Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1908-04-03
BR[EN WILL TELL
or BOY IF PAID
MAN ARRESTED IN PEN
DLEToN KNOWS MYSTERY
Claims TO Know Story Of kidnapping
Of occil Britain and Offers TO d.
valge story u Paid for Trouble
Police Unearth Breen's Record IN
Rogaes' Gallery and B~uiion
Measurement and DO Not Believe
HIS Story.

The following story concerning
James Breen, arrested by the Pendle-
ton officials recently ror cashing
chacks on banks in which he had no
funds Is from the Spokesman Review
People who know Breen here place
little credence In his story.
Following a conference that occu-
pied most OF yesterday afternoon, ana
that was participated In by r. J.
Britain, a walla Walla photographer,
Attorney Del Cary Smith, represent
ing Mr.. Britain. Detective Alex
ander Macdonald and James Breen.
the announcement was made by one
OF those In the conference last night
that James Breen, held here on q
forgery charge. was believed to know
something OF the disappearance or
Cecil Britain, 5-year-old son OF r.
]. Britain, from his home In the
Blue mountain country in July. 1905.
But how much Breen. who Is at pres
ent an inmate Of the city jail, knows
about thedisappearance or the Brte-
tain child and his kidnappers was len
largely to conjecture.
Breen's claim to possess valuable
knowledge was weakened by the fact
that he has done time In the WASH
ington state penitentiary. and his de-
manding money before he will dis
close his supposed information re-
garding the disappearance of the
Britain boy.
Brcen In Rogue's Gallery.
While investigating the record on
Breen yesterday the police stumbled
upon his likeness In the rogues' gal
lery at the police station. Breen did
not deny being the original Of the
picture. In connection with the pic
ture it was learned thai Breen was
convicted of cattle stealing IN the su-
perior court of Spokane in 1898 and
served three years in the peniten-
tiary Since doing time In the peni-
tentiary Breen has lived In different
parts of the country, and asserts that
he lived in the Blue mountain section
of Oregon at the time the Britain
boy was spirited away from home.
When upbraided for demanding
money from Mr.. Britain before ne
would tell the latter what he knew
regarding the disappearance of the
youngster Breen said he was merely
thinking OF the future or his wife;
that IL he got this money 1t would be
used to care for her. From this 1t
was not clear whether Breen intended
to implicate himself or that he was
merely demanding the money in or
der to express thoughtfulness of his
wife.
Chief OF Police Rice is inclined to
take Breen's pretense or knowledge
regarding the kidnapping case with a
: great deal of salt. Unable 10 get any
thing that he regarded as of much
importance from Breen, Chief Rice
gave his consent early in the day for
Breen to be taken to the office of At
torney Smith in the Zeigler building,
where he was questioned at length. In
giving his consent, the chief said he
had been in hope that Breen might
give up information that would aid
In solving the problem and console the
distracted father of the missing boy
Detective Macdonald had custody OF
Breen on the visit to the office of the
attorney.
Attorney Smith refused to discuss
the outcome of the conference in any
way. 1t was learned, however, that
as stated above, Breen said enough tc
arouse hope that he knew who had
Kidnapped the boy and what had been
the fate Of the youngster, his bad rec
ord discrediting him somewhat, how
ever.