The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-20
Members of Fugitive
Musica Family Caught
in New Orleans
SIX MEMBERS NOW
IN PARISH PRISON
They Had Booked Passage for
Central America and Were on
Board Vessel When Detec-
tives Finally Came Up
With Them-Will Waive
Extradition.
Especial to The Times-Dispatch.l

New Orleans, March 19.-The thrill
ing pursuit across the country by po-
lice and detectives OF Anthony and
Philip Musica, father and son. huma n
hair dealers in New York City. indicted
! there Tuesday for defrauding Ameri-
can and European bankers ended here
to-day aboard the United Fruit Com
pany's steamship Herodia, about to
leave for Central America.
The detectives. led astray for sew
eral hours by the clever doubling Of
their quarry. all but missed the tugi-
tives. but traced their baggage aboard
the boat in time to accomplish their
arrest.
With the elder Musica. dignifed
Italian Of siXty-eight years. were his
son, Philip Musica aged thirty: two
daughters and Two other sons. Their
attempt. travelling together and closely
pursued. to escape from the country.
perhaps is without parallel in the
criminal history of the United States.
With success seemingly almost in their
reach. they nearly collapsed when the
officers forced way into their state
rooms aboard the Herodia.
We'll Supplied With Money.
Miss Louise Musca. a tall. auburn
haired woman. twenty-five years OF
age: Miss Lucy Frace Musica. one year
younger, dark haired and very slight
Of figure. and Arthur and George Mus
lea. twenty and nineteen years old. re-
spectively. are the daughters and other
sons who were accompanying the New
York hair dealer in his flight. In Ar
thur Musica's pockets were United
States. English and Italian bills Of
large denominations. amounting to
nearly $4,000. and hidden in the cor
set OF Miss Louise Musica was SlS.co0
more. Approximately s16,o00 in cash
Was taken from the six Italians. This
is believed to he part of the 81 900, 900
! they arc said TO have obtained from
| American and European banking firms
! by means of fraudulent invoices for
consignments of human hair. In addi-
! ton. a life Insurance policy for s230.o00,
! fully paid up. was found on the person
of Philip Musca.
The six now are lodged in the parish
prison The cash is in safekeeping in
the New Orleans National Bank, await
! ing the pleasure of the New York City
authorities
we Will start for New York as soon
IS ii is possible" Anthony Musica said
this afternoon. This is all a misunder-
standing II is a civil matter. not "A
criminal one. and as far as that Selis-
man indictment is concerned. we can
pay him the draft fifty times over. We
were All going to Central America on
a pleasure trip and were not running
away from any trouble in New York
any difficulties We may have had are
Az CIVIL transactions. We will waive
eAtradition and willingly go back to
face our accusers"
Admits Financial straits.
Both Anthony and Philip Musica ad :
mitted that their firm had been in fl =
nanciai straits as the outcome of the
iaiinrc or number of their European
correspondents to live up to their con
tracts to buy hair. Eut they denied
emphatically that these difficulties had
prompted them to any dishonesty.
Opposed TO the defense the Italians
make OF their integrity is the drama
tiv story of the six -day chase from
New York TO the little stateroom of tbe
New Orleans Central American liner.
where they We're caught Taking q
circuitous route, assuming different
names. sparatng in OH city only to get
together at the next stop: by train.
now by automobile for a distance and
then by train again. hiding in little
towns when the pursuit was close Fl :
rally betrayed by the accidental loss of
theif baggage which, had they aban-
doned 1T, would have completely thrown
the police off the track-such was the
progress OF the Musicas, father, sons
and daughters. southwark
Detectives retained hy the defraud
cd nankers, were the pursuers in the
thrilling cross country chase Musice
and his family had gained liberal
iead. and IT was some time before the
pursuers picked up the trail in Mont
gomcry, Ala.
They were so close TO capture at
Atlanta that the fugitives abandoned
the regular schedule and fed TO Mo-
| bile. From there they took an automo-
bile to the little village of Dawes.
fourteen miles away. The pursuers
iearnd they were there. From New
norh came telegram addressed to
Philip Musica, who had repistered a :
the hotel under a fictitious name Phil
ip telephoned from Dawes, and had the
clerk at the hotel read the telegram to
him. Then the family moved on to
Theodore, in Mobile County. where
,hey boarded train for New Orleans,
before the trail could he niclted IN
Meanwhile, one detective clunr IN
the baggage that was following the
family 10 New Orleans. and which nj
lCOntinued Thir.i 1oa g