Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-30
RObbER BAND CAUGHT
Detectives Trap Express
Thieves in New York.
AN Ex-CONVICT CONFESSES
Depredations Amounting to $20O, 600
in Three Months.
PROMINENT MEN VICTIMS
Five Men Arraigned in Court and
Many Other Arrests Are
Expected.

NEW YORK, January 30.-Inspector Nc
Laughlin's detectives arraigned in the
Tombs court yesterday five men who, it is
believed, are implicated in one hundred or
more express robberies reported TO the
police during the past three months. The
amount of property stolen is said to amount
to more than 100000. and includes valua-
BILE jewelry and bric-a-brac. Among the
victims are Ogden Mills Reid, son of Am
bassador Whitelaw Reid; Lieut.. Lewald,
U. s. A., and Trenor L. Park, millionaire
dry goods merchant and the vice president
of the American Trading Company. The
arrests were made by Detective Sergts.
Duggan, Kinsler and Lyon of the central
office.
The similarity of the methods employed
in the various robberies reported convinced
Inspector Mclaughlin that an organized
gang Of experts was responsible for them
all.
In nearly every instance the robber was q
new driver for an express company who
either called at some fashionable residence
for trunks or who took trunks from one of
the railroad stations to deliver to resi-
dences. The trunks would never be deliv-
cred, and the driver would disappear with
them. Later the horse and empty express
wagon would be found in some side street.
How Detectives Worked.
The detectives hired small Office in
Harlem and advertised for men to drive
express wagons. Into the trap marched
Harry Murray, an ex-convict, who an
swered the description of one of the men
they wanted. He had on silk shirt,
necktie and a sweater all of which have
been identified a part of the plumber
stolen from Ambassador Reid's son. His
pockets were full of pawn tickets He gave
his address as the Paris Hotel, 10th street
and Sd avenue. 1t was not until he was
confronted by Lieut.. Lewald and positively
identified that he made a confession.
The detectives went to the house Of a
friend of his, James Leddy of No. 500 West
55th street. and arrested him. They found
a large quantity of stolen property in the
house. Another man implicated was Harry
Ginsberg, twenty-six. a tailor, of No. 1858
West 50th street. He was arrested as he
was leaving the house.
Stolen Goods Found.
search of the premises discovered. the
police allege, thirteen silk shirts belonging
to Mr.. Reid. Handcuffed to Detective Sergt.
Kinsler, Murray led the way to a second
hand clothing store at No. 1893 7th avenue,
where he claimed to have disposed of much
of the stolen property. The detectives ar
rested George Klosty, the alleged pro-
prietor Of the store, and Meyer Klosty his
brother They seized quantity of wearing
apparel and ladies' finery which, it is al
legged, Is stolen property.
Murray admitted that in December last
he got position as driver with Steeles
Express Company, at No. 962 9th avenue.
Two days after Christmas he was sent to the
residence of Trenor L. Park, No. II East
SD street, to transport trunks belonging to
Mrs. Park and her daughters to the Penn
sylvania depot at West 23d street. Instead
he took the trunks to furnished room
where he was living.
The jewelry contained in the trunks in
cluded a pearl necklace with diamond
clasps, bracelets and brooches set with
precious stones, two jewe1ed watches and
several valuable rings, besides ban dresses,
silks and laces and fine assortment of
lingerie. The same day he called for Mr..
Reds trunk at No. 451 Madison avenue
and appropriated its contents in like man.
ner.
Inspector Mclaughlin expects to make
other arrests during the next twenty-four
hours. In the Tombs court yesterday Muir
ray. Leddy and Ginsberg were remanded to
police headquarters for the nisht and the
Klosty brothers were sent to the Tombs
prison in default of $1,000 bail each. All
will be brought into court again this morn
ing for further examination.