New-York tribune., 1920-05-07
Saws He Told City OFF,
cial of Plan by 3 Gangs
to Sell Securities i'm
Montreal and Cleveland
Kean as Witness
Contradicts Furey
Former Detective Asserts
Relocated Brokers Who
Would Buy the Stocks

The testimony of James Kean, given
h the "Nicky" Arnstein bankruptcy
proceedings, was made public last
night by Saul s. Myers, attorney for
fbe combined surety companies which
are ende1voring to locate and recover
sbout sao0o000 worth Of securities
htolen in thefts alleged to have been
planned by Arnstein and Nick Cohn.
Kean is held in the House Of Deten-
zion as a material witness in the Arm
ttein case. Until shortly before he met
sBig Bill" Furey and Joe Gluck in
Montreal, Kean was in charge of the
Burns detective agency in that city and
bad been engaged in working on a num-
Der Of wire tapping cases.
According to a statement issued last
hight by William J. Burns, head of the
agency, Kean was discharged on Aug
ust IA, 1919. because he did not meas
ure up In his statement. Mr.. Burns
sad the Burns detective agency mott
fed New York City official the middle
Of last February that Kean and Furey
we're arranging to dispose of stolen
bonds in Montreal.
Three Distinct Gangs
"At the time mentioned" said Mr..
Burns. Eve disclosed to this city official
that Kean. Furey, Gluck, Cohn and
other men, whose names have not been
disclosed were engaged in this conspir-
acy. We told the official that three dis
tinct gangs were at work and we went
into full details as to how they were
operating, whore the bonds were being
passed and how they planned to dis
pose of them iii Montreal and Cleve-
land"
Mr. Burns refused TO disclose the
name of the city official TO whom this
information was given.
In his statements made before Fed
eral Commissioner in Bankruptcy
Alexander Gichrist jr., Kean followed
line of deferse similar to that
adopted by Furey. He insisted that his
only aim in dealing with Gluck and
Flrey IN Canada was 10 ascertain
where the stolen bonds were coming
ircm and who the principa in the
plot We're. furey and Ciuck we're then
prospecting in Canada for q convent
ent disposal plant" for the $4,000
oVo worth of securities. which they ex-
pected to round up in this city in a
series of robberies that were to be
earned olt simul taneously.
kean said his part in the operation
was to place the two New YorFers in
touch with a broker who would liuui-
date the stolen stock. He said he
finally told them he had arranged this
detail, and Furey and Gluck returned
to New York. lie followed them
shortly afterward. and while here
learned more of the $5.000.000 plot.
Returned to Montreal
Shortly before the big roundup Of
stolen securities was to take place,
Mean sad, he was going to give the
complete details TO the police. Before
he could do this. Furey and Giuck were
arrested and he decided to return to
Montreal.
Furey has denied all the assertions
made by Kean and the two will be
placed on the stand to-day in Com
missioner Gilchrsts court in the Fed
eral Building. AS Furey has threat
eQed to knock Kean off" at the first
opportunity, the meeting between the
Two men is expected to provide lot
Of action.
A Tribune reporter was informed
tsaS' hight that when Joe Gluck, whose
Ophd robberles are said to be we'll
ao'se 9l'O00,UO0, was first arrested, he
haue proposition to the police where
y! ne vas to make an appointment to
meet Arnstein, Nick Cohn and other
.eSaers a, IN the bond conspiracy. The
prolee were to he on hand and make
sle arrests. 1t IS said that when the
lv'ge hnaily began to consider it ser
is iivus'g' Arnstein, Cohn and the others
%au hed. Gluck's original confession,
s :" "nicn ms story was only half told,
was made in February II, the day Arm
stein disappeared.
;o. VIZ myers said yesterday that in
: itofshation toas,on which has Just reached him
" .saus MN to believe that the mysteri-
n;.s ,pa,ient IN the Post Graduate Hos
f,sai tss , VINO IS alleged to have passed on
o. cs saiue OF the securities stolen by
CaI I.A ana turned over to Arnsten and
t.r,, unn was Mortimer Bernstein, "secre-
saSS @iS TO "Plunkey' Drukker, and a
or ,T pA Anown figure in the Tenderloin ard
ha;. .'oauWay. Bernstein is described $
May, Nag a dapper individual, who was ex-
kttsed to fix things" when any of
ss,.oy ssnu ooys' got in trouble. His name
TIra TIrlsa prominently in the Gondorff
Sfe'tapping case.
iells of Hospital Visits
NJ rAeNsordlng to information reaching
as hSefS, bernstein, or Morty Burns,
undas was known on Broadway, died
Ca, another name at the Post
saa u.aduate Hospital about three weeks
,o.ck Sluck in his confession told Of nc
S'mpanying Nick Cohn to the Post
Continued on page dsht)