The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-11-16
SWEARS POLICE PLANNED
ROBBERY AND GOT LOOT
Curran Witness Says DOugherty
Paid for Laying Trap for
Burglars.
81, 800 OF HAUL MISSING
Youth Tells of Seeing Police
man Stuffing Feathers
Into His Coat.

yetVeTudy diteTnooii anu toiu INC coH-
mittee that he planned burglary Of a
feather concern opposite Grace Church
last spring at the suggestion Of Second
Deputy Police Commissioner Dougherty,
bought burglar tools with money given
to him by the Second Deputy Commits
sioner. all so that certain professional
burglars might be captured. and that
after the burglars had been taken to the
station house he found policemen packing
up feathers in the place and saw one police
man carry out bag Of the goods while
another was stuffing feathers into his
coat and a third gave the young informer
ten valuable feathers.
Detectives. forewarned OF the burglary.
we're waiting in front Of the place and they
arrested the men a. they were getting
into an automobile with the loot. Two
thousand five hundred dollars worth Of
feathers were returned to the owner Of
the establishment and the National Surety
Company paid 81 500 for feathers that still
were missing.
The young man who told the story
IL Ben njamin Levy. whose father has n
loft in the building at 779 Broadway
The burglary was at 7si Broadway and
entrance was effected by blowing a hole
with dynamite through the wall sepa-
rating the two buildings This was on
June 20 last. Levy said he took part in
the burglary and that the others In it
were Louis kesser. Abe Housman. also
known as Joseph Goldstein; man named
Fishman and a chauffeur named Royal
whose part-was to bring up the automo-
bile in which the getaway was 10 he made.
Levy said he had key to the loft build
ing at 10 Broadway because OF his father =
having a loft there and that he let the
others in.
Levy was called in. he said. by Joe
Daley. detective Of the West l25th
street station. and was told that Com
missioner Dougherty wanted to see him
because he had acquaintance with differ
ent burglars. Levy said he saw Cam
missioner Dougherty at Headquarters
and that the Commissioner showed him
three rogues' gallery pictures Of Louis
Kcssler. Joe Goldstcin or Ale Housman
and Abe Weinstein, professional bur-
glars. Levy added. Dougherty asked IL
he knew them and he said he did. Levy
says that Dougherty continued. Il want
you to get these men" Il says 1 will
try" Levy went on. "and he gave me
t25 for expenses. With the S25 ! went
down and met Louis kessler and ne got
some burglars tools Tor SIS OF the money
Dougherty gave me. The balance Of
$40 used in investigating. After ! had
planned with Kessler about the firm we
were to rob he looked the place over and
said il was all right and easy. | reported
back to Commissioner Dougherty through
his secretary. MIR. Young. told him
that we had located place to be robbed
and that thought We would get Kessler.
Young said to me. II you get Kessler
will give you SIPS told him had in
vested some Of the money in burglars
tools. He didn't say anything told
him they had looked over the place and
that they were going to do it the next
day. This was Friday.
The next day telephoned to Detective
Clair at his house and made arrangements
to meet him on the next following morning
at Forty-seventh street and Third avenue
l went down there and told him the job
was ready.
u told Clair ! had got Louis kessler
and he was going to get these other two
men to get into the lofts Of the African
Feather Company and to be on hand
Clair said he couldn't go over anybody's
head and wo uld have to see the lieutenant
In the meantime saw Secretary Young
and he said to go down and zee Lieut.
Glynn Of the Sixteenth precinct. met
Lieut. Glynn at the Broadway Central
Hotel, and Glynn and Clair and told him
how the thing was going to go. told
him the automobile was going to be used
and gave him the number of it and the
mans name who was going TO be on the
job. Louis Kessler and Goldstein ar
ranged for the automobile. The chauffeur
was supposed to get $50. Lieut.. Glynn
told me that when he faced north | should
60 south should so should not be arrested.
Isaid TO Glynn, | have the men ready. and
there will be robbery tonight at that
place. and he told me he would have his
men on the job and who they were and
where they were going TO be.
Then went over and had lunch with
Kessler We went to his home and he
got valise with the burglar tools. |
went to the loft with Kessler and We put
the tools in the building at about p. NJ.
Then went back to Kesslers house. 50
Third street. believe. and at a:3O We left
to go to the job. Joe Goldstein. or Hous-
man. telephoned TO the firm TO see If any
body was in. No answer being given, |
went in with them. opened the door
with the key and we went up to the loft.
did not see the detectives at this time.
The men took about two hours to blow
the wall with dynamite 1t was about
a twenty-inch wall. was outside, SUD-
posed to be watching to see that no police
was coming, As ! opened the door for
the boys to go out with the feathers and
get into the automobile saw the curtain
of a window across the street move as IL
hand brushed il away and | knew the
detectives were there. The chauffeur
came with the automobile at about half
past II. ] helped pick out tho feath-
ers with the other boys, They took the
three suit cases and tho bundles and put
them in the automobile. which was facing
south.
According to Lieut.. Glynn's directions