he heard Mrs. Latimer tell her husband that
there was another person in the room. The
letter goes into details.
Captain Reynolds handed the letter to Deputy
Commissioner Ebstein. and expressed the opin-
ion that there was not much in it. The letter is
said TO be long and somewhat incoherent and in
II the writer mentions two or three men who
reported TO have records as burglars.
EPSTEIN DOES NOT KNOW NAME
Deputy Commissioner Ebstoin said yesterday
that he did not give much weight to what Menet
had TO say. He added.
It is true that he animated that he could give
the police information as 10 the man who killed
Latiuer. and also TO the identity Of the per
son who fatally shot Detective Sheridan in Long
Island CITY. But there vas nothing in the letter
TO indicate that the writer was honest in his
statements. ] gathered from the tone of II that
81 was Of a spitcfu character. II seemed TO me
If The man who wrote II was trying 10 get
square with some one else
OF oourse. there T1ight ne truth in what he
had say and it was letter that We could
not overlook but my private impression is mat
there Is nothing in II that is of the slightest i'm
portance that Will in any way solve the mys
terry Of Latimer's death. The gang which is
said 70 have been instrumental in the killing of
Larimer IS said 70 have made its headquarters
in Long Island City. and for that reason. and
because II had a bearing on the murder of Po-
lceman Sheridan l sent the communication 10
Inspector Kane. in Queens. He has the letter
discovered I do not know. but as soon he gets
through with the local end Of it he will return
u 70 me with report
Major Ebstein said he would then look into
the matter. 50 far as the Latirrer murder was
concerned and II would be thoroughly investi-
gated. If there was anything in it. he would
make the letter public in due time.
Chief Inspector Mclaughlin ana Captain For
rnosa. Of the Brooklyn Detective Bureau. were
cent for by Major Ebstein. and instructed in
regard 10 the case. Inspector Mclaughlin said
afterward that he did not believe the letter
would bring out any fact not already in his pos
session.
THE SHERIDAN MURDER.
Detective Sheridan was shot down by two
burglars the morning Of July 16 1902, and
died before he could utter word. Michael Carr
and Frank Donnelly, young men living in Long
Island CITY. were arrested and tried. hut were
acquitted. In August of that year the police
cspuured members Of the Buckley gang, which
had its headquarters in a cottage in Buckley
sr- Long Island city, and robbed a number Of
houses. Those arrested were Ernest Menet and
his wife Joseph Haas, alias Harry J. Clare, and
Charles Flanagan. Charles Blackham. another
member Of the gang. was caught in New York.
Later. Dominic RiCco, another member was
,aptured in the navy yard at Norfolk. Va. hav-
ing enlisted in that service Haas. an inventor
of q gold cure was once arrested in New York
for manufacturing an imitation Of phenscetne.
lie was convicted and sentenced 70 twenty years
End four months. but received a new trial,
Merer was sentenced "a tWenty-three years and
Flanacan 10 ten years. Mrs. Menet was re-
leased. a lot If punder was found in the cot
'ago
The three men were convicted mainly through
the testimony Of Blackham, who turned States
evidence AT Ire NAL Of ore Of the cases Black
ham testified that Ricco shot Detective Sheridan.
He said ne returned To the Buokley-st. cottage
early thar morning. and found Ricco on the
front porch clearing revolver. Ricco, accord
ing 70 Blackham. said he had just shot man
down ir Jackson-ave. in order 20 escape When
F-ackham 50 testified in court. Rioco jumped up
ane declared that Il was Blackham who had
Conc The shooting
Nicoo is now On tie receiving ship in the
h'ooAiyn Navy Yard. AID is still under indict-
ie'I He was released on bail on account Of
0'sSppearance of his wife. reported to be
iost important witness against him AL
st t-1ekham is liberty. IL is understood
IL a-'Aorl'les can get him Il he is wanted
nm care when arrested. was taken as
La'i--'eI suspect aud was measured by the
P'il0' 10 see 4 he answered the description of
q HlaA seen about TIE house, hut he did not A.
fhat case
Clare, in The Queens County Jail yesterday.
refused 10 talk about the Menet letter
WHAT BLAcKHAM TOLD THEM
TIE Queens Coynt, s,,,t.,..