The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-29
WITNESS GAVE FALSE NAME.
Afraid OF Being Assaulted for Causing
Arrest OF PtCkpOckets.


Harry Ryan, Jr., who Is In the grocery
business with his father at Thirty-seventh
street and Ninth avenue, boarded a south
bound Eighth avenue car at Thirty-fourth
street last Thursday morning inc sat in
the rear seat Of the open section. Shortly
afterwsrd three other men boarded the
car, one Of whom took a seat beside Ryan,
while the other two got into the seat ahead,
taking positions on either side OF q we'll
dressed man who was reading a newspaper.
Ryan recognized the trio at once. A year
before he had seen them rob a passenger
on a Third avenue car, and he awaited
developments.
At Canal street the man with the news
paper attempted to cave b car. His
way was blocked by n Of the ~pickpockets,
who sat at the end OF the seat with his feet
upon the bench opposite. While h pas
senger was pushing his way out the second
pickpocket carefully lifted the tail Of his
coat and quickly vent through the pocket
in il. Ryan set up a cry OF -piokpocket
and Policeman Flynn Of the Leonard
street station, who was riding in the for
ward part OF the car, ran back and grabbed
the man in the end Of the seat. The other
~pickpocket slid under the rail on the far
side Of the car, but was collared by Police
man Kealy Of the M~acdougal street station.
The third mar was also arrested and all
three were taken to the Macdougal street
station house. They said they we're jacob
Greenberg Of l06 Suffolk street, Benjamin
Goldfo orb Of i4e Bowery and Charles Little
OF S45 Third venue They were recog-
nized az old p~ickpockets whose pictures
are in the roglies' gallery, while both Gold
forb and Little have served time In Elmira.
They were arraigned on Friday in the
jefferson Market police court. william
mar who had been robbed in the car. He
was on hand, but the witness, Ryan, who
had given his name as John Brown OF 81
West Thirty-seventh street, disappeared
from the court room before the case was
called. The hearing was postponed n
the police were instructed to produce Brown
on Saturday.
The pol ce reported on Saturday that no
such man as John Brown wed at SIT West
Thlrty-seventh street, ~whereupon Lawyer
defendants, made a long plea for Their
! berat On. Mag strate Moss thought he
detected someth M o and not only
refused TO d scharge the prisoners, but
issued a subpoena for Brown. Then he
went to Headquarters in person and asked
thai a detective sergeant be put on the case
to find the W tnees. Word was at once
sent out TO the whole department that
Brown or Ryan was wanted,
When the case came up again yesterday
Ryan was present as a prisoner. The day
after the arrest Of the crooks Capt, Russell
was transferred from the Macdougal street
10 the West Twent eth street stat on house.
He was walking through Ninth avenue
on Saturday when he ran across Ryan at
the ~latter's own place OF bus ness and
arrested him as a susp cious character,
having seen him when the crooks were
first taken to Macdougal street. =
In court yesterday Ryan admitted tha
he had < ven a fict t.ous name. He was
afra d, he sa d, that il he gave his real
name some of the pr soners' fr ends would
assault nm. He stated that VIII. lie he was
we Ing TO testify On the morning OF the
first hearing he was accosted by a man
who informed him that the case in which
Ryan was a witness had already been DIS
posed Of and that he, Ryan, was no longer
needed. Accord ngly he left court, not
know .ng that he had been deceived. HIS
further test .mony yesterday was so con
clus We that Magistrate Moss held two
of the defendants, Goddard n Little, in
81 900 each for tr al. Greenberg, who sat
on the seat with Ryan, was discharged.