The sun., 1908-04-18
DETECTIVE EEAUGHT DEAD.
KNEW MORE CROOKS THAN ANY
OTHER NAN IN HIS LINE.
On the Force 10 Years without . Charge
Against Him-Tsn Years With the DIS.
trlct Attorney Helped 10 Break Up
Many GenEs-MAdo 5000 Arrests.

trict Attorney Helped 10 Break Up
Many GAnEs-MAdo 5000 Arrests.
Just az Police Headquarters was opening
No for business yesterday morning there
came this message
aDead-Robert NJ MoNaught, detective
,erseant, retired
II was the announcement Of the passing
out Of a detective known in almost every
city In this country, in South American
REPUBLICS and in European capitals. He
died at his home, JO2 Marion street, Brook
lvn, Of general breakdown, having been
siling since the first Of the year, He was
about SO years old
When Bob MoNaught retired three years
ego he had been a policeman twenty-nine
Years, and all b.; three years Of that time
he had been a Headquarters detective.
He was called Bob when he was appointed
and he remained Bob to everybody who
knew him until his death. When he handed
in his resignation 10 Police Commissioner
NIcAdoo not single charge had been pre-
farred against him in his twenty-nine years
asa policeman. Said Bob Mcknight:
You know II sort of makes the old man
feel good TO look back over his record and
no, find a black mark Also think It is
about time l got out and gave the young
fellows chance
A. that time McNaught had been attached
tothe District Attorneys Office for ten years,
At all times having the confidence Of Dis
tret Attorney Jerome When McNaught
ert Mr.. Jerome said;
Bob, I'm sorry to lose you
The members Of Mr.. Jeromes stan got
together and presented diamond stud to
NcNaught. NoNanght wasn't told any
thing about II until he had been summoned
m the library on the top floor, where all
Mr. Jeromes assistants were assembled.
lIr Jerome happened to be away and Will
ism Rand, Jr.. chief OF stan, made the
presentation speech 1t was n tribute TO
an Official who had enjoyed the confidence
Of the District Attorney for years and always
respected it. That night Bob McNaught
was the guest at dinner In his honor.
Il was said OF Mcknight that he knew
more crooks, big and little, than any de-
'sc-iyp in the country. An al ert, quick
moving man, with an iron gray mustaohe,
he had spent most Of his life observing
crooks and their ways. Aud any man who
spends ten years around the Criminal Courts
building and keeps his eyes open cannot
help getting 70 know the citizens OF the
under world ,'for there they all come sooner
or later.
McNaught had served in the civil war.
first with New York regiment and then
With q New Jersey regiment, when he be-
came q policeman. An account OF one OF
his first Jobs as a policeman may interest
the parlor socialists Of to-day. There was
a. meeting Of anar chists in Iompkns
Square, Justus Schwab being one OF the
speakers. The police were ordered TO break
Ilp the meeting and they charged. McNauRht
in the front rank. Detective Tom Hickey
had arrested Schwab. who made fight,
backed up by his followers. McNaught' 8
club convinced Schwab that where he be-
longed was in a cell.
The street gangs Of those days we're made
up Of genuine tough men, not like the para
sites who band together to-day II wasn't
safe for policeman 70 60 alone where tne
gangs existed and they went IN pairs
McNauRht had good deal TO do with break
ing up the Short Tails and the Border gangs
which held out in the Delaney street pre-
cinct and on its borders, which meant that
be had TO tackle and land in Jail notorious
toughs like Army smith, Lefty Crowley
and Tommy Holland.
McNaught's effective work brought him
TO Headquarters as a detective, but when
Tom Byrnes took charge in 1880 MoNaught
with many others was swept out by Byrnes'a
Ranization scheme One year later
8yInes sent for McNaught.
I'm going to reinstate you just as pub
lciy as YOU wore dismissed" said Brynes
If you make good you stay; II you don't
out you 90.
dive me the chance that's all l want,
taid McNaught
Bob McNaught never left the Detective
Bureau after that until he quit voluntarily
Then he had made more than 5000 arrests.
His prisoners numbered big crooks little
crooks, slick crooks and blundertng crooks
mlirderers and bad men. For long time
he was in the jewclry district shooing on
the thieves who wandered below the dead
line established by Brynes
Danny Driscol, the leader Of the Whyos
once tried 10 rescue from McNauEht onC
Of the gang who had been made prisoner
Driseoll ran I'D the street with revolver
IN his hand Mcknight snapped his pisto
twice but II didn't work Then he used
the revolver a. club, knocking nriscol
out. A yesr or 40 later Driscoll was hangec
in the Tombs for the murder OF Beezy
G4rrity
I'm glad my pistol didn't shoot tha
day.' said Mcknight. 1T was better fol
Driscoll TO be hanged than for me 10 have
killed him
In arrestinR John Bough an old Bowery
crook and forger, who was convicted a
short time ago, McNaught had 10 chase
him 20 barn in New Jersey Bough grabbed
ptohfork McNaught showed a CUR
in his face. Rough took the barrel OF the
pistol in his teeth.
shoot. damn you he said. I'm no
siraid,'
II was McNauRht and his partner, Johr
Cud. who arrested William A. F. Moore
and his wife. Foyne Moore, for badgerine
Martin Nahon He also went 10 Gin
rinnati with Assistant District Attorne,
Ciarvon 10 bring back j. Morgan Smitl
and his wife in the Nan Patterson case
Young Mr.. Garvan came back with stor!
that he had boxed with Mcknight anc
whipped him. When MoNaught heard thu
story he said:
sFooIish. I could take that young man
put him over my knee and spank him
a McNaught was a grand old man, salt
ar. Carvan Yesterday when he was tolC
Of the detectives death.
McNauaht travelled all over this country
and Europe 10 get prisoners, He mad
many friends, an Of whom rememberet
blm II was said Of him that he coulc
yet information OF a reliable nature better
than any other detective, He beheveC
that the crook Of to-day is smarter thai
To-day thew are better educated anC
Ghrewder,,7 he said 10 a friend not lonl
ago. -You have got to watch them; They
don't hang out where you can find them
They work alone a good deal. some o.
the old timers will never be beaten In thei
particular lines. | suppose, t'ut the young
crooks Of to-day are shifty lot,
When McNaught retired he was employee
by the Mercantile SafesDeposit Company