New-York tribune., 1920-05-15
Dooling Only Yawns
AT News That Nickv
Will Arrive To-day
This and Other Rumors
About Fugitive Plotter
Keep Reporters on Jump;
Burgess Pleads Guilty

The presence of William J. Fallon,
Saul S. Myers and representative of
bonding company in the District At
torney's Office yesterday afternoon
was quite enough to start rumor that
"Nicky" Arnstein, alleged possessor of
the masterful mind that conceived the
idea of looting Wall Street of S5,OOO,-
600 in bonds, was about to surrender.
From a much overworked "reliable
source" evening newspaper men were
Informed that Assistant District At
torney John T. Dooling had agreed to
accept 100000 in Liberty bonds as
bail and that the phantom plotter was
on his way to New York from some
place west of Lafayette Street.
A bland individual, who said his
name was Harold Norris and that he
represented the bonding company,
waded into the ranks of horde Of re
ceptive reporters with the statement
that everything had been fixed and
that "Nicky" Would surrender to Mr..
Dooling at 10 o'clock this morning and
then go up to Fifth Avenue and see a
parade of all the policemen who have
been on his trail.
This, together with report that
Commissioner Enright had slipped
"Nicky" a couple of Annie Oakleys
to the reviewing stand, convinced the
reporters that the much advertised
husband Of Fannie Brice was at last
about to be seen again in the flesh.
When that branch of the Arnsten
Reporters Association which works
for the morning newspapers started to
penetrate the fog of rumors that en-
veloped the Criminal Courts Building
Il fnnnS hat ho
return is still very much in the realms
of the problematical.
Mr. Dooling, whose life is just one
Arnstein rumor after another, seemed
surprised when informed that "Nickv''
was on his way
That's news to- me-" said the prose
cutor. Il haven't discussed a bail bond
with anybody, and am still of the opin-
ion that when Arnsten comes in it will
be as prisoner in the hands Of Com
missioner Lahey's efficient detectives
This talk of surrender does not in
terest me. l have heard it for months,
and lyawning to say that I am weary
OF 1t would be stating the case mildly
visited me this afternoon. but it was
not In connection with the bond case
We discussed another matter"
While the Criminal Courts Building
was palpitating joyously with a new
injection of rumors a man walked into
the Hotel Majestic late yesterday after
noon and, dipping a pen nonchalantly
in the ink, inscribed the following e
name on the register: nicholas j.
Arnstein."
The clerk, who was engaged in read
ing about Babe Ruth's latest four-base
bunt, took one look at the name and
reached for the smelling salts. Kindly
hands caught him as he was about to
collapse, and this precipitated an in
vestigation, which developed the fact
that Nicholas J. Arnstein is a Russian
merchant, who has just arrived here
from California. He said he hadn't
even heard of "Nicky"
Donald c. Burgess, formerly a can
collation. clerk in the transfer depart
ment of Henry L. Doherty & Co., plead
ed guilty yesterday to the theft of
100000 worth of securities from that
firm and was sentenced by Judge
Thomas c. T. Grain to two years in
prison. The light sentence was due to
the fact that the clerk had given the
District Attorneys Office much valuable
information in connection with bond
thefts that have been perpetrated here
by dishonest messengers