New-York tribune., 1909-07-13
PARK THIEVES CAUGHT
< RHODODENDRONS.
TOOK
Policeman and Chauffeur Confess
and Other Arrests FOlIO1C.

The mystery surrounding the disappearance Of
numbers costly rhododendrons from the West
Drive OF Central Park partly cleared up yes
terday when detectives attached TO Deputy Com
missioner Bughers STAFF arrested a policeman and
a chauffeur the charge Of stealing the plants.
The value of the plants taken is placed at about
sScn. That rhododendrons and other plants were
being removed from the park made known to
the police about six weeks ago when Park Com
missioner Henrv Smith called on Commissioner
Bingham and asked him to detail detectives 10 the
case. Apparently the matter received little atten-
tion. for last week the Park Commissioner again
asked for detectives This time Commissioner
Baker had three men assigned, and results fol-
lowed yesterday when the two men were arrested
One Of the men is James McKeag gney, a police
man attached 20 the Central Park station. and the
other is John y. James. chauffeur After
questioning at Police Headquarters they
fessed the robberies and arrested. The
method pursued by the two was novel and made
1t possible for them escape detection for long
time At night. after he had completed his DAYS
work James would drive to the park and take
the East Drive. When he opposite the rhodo-
dendrons II was his custom TO stop and walt for
who had previously entered the park tear
UP the loosened plants and throw them into the
body Of the car. II simple matter then TO
get out Of the park undetected for the foliage
could not be seen from outside the car.
II was disclosed by McKeagney and James that
the plants were turned over to a Mrs Airy. a
boarding house keeper. OF No. II West a4th street.
who also has place Stony Point, y. Y, where
the plants were taken. A bartender in uptown
saloon is also involved. There is prospect that
most Of the plants will he recovered, as they are
said 10 have been set on the Stony Point prop
erty.
When the police first looked into the matter little
headwa,- made for the robbers left very few
cleWs benind But when the Park Commissioner
tectves redoubed Deputy Commissioner
Bugher put in charge Of the case. and he as
signed Detectives Bohn. Dobson and Neumeier.
They worked along quietly. picking up clews here
and there.
on Sunday afternoon they found James az Ar
verne, Long Island They questioned him and
learned that he knew great deal about the miss
ing plants, much, in fact, that they asked him
10 accompany them back to New York. He
taken before the deputy, and told all he knew.
Then three policemen and a sergeant from the
Arsenal station invited TO pay a visit the
deputy.
When the policemen and the sergeant arrived
Police Headquarters Yesterday morning they
put through perfunctory examination and
denied all knowledge of the thefts. McKesgney
admitted taking some flowers which he thought
valueless but he didn't know anything about
the rhododerdrons- Just as his examination was
about TO close a door opened and James appeared.
II then that McKeagney admitted he was a
party TO the theft. and said he willing tell
all. Little time lost IN taking the prisoners
10 the West Side police court. where Deputy Com
missioner Slower Inspector SchmittberEer and Ser
geant Murphy. Of the legal department, were wait
ing. McKeaEney's shield had been taken away ,
and he had been suspended from the police force
before leaving Headquarters. SO that he was ar
raigned a private citizen. The charge against
him was failure 10 make arrest, while James
held as 2 witness Magistrate Barlow said
that other arrests are likely 10 be made, and hs
paroled both prisoners
Acting on the information given to them by
James. Lieutenant Neumeier went to Stony Point.
Conn, 10 arrest Mrs. Airy, who keeps a boarding
house there. charging her with the theft 81 FIVE
rlododendron bushes. valued at & each. joan r.
Griffin, superintendent OF the botanical gardens in
Central Park. accompanied Neumeier, and seeing
the bushes in the woman's garden. declared that
they came from Central Park Mrs. Airy vas
brought 10 New York and locked up a: Police
Headquarters the charge Of petty larceny. Grit
in being the complainant. She Sailed out by
a friend later i'm the evening When she is IN
the city she lives No. 4 West s41h street
Mrs Airy said the flowers were the present OF
a friend bartender in Neptune Heights. y. J.
On being told that the bushes had been stolen
property Mrs Airy tainted. When revived she ac-
conpauied Lieutenant Neuneier and Superinten-
dent Griffin New York without protest. She said
she had received the rhododendrons last June
The bartender. in giving them. said that he had
received them from emplove OF Central Park.
About the same time that Mrs Airy arrested |
Lieutenant Blohm sent 70 Neptune Heights |
70 arrest Frank Boyle. bartender, who gave his |
address Avon, y !. He found ~ SCOTS |
Hotel and taken 70 New York the charge of
petty larceny. He told the detective tnat he had
received the bushes given 10 Mrs Airy from |
enploye Of the park. He admitted knowing Nc
Kesgney
Park Commissioner Smith said last night ths |
plants that had been stolen were not the ones given
by Mrs. Sage, which planted in different |
part the park. As for the failure Of the police |
10 make any headway in the case when II was |
first reported. Mr Smith said that General Bing- |
ham had worked hard trying 10 get the guilty |
parties.
'Thefts Of park flowers and plants have been
going on for long time" said Mr.. Smith, and |
when the rhododendrOns were first planted out. a |
year ago, great many Of the plants disappeared. ]
When the thefts began again this spring thought |
at once that the plants taken out by auto
mobile. although the policemen stationed in the |
park had never detected anybody"
GLIDING ST PAUL'S STEEPLE.