New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-16
DOUGHERTY ACCUSED
BY STOOL PIGEON
BENJAMIN Levy Testifies That
Deputy Commissioner Paid
Him to "PIant" Robbery.
BOUGHT BURGLAR TOOLS
Used Police Money to Supply
Three Robbers, He Says
Swears That Detectives
Stole Feathers.

BENJAMIN Levy, a timid and soft spoken
r,,s individual who has been a stool
,ieson for the Police Department, startled
.he members Of the aldermanic investigat-
A., committee Yesterday with allegations
hot DEPUTY Commissioner Dougherty had
.lyen him money TO induce certain burg
iors 10 commit a robbery, so that the de-
,ect,ves might arrest them. He also de-
clared that certain detectives, after one OF
hIs "nIanted" robberies had been commit
ted had helped themselves to the spells
and given him only small share.
After Emory r. Buckner. chief counsel
for the committee, had examined Detec-
tive Angelo Cava, against whom grave
charges have been made by two prisoners
oov in sing Sing prison, Associate Coun-
&c, Harold S. Deming told the commit
tee that he wanted TO show them the ac-
,,v,tv Of the stool pigeons and Just how
dangerous they were. Then Levy. the
,opnr man who said he engineered the
yohhery Of the feather store Of Michael
sbaniro at No. 10 Broadway, on June
o. and then turned his confederates over
N his detective friends, took the stand
and told his story.
Levy told how Detective Joseph Daley
called him IN and asked him to come
down to the Office Of Dougherty. There,
he testified. Dougherty took the pictures
Of Louis Kessler, Joe" Goldstein or
abe" Houseman and ABE" weinstein
from a drawer and asked II he knew them.
He said yes. They were three profess
sional burglars.
"He meaning Doughertyl said, 4 want
YOU TO get those men, and ! says. I'll
try.'" he testified. And he gave me SIS
for expense. then met Kessler, and he
got some burglars tools for SIS"
Police Money for Burglars ToeIs.
with the money that Dougherty gave
you?" he was asked. The witness re-
Piled in the affirmative, and continued:
THE balance used in gambling houses.
so that could be near those men. After
that planned with Kessler about the firm
We were 10 rob. He looked the place over
and said It's all right, son; it's easy
And reported back to Dougherty's Sec
rotary Young told him / think we will
get Kessler, and Young says to me, If
you get Kessler 1 will give you sl25' On
Fnday told him they would do II the
following day. Then / met Detective
Clair. l told him l got Kessler. who was
going 10 brisk into the lofts of the Afri-
can Feather Company. and to be on hand.
He says to me. All right Secretary
Young told me TO meet Lieutenant Giynn,
Of the 18th, at the Broadway Central
Hotel"
And then the young man told how he
discussed the coming robbery with the
lieutenant; told him how il would happen
and how he was going to get away. He
also told how he and his men blew a big
hole in the wall, packed a lot OF feathers
In packages and took them downstairs,
he in the meanwhile keeping a sharp look
out for his detective friends.
After the men were arrested he took
walk, as was arranged. and when he
came back he saw Lieutenant Glynn talk
Ing to Waterman. He also noticed that
the front door was broken in. He said it
wasn't so when he finished the lob"
Yes, sir, ii was the door l had opened
with my key" he said. Il said, 'Glynn,
who smashed the door? and he said
That's all right. You will be covered
up We have to make IL look like
burglary. as II somebody else got in the
building So I went upstairs with him
and saw Officer Murray was in the loft
taxing out feathers. 1 helped TO pack UP
feathers which they took out. then
helped to wrap up the burglars tools,
and Detective) John B. Botti said to me:
Here are some feathers Ostrich feathers)
for you He said: Take 'em-Its all
right
Says Detectives Stole Feathers.
SO noticed one oficer-I think his
name was Beck-a big, fat Teller, take
ana put feathers between his coat and
down his pants. Well. / got some for
hott; II was ten feathers. Botti says TO
me- You had better beat 1t home and I
says, AN right
AFTER that / seen Dougherty. He says
70 me- You are getting like an old pair
VI Shoes around here, and want you to
peat II out Of town until this case is over.
VINO made the arrest. Oh1cer Daily told
me would get % per cent Of the amount
involved from the insurance company.
Also will get 81 900, but I never got no
dividend from the insurance company or
any part Of 5000"
The witness said that a little later he
was arrested on a charge of burglary,
uled and acnuIfted NJ p,,cL,.r n,antaI
T" Know What policemen were in the loft
"nen he, the stool pigeon. returned Levy
sa'd mat Captain Dominick Henry, Lieu
tenant Glynn and Detectives Clair, Botti,
savage, Murray and Beck were there.
NOW, this is not the original burglary
81 All This is the official burglary" said
M Buekner. The audience laughed
loudly Levy also told Of other burglaries
nc SAID he had planned for the police.
Two weeks before that the police had
asked him to get for them the same
Loins Kessler He arranged a successful
burglary, he said. but the police failed to
.uin Up and make an arrest. Secretary
ioung said he would give me S125 II got
Aessier," he said. Kessler committed the
Ioooery-stole about 1900 worth Of silk
from the same building, he said-and
,oen escaped. The following morning.
levy said, Detectives Daily and Botu
U''d him to see that the goods were re-
turned. lie did, he testified, after a great
zeal Of trouble. The man who received
"s goods was arrested.
Germania Bank Robbery.