New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-13

WAS SENTENCED AS FORGER
His Alleged Victim, When Dying,
Is Said to Have Told Sister
Of Charity He Was Man
Who Fired Shot

| The Lake Shore Limited nuIIod into
the Grand Central Station late yesterday
afternoon and John Connolly got off.
Connolly was just out of Saltwater. the
Minnesota state prison. where he had
been doing bit" in connection with A
bad check, and il was the first time he
had been To New York, at least since
February, 1909. But he was not alone.
| for his wrist was linked To that Of Cen
| tral Office Detective Levins by a small
and strong steel chain. The New York
police say that two years was consider
able time for them To wait for Connolly
! but they knew they would get him in the
end, and SO Levins was sent To wait for
| his man just outside the gates of Still
water. Soon he will he tried for the muir
der of Herbert J. Beins in a Greenwich
Village saloon.
| The murder occurred at the corner of
Greenwich avenue and West 18th street
on January -, 1909. While Beins was
! lying wounded on the floor ne was asked
who shot him.
That's my affair" he whispered. Il
know who il was. and he's my man. not
yours. I'll get him when I'm we'll again -
| But while the ambulance surgeon was
| taking Beins to st. Nincent's Hospital,
the police arrested Connolly. who was an
| ironworker and then twenty-seven years
old. on the statements of the hangers-on
around the bar. He was taken TO the
hospital. but Beins could not or would
not identify him as the man who had
shot him. So Connolly was discharged
| by Magistrate Finn in jefferson Market
Court and disappeared.
The police said at Headquarters last
night that a Sister Of Charity. who was
| Bein's nurse. saw that the man was
growing weaker every day and that
| finally she prevailed on him. telling him
that he was soon to die. to give the name
of his assailsnt. Just before his death
he said John Connolly so the police
| charge
The next time the New York police
! heard Of Connolly was about February
II. 1909. on that day he walked into the
First National Bank. Of saltwater. Mimi.
! and presented check for 5000 to the
paying teller II was long chance. for
! the Minnesota State Prison is at still
water. The paying teller went to the
telephone and Connolly walked out The
cashier followed and had him arrested.
At the police station they found in his
pockets clippings from New York news
papers concerning the Greenwich Village
shooting. but he denied anything but a
| casual interest in the matter.
The Saltwater authorities had the
! poster" always sent out from Head
quarters here when man is wanted. and
they wrote a letter 10 New York In the
mean time Connolly pleaded guilty to a
| forgery charge and went to prison for
| three years.
He was a model prisoner. and had 50
much time off for good conduct that he
vas discharged June H. I.evins was
| waiting for him. with rspers signed by
! Governor Dix. He had $3.50 in his
pocket when he left the prison. money
| found in his pockets when he was ar
rested and saved for him.
| Connolly denies any connection with
| the Beins shooting. The police say that
he has been in prison in Elmira and that
! his picture is i'm the Rogues' Gallery.
| They also say that he has gone under
! the names of Roscoe Dewey. Frank Muir
| ply and Edward Howard. The last
name the police say. is signed to a bad
! check. dated January II. 1909, and
drawn for $500 20 on the National Shaw
NUT Bank, Of Hartford. Conn. and that
| there is warrant out for Connolly in
! this particular case.
The man is locked up at Police Head
quarters. The police are not certain
what caused the fight in Greenwich
! Village when Bens was shot. but hint
that bad checks had been going about
! for some time previous.