The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-14
Man Accused of Murder is Brought Back from Bridgeport
 by Birmingham Authorities
ALBERT STAMFORD AND
 GEORGE BOOESER GOT HIM
Says Ills Name Is Rooney-"Never In Birmingham Before''-Bodeker Says No Doubt He's New
 York Harry.

James Rooney. alias New York Harry. | alias Harry Pettitt alias Denver Harry. alias Harry Dowd indicted for blowing open the safe of the Standard oil company arrived here yesterday afternoon over the Southern from Bridgeport, Conn, in GUS tody of Detective George H. Bodeker and . Deputy Sheriff Albert Stradford. The train was scheduled to arrive at noon but was more than four hours late. Long before the time a great number of people thronged the depot waiting to get glimpse of the notorious character. As the train pulled into the depot cor- don of police was drawn up along side the train and kept the crowd at a distance As the group stepped from the train the police closed in and quickly formed line leading to the patrol wagon waiting at the upper entrance to the train shed
 Steps From Train.
 AS Rooney stepped from the train, with both hands manacled in front of him. a more deiected or hopeless appearing in-
 
 apparently lost all the desperateness he is said to have once possessed.
 In less than ten minutes after his ar rival in Birmingham Rooney was behind the bars of the county jail.
 In appearance Rooney is anything but prepossessing His gaze is shifty, never being centered on anything or person more than a second. When he talks he does so in halting manner as though he were trying to find the proper word to explain that which he Is talking about. He appears to be an inveterate cigarette smoker, as the fingers of his left hand are thickly coated with nicotine. He has 8 certain air of bravado which is apparent ly forced mask drawn over a hopeless feeling.
 Says He's Already Convicted.
 When seen at the jail, Rooney said:
 "I suppose I am already convicted be- fore l have chance to know what the charge is You fellows of the news papers and the rHawkshaws' who took me seem to be in league. I have been brought clear across the country without ever having a warrant served upon me or knowing what I am accused of. "Everywhere I have been on this trip have been called Harry this or Harry all these names as I have never been in Denver. in my life and have only been to New York once or twice just to have a good time
 T have never been in Birmingham be- 1 fore and never heard of the town until the detectives told me l was going there. don't know any of the fellows you have asked me about and never was inside of the Standard Oil company's office in any town in my life.
 These guys that brought mo here told everyone at every town we stopped at what great fellows they were and what bad man I was. They are trying to get a great name for themselves and put me in bad.
 Wants Square Deal. "All I want is a square deal and I'll show where l am at
 '@rhe sooner they bring me up for trial 1 the sooner 1 will get out as I can show l am not the guy. What if l dos look l like this New York Harry? That makes l some one else. but they ain't
 "rhey told me on the train that was to be tried for murder and that l would swing because of my bad repu- tatlon. I suppose they will have a lot of fellows here who will get five or ten dollars to say they know me and that | they saw me in this town before, when 1 they know they are lying.
 What have they got against me? Noth- ing. l was picked up last Oehober in Con necticut charged with robbingl a bank or something. l was arrested in a box car with two other fellows whon I did not know These fellows when they were searched had revolver on them. l had nothing. They tried us and then turned ' us up as they had no proof against us. 1 1f I was such bad man. why didn't they send me up? 1 tell you they have noth- ing against me, and they can't do a thing unless they have some one to say they know me and who is getting paid for 1t.
 "Whsky Did It." 'If 1t were not that like whisky pretty well and went into the box car to have drink with the two fellows. I never would have been caught, because they would have had nothing against me. It's l just another case of whisky did it.
 When I got to New York they called me New York Harry Not one in the l city recognized me, and yet am sup posed to have a bad rep all over the | country.
 I q repeat I don't know what they brought me here for. and if given a square deal I'll get out of it. If these Hawkshaws don't put job up on me | to get a great name and tell what great | fellows they are. I will be let go.
 My lawyer told me not to say a word when left Connecticut as the police here have no charge against me.
 Says His Name Is Rooney.
 My only name is James Ro<ney. I'm 34 years old and have lived for a long l time, years in New London, Conn, and | that's all l can say"
 ! He was asked if he knew any of the principals connected with the crime and i he denied all knowledge of them. He is | in a measure vindictive and inclined to be surey and at times insulting. When asked If he were feeling well. he said: Yes. except that am worn | out from the trip. having had no sleep 1 in more than three days and nights"
 Bodeker Talks. | Detective Bodeker was warm in his