The sun., 1905-05-06
STUNG BY "WTRETAPPERS. ="
WAGNER HAD FAITH, LOST AND
LOST AGAIN.

He Didn't Know the wires Ran Only Around
Chimney and Gave Up 81 900 Before
He Caught On--PerSiStenoe Causes
the UndOing OF the Three Sharps'
The Brooklyn police last night looked up
three wire tapper who never tapped wire
and then told the sad story OF what they
did to John A. Wagner OF AT Third street
who will appear in court as complainant
this morning. The charge upon which
the prisoners were looked up Is 'oonspiing
TO commit a crime Of felonious nature
Wagner is a mechanical engineer and
has an office 10 Center street, Manhattan
About Jan. 1, he saw an advertisement
which said that a partner was wanted IN
a legitimate business that would pay big
money, and he bit.
In answer 10 his letter man who said he
was James QlIgley appeared at his ONCE
and asked II he ever played the races. Wag-
ner said that he did occasionally. Qmgley
declared that the average bettor didn {
have a show against the bookies and that
the races we're fixed. Then he told the time
honored tale about the friend he had in the
Western Union who would give him the
names Of the winners before the poolroom
men got them. so he could bet on norses
that had already won and stand no chance
OF losing
Wagner said that was fine and he was
taken to a room on the top floor Of house
in Hughes street, Brooklyn, whore there
were a lot Of telegraph instruments and
telephones. The telegraph Instruments,
be was told, got the results from the friend
In the Western Union and they could then
be telephoned anywhere. The Instruments
clicked merTily while Wagner was there
and he was impressed.
On Jan. II, Wagner says. he met Quigley
and his two pals ip front OF the Metropole,
at Forty-second street and Broadway,
and they gave him the name Of a winner.
He put up $40 on II a nd in i've minute
received 80 back, with the information
that the system had worked all right.
Wagner was 90 pleased that he lent one Of
the 'tappers' $50 on the spot and returned
on Jan. % with his roll.
There was 81 800 in It, he says, and he
gave il TO one Of the three, who calls himself
John MCCORMACK, TO bet on another sure
winner The horse ran second and Nc
Cormack was 20 sympathetic and sure that
a similar slip wouldn't occur again that
Wagner says he returned the following
day and put UP $500 more. He couldn'
find the 'wire tapPers' at all after that
race an he told the p lice.
They didn't know that, however. and
a few days ago they got hold Of him again
and tried to get him TO invest some more
In the scheme Wagner then played them
into the hands Of the police by telling them
that he was through, but that he had
rich friend from Jersey who would go in.
The "tappers' went TO Wagner's homo
last night 10 meet the rich good thing, and
after they had been introduced TO a person
who was made up to look the part and had
agreed to put so, 900 for him on sure
thing to-day the detectives lugged them
of 70 the Adams street station, where they
we're catalogued as James Mood alias
Quigley; John Mccormick, alias Burton,
and Edward Walsh.
The police then visited the Hughes street
house and found that the telegraph wires
ran around the chimney. They ripped them
all out and took the Instruments 10 Police
Headquarters.