New-York tribune., 1919-06-14
':Not o. Burglar, - Asserts
Brooklyn Bank Robber
Alleged Slayer of Two
Officials Talks Freely
of December 13 Crime:
Comrade Is i'll Alaska
Enjoys Matching Wits
Expert, Who Abhors Pro.
family, Remarkable Speci.
men, Says Prosecutor

Gordon Fawcett Handy is soft
spoken and abhors profanity. He
doesn't swear himself and is uncom-
Portable when others do. In the eight
days and nights he spent travelling
from Tacoma, Wash, to Brooklyn with
detective not so much as damn"
escaped him, even though the connec-
tlons were poor at times and the water
for shaving was often cool.
But Handy nearly swore yesterday
1t was in the Office of District Attorney
Lewis of Kings County, after Handy
had signed a confession that he was
one of the pair who robbed the East
Brooklyn Savings Bank Of 900 and
shot and killed two bank employees.
The District Attorney inadvertently re-
ferred to him as burglar. Handy
hared up for moment and choked off
what might have been some bad Ian
guage.
Don't call me a burglar" he said.
81 never mixed in anything but five
figured job-$1O,O00 or more-in nv
life. I've been at this business eight
years. l probably netted- -nctted. I
say-a total of S45O,OOO. spent it
like a gentleman. l haven't a cent to
show for it. Please don't call me a
burglar again"
Committed "About Three Murders"
District Attorney Lewis declared
that Handy admitted to him yester-
day that he committed "about three
MURDERS" Mr.. Lewis added that he is
quite certain that the authorship of
several other daring and perhaps fatal
robberies in this city could be safely
charged to Handy
Although the District Attorney by
questioning learned the details of the
crime Handy is alleged to have com
mitted, he could not elicit any infor-
nation as to the prisoners real
identity. Handy is known to have
used two other names, Jay Allen and
Browning Bird. He asserted vigor-
ously that all three are fictitious.
Justice Mays part of the Supreme
Court was crowded shortly after noon
when the prisoner was arraigned. He
had spent the night in the Raymond
Street jail, and had later been taken to
Manhattan Police Headquarters and
He was both interested
and amused by the procedure, accord
ing to the detective to whom he was
handcuffed.
Pleads Not Guilty
Handy leaned easily against his
chair as he entered plea of not
guilty and answered a few questions
put by the court. The confessed des-
rl,o
heavily built
He is feet 10 inches tall and weighs
162 pounds His hair is a medium
brown and his eyes arc blue and ex-
pressive He appeared entirely lacking
IN bravado, and answered questions in
crisp, decisive tones. He looked more
like bank official than a bank robber
tie said he intended to get in touch
with some of his friends who might get
him a lawyer. Justice May said a
lawyer could be assigned to him by the
court and Handy acquiesced. Frank
X. Nc cCatfrey, former Assistant District
Attorney of Kings County and one Of
the borough's veteran lawyers, was
selected by justice May. He met his
client for the first time in Raymond
Street jail shortly afterward. Mr.. Nc
Caffrey said that the fact that his client
is reported to have confessed Will not
cause him to relax in handling the
case.
Goes on Trial Jane 23
Handy VIII go to tra! on June 80.
Although ne has confessed, the laws
OF this state 60 not accep, A plea of
guilty to first degree murder charge.