New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-20
Reynolds ForSbrey Pleads
Guilty, After Declaring He
Would Never Stand Trial.
ONCE GOT OUT OF TOMBS
May Stay in Prison for Rest Of
Life as Result Of Second De-
gree Plea-Two Indict-
ments Disposed Of.


| OF General Sessions yesterday who
watched Reynold4 Forsbrcy chewing gum
! placldly while his plea Of guilty to murder
! In the second degree and assault in the
| first degree was recorded suspected that
! the nonchalant young man had threat
ened, even If he had to commit another
murder. to escape from that very court
room IL brought 20 trial or the indict-
mcnts against him. Evidence 10 that .ef-
feet, however is in the hands of the Dis
trict Attorney.
About a month ago John r. Minton, jr.,
an Assistant District Attorney, found I'm
the Tombs a prisoner named John Frey,
Of whom Forsbrey had made a contidant.
1t was Frey who told OF Forsbrcy's con-
templatcl escape from the courtroom, and
at Mr.. Mlnton's request ne put his IN
formation IN the form Of an affidavit.
Frey IS now IN the House Of Detention.
IF they put me on trial Tor tina. muir
der" said Forshrey according 20 Frey,
I'm going 10 escape from the courtroom.
don't care II have 10 commit another
murder TO do Il; I'm going to take a
chance"
You'd never get away with IT," said
Frey They'd shoot you In your tracks"
Electric Chair or Freedom.
'T don't care" replied Forsbrcy.
They've got me right now. and It's the
electric chair for me II I don't get
,away"
Forshrcy never told Frey just how he
intended 10 manage hts escape from the
courtroom but the latter had small doubt
that a man who had ,scapeI from an l-o-
lated cell In tho Tomhs. and whose situa-
ton was so desperate. would make the
cndcavor.
Forshrcy's plea yesterday dlsD0sos OF
the two indictments against him On this
county-one FOR the murder o. Morris
Schwartzkopf, jcwelcr 81 10 De-
laHcoy street, on July 90, and one for the
attempted murder OF Max kat. a cigar
store clerk, OF No. 81 Cooper Square. on
the same day He rs still under indict-
ment for the murder 4 Walter Meseritz
In Brooklyn and may be called as a wit
ness against James Cassidy. who IS now
on trial IN the Supreme Court. in Brook
Ign. for murder.
Judge Mulq"cou accepted Forshrey's
plea on the recommendation OF James
oMalloy. an Assistant District Attorney.
Mr.. O'Malley said it would be impossible
for him 90 prove dcIib,ration or prrlcdi-
tatiou or that Forsorey intended to rob
the Jcwellcr. and that Il was likely that
had the case gone to a jury verdict OF
murder In the second degree would have
been found.
81 tod
while Mr. OMalley was addressing the
court Then he asked that Margaret
Ryan. the young woman who Struggled
saws and acid To him while he was I'm the
Tombs and I'm whose company he was re-
arrested after his escape, be allowed to
visit him before he was sentenced. This
request was refused by Judge Mulqueen.
Miss Ryan, who would have been a wit
ness against FOrsbrCy, was released from
the House Of Detention yesterday.
May Serve Rest of Life in Jail.
The prisoner viii be sentenced on Fri
day. Ten years is the maximum for as
sault I'm the first degree. When he has
finished that term he will have another Of
not less than twenty years and perhaps
life, 10 begin on the murder charge II Is
not known what disposition will be made
OF the murder indictment against Fors-
brey I'm Brooklyn. II he tesuhes against
Cassidy 1t is probable plea to a minor
offence will be received or that the IN
dictment may be dismissed. At any rate,
unless Forsbrey shows the same facility
in escaping from Sing Sing that he
showed in getting out of the Tombs, he
will probably spend most Of the remain
der Of his life I'm prison
lie escaped from the Tombs on Scptem-
Der ., a few days after the discovery OF
saws and acid I'm hfs cell had led TO his
confinement in an isolated cell. He was
recaptured on September a.
on July 20 he entered the shop Of
Schwartzkopf, TO whom he had sold Jew
clry on previous occasions, and shot him.
man on the street saw him fire the
shot and run out. No one heard what led
up to the shooting. The jewellers stock
and money were intact.
A little later that same day Forshrcy
went into the cigar store on Cooper
Square While Max Katz, the clerk was
lookidg up a number for him in the tele-
phone book Forsbrey shot him twice. lie
was captured soon after lie told Com
missioner Dougherty he had had several
"sniffs" of cocaine that morning and did
NOT rernsuber shooting the ieweller