New-York tribune., 1920-12-05
John Reidy, Deserter
From Arizona, Seized in
Street by Detective and
Navy lntelligenceOm Officer
Pinned Victim To-
Floor, Choked Him
Often Jocularly Admitted
He Was Slayer, Thus
Passing OFF Suspicion

John Reidy, twcnty-four years ola .,
descrtcr from the L. S. S. Arizona IN
signed statement at Police Ucad-
quarters last nj ight confessed to tn.
murder Of Leeds Vaughn Waters at
the Plymouth Hotel, 257 West TWENTY
eighth Street, on the night of Noyen1-
Der 8.
heldy was arrested at Eighth Ave
nue. and Thirty-tirst Street by Detec-
tive James Finn. Of the West Thirty
seventh Street station. and Thomas J.
Sheehan, an investigator from the Ma
val Intelligence Office. early Yesterday
afternoon. Rcidy confessed to detcc-
tives at the West Thirty seventh
Street station, and after rrillinr at
Headquarters set forth the details of
the killing in written statement.
In this statement Rcidy says that on
the night Of November 3 he met Waters
at Times Square. He had had SLIGHT
acquaintance before with Waters. whom
ne knew as Talbot. After some friend
y argument as to how they should
spend the evening they strol!ed across
Forty-second Street and down Eighth
Avenue. On their way they stopped at
various cafes ana saloons. where. the
statement says. they were served with
Intoxicating liquors. They also went
into basement bakery shop. wncya
they bought some rolls. Rcidy identi-
fed the baker at Police Headquarters
lest night.
After leaving the bakery they con
t'nued their stroll and finally landed
at the Plymouth Hotel, where Reidy
says that he was in the habit Of stay
ing. In his statement Reidy says that
Waters under his familiar alias Of
I abbot
The two men were assigned to a
room on the fifth floor of the hotel.
W atcrs, Reidy says. was in a pugna-
cious frame OF mind and began to pick
q quarrel with his companion. Accord
III to Reidy, he attempted to avoid
trouble by repeatedly asserting that
he wished to go to sleep.
The fight began in the bed. Waters's
mead was knocked against the bedpost.
According to his slayer. he then lost his
temper They rolled on TO the floor,
where the fight proceeded in earnest.
In his confession Reidv declares at
was either Talbot or me then"
Waters was finally thrown TO the floor
and Reidy jumped on him and pinned
his shoulders to the floor. He then
choked the PROSTATE man to death. he
said
At this point q hotel clerk came I'D
to investigate the noise. Redy told
him through the door that il was onlv
A friendly little bout and promised that
ncy would be quiet. This explanation
ga not seem to satisfy the clerk. who
was lnslstent in his demand to see for
himself
Rcidy then flung open tho door and
bolted past the clerk. He dashed down
the stairs and passed the elevator on
Seventh Avenue and after he was Ger
tam that he had thrown off his pur-
Suers he went to Times Square. where
he took the subway TO Brooky yn.
While in Brooklyn Rcidy says that
be stayed at the naval branch OF the
y. Nj. c. A. on Sands Street. From
the night Of the murder until his arrest
yesterday Rcidv says that he has keen
on the move. He went from BROOKLYN
10 East New York and from there to
Jersey City. He says that he has
spent nuN'ber oil nights at tho Hotel
Pcnpost, Eighth Avenue and Thirty
first Street.
Makes Confession Calmly
Rcidy, who looks young, told detec-
tives at Police Headquarters that his
home was in Milwaukee, where his
father was in business.
With Rcidy at the time of his arrest
was Roland Noak, also of milwaukee,
and a former seaman in the navy. He
denied all knowledge Of thc fact that
his pal Reidy was the murderer Of
Waters. He said that he had been at
'9Nious places with Reidy when Rcidy's
LIKENESS to the murderer of Waters
had been remarked. According to
Noak, his pal always passed these ques-
lions of good naturcdly, often admit
ting Jocularly in public that he was
really the mau for whom the police
were looking.
John Carney, the clerk at the Hotel
Plymouth. who was at The desk the
night OF November 3, identified Reidy
as the tlaycr Of Waters.
Noak is being held as a matcrial
witness. following Information which
ne has given TO the police which it is
expected win lead to the arrest Of the
murderer Of Frank Barber, who was
found dead in Central Park last week.