The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-02-14
FUUEY MAY SQUEAL
In BOND THEFT PLOT
"Big Eddie Offers InfOrma-
tion If Met Half Way, but
Protects "Higher Ups"
GRATED FROM RICH MEN
Fictitious Badges Used to
"Shake Down" White Slave
Law ViOlatOrs.
GRATED FROM RICH MEN

Big Eddie" Furey, central figure in
the group under arrest for alleged COM
plicity In the $4,000 bond theft plot.
broke his sullen silence yesterday and
submitted TO Assistant District Attor-
neys Alfred ]. Taley and Richard C.
Murphy an offer to come through"
This offer was made in the office Of
william J. Lahey. Second Deputy Police
Commissioner, where Big Eddie% was
questioned by Detective Sergeants Au-
gust Mayer and Grover Cleveland
Brown. 1t was made conditionally.
big Eddie" who previously had re-
fused to answer all questions, saying he
feared he might incrimlnate himself,
has become disgusted over the fact that
several Of the prisoners arrested ipycon-
nection with the bond plots have made
confessions. II see that the raats are
squealing," he remarked to the detec-
tives, and then threw out the suggestion
that he was susceptible to any reason
able proposal In the nature OF bargain
with his prosecutors.
He declared that he knew many things
about the do.ngs Of crooks in the fin
ancial district; that he has vast a
mount Of inside dope" as to where
hundreds OF thousands Of dollars worth
OF securities have been hidden, and that
he is willing to tip the District Attor-
ney off" II the District Attorneys
office will meet him half way"
Refuses to Betray Higher Ups.
Asked II he would be willing to in
clude certain information relating 10 the
connection of higher ups with the
bond thefts. Furey became enraged and
said that he would not. He said that no
had made his offer. and that he would
stand pat on it; that II 1t is accepted he
will talk. and IL it is not accepted he
will not divulge any Of his secrets what
ever.
Detectives Mayer and Brown stated
that Big Eddie" had admitted to them
that he had worked the shake down
game" in many cities, but denied that
he had practiced It in this Jurisdiction,
excepting on the occasion when he rep
resented himself to Joseph and Irving
Gluck, two OF the men under arrest In
the case, as a Deputy United States
Marshal. and forced them to give him
their automobile and other Valuables by
threatening to arrest them for bond
thefts. That automobile was found yes
terday by Detective John Fitzpatrick.
1t is believed that big Eddie's" graft
consisted largely Of detecting wrong
doors, and particularly wealthy men
who might be guilty of violation of the
white slave law. Then with the depu-
ty marshals' badge that he carried, he
could prentend to arrest them and
shake them down." The uses to which
he put his badges Of automobile inspec-
tor, deputy sheriff and income tax on
Ger are not yet known.
II was learned yesterday that the
deputy sheriffs badge that was found
among his belongings after his arrest on
Tuesday, was issued to Elias Levine OF
$50 East 172d street in the summer Of
1917.
Deputy sheriff Badge Raj.
To a detective who questioned him.
Mr.. Levine said that he had obtained
the badge on recommendation OF an
Assistant District Attorney of the Bronx
from the Sheriff of that county. A few
weeks later, he said, he went to the
country without 1t, and on returning
home found that the door OF his apart
ment had been jlmmied and the place
ransacked He believes, he said, that
the badge was stolen from him at that
time, Shown a picture Of big Eddie"
he declared that he had never seen him,
to the best OF his recollection.
In tracing Big Eddle's" career, the
police learned yesterday that he had
within the last few months covered the
ground OF certain crooks who were i'm
plicated in the case OF Bennie Blnko-
witz. the youthful Wall Street mes
senger who was found murdered in Con-
necticut soon after he had disappeared
with S17S,000 worth of Liberty bonds.
He is said to have been on friendly
terms with a gambler in Cleveland. Ohio,
through whose hands some of the bonds
stolen by Bennie Binkowitz are known
to have passed.
Moses r. Ryttenberg, Assistant Dis
trict Attorney, said last night that he
would present to the Grand Jury early
next week evidence against Furey, the
two GIuck brothers, the two Bunora
brothers and Wolf. the merchant now
under arrest All are scheduled to ap-
pear to-day In the Tombs court for q
hearing. but an adjournment has been
arranged
Representatives of bonding companies
are cooperating. They have submitted
lists of securities stolen in 1919. Octo-
ber stands out as the red letter month
with upward OF 100000 worth Of se-
curities stolen in New York, Philadel-
phia and Washington.