New Britain herald., 1916-06-05
N 4dEEA " NEH< IVS w D SUSPECTED DIPS
 FREED BY POLICE
Quartet Of Alleged Pickpockets
 Arrested Here Saturday ACTIONS WERE SUSPICIOUS
Victim Gould Not Identify Them and $ Authorities Had No Evidence to
 Warrant Further Action-Prison-
 CTS Claimed to Be SaIesmen.

Did the authorities allow a gang of p1ckpockets, who came here Satur- day seeking the rolls of Hartford bound people, to slip through their fingers? This question has been causing no end of talk since Con- stable Cornelius Downing and Former Deputy Sheriff w. c. Hart rounded up four slick looking strangers, who were thought to have divorced Frank Shea of Collinsville from his wallet containing s15 in bills.
 While admitting that the circum- stances attending the arrest of the quartet were suspicious and that there Is a possibility that the men are versed in the art of extracting money from people by the painless method, the officials declare that they had no alternative but to release them, lack of shred of evidence making it i'm possible to keep them prisoners. The men were given their liberty after they had been questioned and ! when Shea admitted his inability to identify any of them as the party who took his money.
 Shea discovered the loss of his wallet while on the 1:20 north bound train. He recalled having been jostled few minutes before by a group of strangers who insisted on his hurrying as he entered the coach. Four of the men who were in the party suspected, hurriedly left the train and started for the center. l Shea went after them, Constable Downing and MT. Hart joining in the chase. The quartet proceeded up West Main and down Pierce street whence they were halted by the 1 ''posse.''
 Grand Juror M A. Norton grilled ! them for some time after their arrest. l One of the men claimed to be cigar salesman employed by Graves and company of New Haven, another said he was soliciting subscriptions 1 for a magazine while the other two l represented themselves as agents of an automobile accessory concern. The officials telephoned to New Haven and were advised that the Graves company employed a salesman by the name given by one of the suspects Search failed to reveal the missing wallet. Shea wasn't sure that any of the men lifted" his purse and could offer no | evidence which the authorities be- l ieved of enough value to warrant l holding the prisoners for trial. Their claim that they were on Pierce street looking for a trolley car was their only damaging admission.
 There were three other strangers on the train of whom Shea was suspicious and he admitted it possible that one of them had taken his money, the authorities, who were satisfied that in releasing the men l they pursued the only course open to them under the circumstances.
 Investigate! Russell's Income. 1 Hoping to get some information as to the young mans income, Justice A. H. Conden has reserved decision in the case of Thomas G. Russell, who appeared in court Saturday af- ternoon to answer to the charge Of non-support, preferred by his wife, Mrs. Agnes Russell. Testimony TOT the plaintiff was taken by the court the defense permitting the' hearing to end when the prosecution competed i the examination of it's witnesses.
 Russell and his wife have not been l living together for some time Several months ago the couple settled their differences when the young man , agreed to pav s7 a week towards his i wife's support According to the 1 testimony presented in court Satur- l day he has not given her the allow ance for a number of weeks.
 After the hearing Justice Condell reserved decision, indicating that he would give a judgment against the | accused but wishes for time in which | to learn the amount of the young mans income to enable him to de- termine what sum his wife is entitled to receive.
 Judge w. J. Malone of Bristol, ap- peared as counsel for the accused, Grand Juror s. s. GWillim represent ing the state
 To Speak at Banquet.
 Amang the speakers at the annual banquet of the Young Mems Catholic club to be held at Lake Compounce Thursday night will be Rev. H. T. Walsh and Rev. w. P. Kilcoyne of this place. Rev. Bernard Mccarthy of Hartford and Rev. Patrick Mc- | Carthy of Meriden, both natives of Plainville, have also been invited to take part in the post prandial eSor- | cises.
 There are a number of local men In the organization and the town will be represented at the banquet. James | McCucker, Peter N. Prior and Thomas P. Prior of this place are on the com- mittee of arrangements and they ex- pect that covers will be laid for over one hundred.
 Mayor Joseph F. Dutton of Bristol will be toastmaster. In addition to | the speakers already mentioned, there will be addresses by Judge Thomas l Ryan of Litchfield; Senator Thomas J. Molloy of Hartford and Rev. Thom- as J. Kenna of Bristol
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