Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1918-07-29

P|CKPOCKET HAS
ALONG RECORD
John Meehan, With Record Of!
TWenty-four Arrests, Landed
at Fast Line Trolley.
MORGAN MAKES ARREST
Was Wanted for Picking Pock-
ct of Local Man on Trolley a
Month Ago.

Another professional crook has been
taken into custody by the police OF
this city. He has criminal record ex-
tending from 1900, during which time
be has been arrested on various
Charges twenty-four times.
PatrolmRn Edward Morgan, one OF
the newest members of the police
force, made the arrest, being on duty
at the time. The man war taken
night at the corner of Smith end state
streets, Just as fast line car was
about to leave.
The arrest caused considerable COM
motion as several hundred people
were on the streets at the time. The
man was given q hearing before Re-
corder Harold 3. Pickersgtn yesterday
morning and is being held in default of
$4,000 bonds to await the action OF
the grand Jury.
The latest pickpocket failed to fall
into the meshes OF the net spread by
the Perth Amboy police and has been
travelling under several assumed
names during the past eighteen years.
he is known to the New York police
as John Meehan, alias Red" Nee
han, Frank Sullivan, James Meehan
and John Sullivan. The police of that
oity have records of Meehan's arrest
on twenty-four occasions in New York.
brooklyn. Newark, doDoken, Iltts-
burgh and Montreal.
About three weeks ago Arthur Pc
terson. of 869, Neville street, reported
to the police that while riding on
trolley car from Woodbridge to this
city his pocket had been picked of
about thirty-three dollars. Peterson
remembered being showed into by a
man on the trolley and gave the de-
F scription of the man to the police.
Since then the man has been seen
on several occasions here and all of
the policemen were given deScrlp-
ton of the alleged pickpocket, with
instructions to arrest him on sight
Saturday night Morgan posted HIM
self at Smith and State streets and
watched the crowds as they got on and
on the fast line cars. Shortly after
e:a0 o'clock he spied a man who an
gwered the description given him by
Petersen and he watched his move
ments. According to the statement
made by Morgan he saw the suspected
man shuffling the crowd and he decid-
ed to act.
Morgan advanced on the man and
In another moment had snapped a
pair of handouts upon him. Chief
Burke was on the corner of Smith and
State streets at the time and came TO
the car where Morgan had made his
arrest. Meehan appealed to the CHIEF
70 be permitted to proceed TO the Jail
without the 'bracelets' but Chief
Burke decided to take no chances on
letting him go.
The police suspected Meehan with
having q long criminal record and yes
terday Detective Sergeant Lawrence A.
Long went to New York. taking with
him Meehan's fingerprints. In few
minutes the past history of the man
was learned and brought back to this
ciry.
Although arrested twenty-four
times Meehan has managed to secure
his discharge in most cases. His last
arrest which the New York police
have a record of, was made on June
II. 1913 In Montreal when he was TAX
en- into custody charged with theft and
sentenced to spend fourteen years in
st. Vincent De Paul penitentiary. After
serving q few years however he got
out and came back to New York.
When questioned as to how he got out
of the penitentiary by Chief Burke,
Meehan declared he had been de
ported"
The arrest of Meehan again shows
that Perth Amboy Is no place for pro-
fessional pickpockets and that the To-
cal police have their eyes open for
men Of this description. Patrolman
Morgan, who made the arrest. was not
on duty at the time he made the arrest
but had been determined that he
would get the man.
Meehan's criminal record. as far as
the New York police know, is as fol-
1900, attempted grand larceny; Sep
tember Is. 1904. New York City, pick
socket, discharged: September IT.
1907, New York City, attempted grand
larceny. discharged; October IT. 1907,
New York. disorderiy conduct, ined
IS; October 10, 1907, n. Y. City. grand
larceny. discharged; January IL. 1910.
oember 81, 1903, Brooklyn, suspicion,
discharged; March rs, 1910, New
York. pickpocket. discharged; April 9.
1910 Hoboken, pickpocket, peniten-
tiary, ninety days; August rs, 1910.
New York City, disorderly conduct.
discharged; October Is, 1910, New
York City. disorderly conduct. six
1910. New York City. disorderly con-
duct, workhousei November is. 1910;
New York City, disorderly conduct,
discharged; January 10, 1911. New
York City, disorderly conduct. dis
charged: January Is. 1911, New York
City, disorderiy conduct, reprlmanded; (;
January 1s. 1911. New York City, dis
orderly CONDUCT discharged.
March IS. 1911, New York City. dis
orderly conduct, fined ten dollars;
March fe. 1911. New York City. dis
orderly conduct. workhouse; May Il.
1911, New York City. disorderly con-
duct. fined ten dollars; August 10.
1911. disorderly conduct, workhouse.
three months; June II. 1912. New
York City. disorderly conduct dis
charged: September ~. 1919. Brook
lyn, grand larceny. discharged; De-
cember 27. 1919. Pittsburgh. pick
pocket. twenty-five dollars fine; June
IL, 1919. Montreal. theft. fourteen
years IN the ST. Vincent De Paul peni-
tentiary.
On ana aftsr August /. MIN win hs