The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-05
John Farrell Tells Ghastly
Story to New York
Police
ATTEMPTED THE LIFE
OF JUDGE ROSALSkY
Police Convinced Man Is Mentally
Unbalanced, But Story Is Essen
TALLY True-killed Woman
for Discharging Him

New York, February 4.--John Paul
Farrell, a discharged apartment houses
janitor. confessed today that he had
killed Mrs. Bernard Herrera SUNDAY
night by means of a bomb he made
and that by similar means he had
caused the death OF Mrs. Helen Taylor
a year ago and attempted the life of
Judge otto A. RosalslSy of the court
of general sessions last March. FAR
rel was held tonight on charge eg
murder for the killing of Mrs. Herrera
Although the police are convinced
the man is mentally unbalanced Dep-
uty Commissioner poughertY tonight
said detectives he had sent out In num-
bers to investigate the case have
learned enough o lead them to be-
lieye F'arrelrs startling story Is true
In the essentials, though false in many
details.
Every time Farrell had a grievance
he seems to have settled the busiues~
with bomb. The trouble with
Herrera, he said. was that she Il,
him from his job as janitor and iss
a negro In his place. lie wanted %
Judge Rosalsky out OF the way a
cause the jurist mad sentenced Jol
Harvey pal" 20 serve 80 year
Sing Sing for stealing SIS worth
jewelry. Farrell teld the police
helped Harvey rob Peter Johns
home in the Bronx in 1905 but ca
escaped
No Cause for killing
| Why Farrell wanted to XIII the Tay-
lor woman-sometimes known as Grace
Walk er--was more than the police
could fathom. In his early story Far
gave no reason
told Dougherty why and by wnon
KID Walker was shot down and slain
in 1887 on the Bowery. lie said Wall
l<er BETRAYED the Taylor woman and
u man nanied Iestranga killed him IA
revenge
Having disposed of the bomb mys-
teries, Farrell confessed. tho police
assert. TO having perpetrated a series
of robberies In Brooklyn and the rob
berry Of the Johnson home. Harvey and
Harry Hartman. his companions in tho
latter exploit We're sentenced to Sing
Sing for 80 years, and nine years re-
| sreetfvely. Farrell had never been
! SuSHttttu VI tofhp'i'fiS III Ai' Niiht'
Has Served Sentence
Besides this, Mr.. Dougherty said
Farrell served 10 years In the New
Jersey penitentiary at Trenton for bur-
2lary and other crimes. As John Me
Dermott. alias liverpool Jack Far
rell's picture is in the rogue's gallery
in Jersey city. according to infornla-
tion brought to Dougherty.
| Farrell's desire to confess to so man@
Ii
sanity. lie Immediately set about verl-
fylng the story While detectives wers
busy at this. the janitor kept two stem
ographers busy taking down fresh de-
tails of his protraeted story.
After an all night grilling and more OF
II during the forenoon, Farrell was trae-
table and answered without hesitation
every question put to him. He said he
was born in ireland SO years ago, and
had served as am orderly in the army
in the Spanish American war. lie was
asked II he had served in the navy ami
promptly displayed ~. S. N tattooed
on his right arm. He also told the
police he had been confined for short
| time In an insane asylum at Danville.
| Pa.
Made Own Bomb
The bomb Farrell placed opposite Her
| rera's door he made In his room, he
| said according to the same formula
used IN manufacturing the Rosalsky and
TAYLOR Internal machine. The materials
! consisted of iron pipe. springs. paper.
two boxes a steel button and perciis-
| sion cap The explosive IN each cass
was nitroglycerin. He gave the police n
specimen of his handiworl< by construet-
| ing a dummy bomb and in the meantime
he told of his crimes.
The Taylor and Rosalsky bombs were
made in the cellar of a house In Eas-
Fourteenth street. Farrell said. where he
was employed as an elevator operator
| The superintendent of the building re-
called this afternoon that Farrell used
| TO lock himself in cellar at times AMI
| become enraged at being disturbed On
| the premises was found a short length
| of pipe, fashioned at each end just as
| Farrell said he made them.
! connection between the Taylor and
| Rosalsky cases WAS suspected, partly
| through the fact that the addresses on
| the two packages were made apparently
by the same typewriter. Commissioners
/ DoughertY said tonight that Farrell In
his confession told of buying a second
hand typewriter. Farrell made use OF
! this machine when he sent the bombs
4 early last year. he said
Farrell will be arraisned before cor
oner tomorrow. charged with homicide.
NH