The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-04-17
Ex.CLERK OF BANCROFTS HELD
GOES To THE TONES. LACKING
SiJ,OOO BAIL.
Hes the Third Man 10 he Arrested In the
Theft Of Securities worth SIS .OOO
Two Others Indicted. Bancroft

Aaron Bancroft Of the firm OF George
Bancroft 4 Co.. the brokers OF 10 Beaver
street. was held in $4,000 bail yesterday
by Magistrate Breen in the Tombs police
court. The two that were already under
arrest are Dan o Reilly the former Assist
ant District Attorney. who is under
5000 bail. and young jeweller named
Frank Plass. who is in the Tombs await
ing examination on Tuesday morning
Aaron Bancroft was in court yesterday
to make the complaint against Barrett.
In the complaint he tells how on March ?
two men jostled against him as he was
on his way to the vaults OF the Produce
Exchange Safe Deposit and Storage
Company and the package containing
the securities knocked from under his
arm and another package substituted
similar in size. but containing only worth
less paper.
He charges that the two men who
jostled him are Chester Yates and Charles
Ross. alias Charles Murphy. both Of whom
are now under indictment but not under
arrest, and he charges Barrett with acting
in concert with them and with Frank
Plsss. who 10 under arrest. in the larceny.
Barrett was represented in court yester-
day by Richard f.. Weldon OF the firm
Of Weldon Byrnes Of 300 Broadway.
When Magistrate Breen had read the COM
plant to which Bancroft had sworn he
saw that il stated that Barrett had con-
feesed. Lawyer Weldon said that for
his client he denied the confession.
we can easily prove the confession"
said Lawy@ William NJ. Sullivan. who
has been handling the entire matter
since the start for Mr.. Bancroft. The con-
fession was made at Headquarters yester-
day afternoon and stenographic report
was taken. Inspector Russell. Detectives
Armstrong. Downey and Fay were there
and was there myself"
Lawyer Weldon objected that Bancroft
had not heard the confession and the
complaint was at length amended 30 that
it read that Bancroft had been told by
Sullivan that the confession had been
made.
Sullivan asked that bail he set at high
figure and said that $4,000 would not be
excessive. Weldon objected and said that
his client could probably get as high
al $4,000. but not any more. Magistrate
Breen said he did not think $4,000 was
too high and said that il Sullivan had
not named that figure he would have
set it higher. So Barrett was committed
to the Tombs in default OF the bail and
the case was set down for examination
NJ . -
Barrett. who is 80 years old and lives
at 80 West 129th street. used TO be a clerk
for the Bancrofts. but was discharged
on January 1. Since then he has been
working as an expert accountant for
Haskins 4 Sells. In the two years that
he worked for the Bancrofts he got into
old Mr.. Bancrofts good graces and
became familiar with lot Of the firms
routine.
Mr.. Sullivan. counsel for the Bancrofts.
told newspaper man yesterday his
version OF the negotiations with 0'Reilly
for the recovery Of the securities which
ended on March "a with their delivery to
Sullivan in taxi after Sullivan had paid
Plass 5000 and. he says. presented
o Reilly with $50.
on March 2 Immediately after the robbery
Yates and Murphy went TO Boston. where
they were unable to negotiate the securi-
ties. They returned to New York on
Monday. March Q. just before the SUBJ
stitution Of envelopes was discovered by
the Bancrofts. Upon this discovery Mr..
Sullivan stopped the transfer Of the
securities. gave the matter all possible
publicity and called in the Pinkerton
bureau.
On March II. Mr.. Sullivan said. Detec-
tive Dougherty told him that the missing
securities might be obtained through
O'Reilly and asked what the Bancrofts
might be willing TO offer for them. also
Sullivan would care to retain
O'Reillv in the transaction.
Il REPLIED" said Mr.. Sullivan. that
the bond OF indemnity for the missing
I was the attorney for the Bancrofts
and wouldn't retain anybody, and that
IL Mr.. O'Reilly had business with us he
could come to me.
Mr.. Sullivan at once told the police
what he had heard about O'Reilly. On
March "a, early in the IN orning. O'Reilly !
called up Sullvan's Office to ask where |
they could meet and talk business. He |
was told to come TO the Office and did |
so later in the morning. Detectives
Alillmore and Armstrong were in an
room.
Mr.. Sullivan made an appointment
to 90 10 ORelly's Office in the Pulitzer
building early in the afternoon. When
O'Reilly had gone the detectives arranged
TO shadow Mr. Sullivan to and from
O'Reillys office. and Mr.. Sullivan noted
the numbers OH Ave 81 900 bills and on
some others of smaller denomination.
Al O'Relly's Office MIR. Sullivan met
Plass and tho taxicab ride was arranged
-O'Reilly knew Plass as 'Francis.'
Mr.. Sullivan said, but he introduced him
TO me as Mr.. Smith"
They got a taxi at the Astor, where
The detectives had followed them and
went uptown to Central Park. Mr.. SulI
van says he had supposed that their taxi
was 10 be followed by the detectives. but
il was not. He was anxious to get bills of
which he had the numbers on each man
Tor evidence and wanted O'Reilly in par
ticular. as he SUPPOSED that IA soon as
he left the cab its other occupants would
he arrested After they had agreed upon
Is, 600 as the reward" Plass handed the
envelope of securities to O'Reilly and
received the money O'Reilly then gave
The envelope to Mr.. Sullivan.
Now. then, what do get out OF this?"
Mr. Sullivan says OReilly asked him.
he proffered a $50 hill, which
O'Rsilly accepted
At the Plaza Hotel Mr. Sullivan was
nut down hut m hia snrnroa tharo