The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-04
HAD STOLEN FIREMAN'S BADGE
OVERGROWN hoy ARRESTED As
ENGINE HOUSE LOOTER.
saysIIc's Cons Son and Has neen at COLLEGE

says He's Cons son and Has Been NJ College
In Canada-Caught on a Good Guess
Ran Into Sleuths' ATms-NeRt Not e
book or Proceeds OF Much PaWning
Walter O'Neill, a six foot eighteen
| year-old boy VINO looks twenty-five, was
arrested and locked up In the Filth street
station after a chase yesterday afternoon
| Inc police and firemen are rejoicing. Ihey
say he IA the thief who has been robbing
fire houses Of uniforms while the men we're
out answering alarms.
Thelts have been 30 persistent that Chief
Croker recently issued a genera. order for
man to be left in each Gre house when a
company answered an alarm. O'Neill, the
police say, Confesses 10 some twenty rob-
berries. and fireman. badge 1888, stolen from
Truck o in Elizabeth street, was found on
him. A pawn ticket showing that he had
pawned a dress coat of Capt. Mcdonald Of
Engine rs on FiftR street, stolen on March
%, was in his pocket.
On that day Detective Wasserman OF
the Fifth street police station, near the
house Of Engine %, saw a man in fireman's
clothes with uniform coat over bis arm
pass by. Soon afterward Capt. Nc
Donald Of the engine company reported
that his coat had been stolen while he was
at a fire. Two boys had seen a fireman.
they said. 60 into the fire house and come
out with a coat Their description tailed
with Wasserman's man.
Last saturday Battalion Chief Makers
driver. McCrimlisk, saw man in fireman's
uniform on a street car, He talked with
him and was suspicious, but didn't do any
thing. He told Maher however.
Yesterday afternoon, a buff who hangs
around Nlaher's headquarters in the house
Of Truck 3 on Thirteenth street near Fourth
avenue reported to the battalion chief
that he thought the thief was in a saloon
on the corner Maher and MCCrmlisk
went to see 1t was McCrimlisk's man.
Il want you, my man" said Maher to
O'Neill.
ONein. the fremen say, admitted his
guilt and said My father was "a police
man once and he'll make good for me il he's
given a chance and pay for the stolen
Can telephone my people,
Maher assented and O'Neil started osten-
siby for the phone. but broke for the door
and ran.
Wasserman and some other detectives.
sleuthing for poolrooms, happened to be
right there.
fThats the fellow who ia robbing fire
houses" yelled Wasserman, recognizing
the man he saw pass the station house. II
was a hot chase down Thirteenth street
toward Second avenue. O'Neill lodged
into a doorway at 228 East Thirteenth street
and hid in the dark. They found him and
dragged him out.
About a hundred checks we're found on
ONeill, some Of them blank and some
filed out. Some were made payable to
various fire captains or battalion chiefs
who had been robbed and we're signed
with the name Of Julius krmsky. The
police say all these are forgeries, but they
have heard of none being passed. They
ran from sll TO 500 in amount.
Three other outfits besides McDonald's
have been pawned at Kalmus's. Others
were pawned in other places, On the boy
was found a little memorandum book
filed with businesslike entries such as:
Jan. i2-Coat. S..
Jan. l0-Coat, SIS
Jan. 26-Coat, SO.
There were pages OF similar entries.
IL i an offence in itself to wear tireman's
uniform without authority. The police say
the one O'Neill wore was stolen. The boy
SAYS he attended st. Johns College In New
Brunswick, Canada but about six months
ago he got tired Of work and came down
to the city The police say there are indi-
cat ions among them the memorandum book,
that he has been stealing from fire houses
longer than that and probably started
during college vacation.