The New York herald., 1921-08-29
Twenty Sullen Habitues Of
Hell's Kitchen Deny Any
knowledge of Murder.
LIE TO SHIELD HOEY
Missing Occupant of Shack
Had Threatened Life of
the Policeman.
VICTIM OF DEATH TRAP
Lured to Dark Lot by Fake
Fight, According to Wom-
ans Story.

More than twenty sullen young men
who insisted they didn't know moth
in'," were taken to the West Thirtieth
street police station yesterday and
asked, among other things, who was in
Bill Hoey's watchman shack just after
o'clock Saturday night, when Patrol
man Daniel ]. Neville was shot to
death as he was entering it.
They were picked up in various re-
sorts and on sundry corners of the
Helfs Kitchen district. To a man they
disavowed seeing Bill Hoey on Satur-
had been seen with him as late as an
hour before Neville was murdered.
At midnight Detective Captain Pat
rick j. Randle. who is directing the
nounced that he had arrested as mate
rial witnesses John Gallagher, alias
Brennan, IS. with no home, and Daniel
Kerrigan. 20, of 521 West Forty-eighth
fident both men were in the watch
mans shanty when Neville was shot.
Three others were being detained, al
though not under arrest.
Randle admits he's looking for Hoey,
veteran of Elmira and Sing Sing, al
though less than 26 years old. He
vanished Immediately after Neville
was shot. He was employed as watch
man on the vacant lot. 542-544 West
Thirty-ninth street. where the murder
occurred. The police say they have
established the fact he was in his
shack on that property at O'Clock.
All the young men taken to the police
station by the hundred detectives and
uniformed policemen working OH the
case were acquaintances of Hoey. All
insisted they had long since divorced
themselves from gangs and the influ-
ence OF gang leaders. They denounced
murder and said they had nothing but
respect for Dan Neville. whom they all
knew.
"Respected" Dead Man.
You're right YOU had respect for
him." sneered Randle when one of the
lads began blubbering his regard for the
murdered policeman. You had to have
He knew you rats and knew how to
handle you You had respect for him.
all right That's the reason one of you
killed him.
There are two good reasons why de-
tectives are so ger TO find Hoey. Hoey
hated Neville. Neville had been patrol
ling Hells Kitchen for eleven years.
When Patrolman Joe Nolan was killed a
year ago, within a hundred yards of the
scene OF Saturday nights murder, Neville
came near to connecting Hoey with the
affair Nolan was Neville's partner
Neville was not able to implicate Hoey
but later on Neville received an unsigned
note informing him that friends of
Hoey's were waiting for a chance to kill
him.
On July Is Hoey was arrested on a
charge OF robbing billiard room farther
up in Eleventh avenue. Neville was on
house duty In the West Thirtleth street
station when Hoey was brought in.
In trouble again, Bill?' queried Ne
vile. with your record they're liable
to give you a long ride"
Hoey is alleged to have turned toward
Neville and replied:
Maybe 1t won't be as long one as
you'l get some day"
On Saturday afternoon some one stole
two or three large cases Of cigarettes
from a wagon belonging to the Metro
politan Distributing Company The
wagon was standing in Eleventh avenue.
The theft was not reported until early in
the evening. Neville had gone or duty
at In the afternoon. lie would have
been relieved at midnight.
Sought stolen Cigarettes.
Just before s o'clock he telephoned
the police station ana was told to watch
out for the cigarettes.
Maybe ! can clean that Job UP in
few minutes" said Neville TO the desk
lieutenant. There seems TO be lot OF
smoking going on around Eleventh ave-
me and Thirty-ninth street tonight. l
saw n couple of lads coming out OF that
vacant lot where Bill Hoey has tenn
porary lob as night watchman. There's
\ lot OF old wagons and packing boxes
In there along with a lot of bad boys
now and then"
Neville was murdered fifteen minutes
later. When his brother patrolman
searched Hoey's shack they found new
but empty carton that had contained
dozen packa ges OF the variety OF cigar
cites stolen from the Metropolitan Dis
tributing Co.'S wagon
with all this In front OF them, the
police declare themselves Justified In
looking for Hoey. When Hoey was ar
raigned on the charge OF robbery after
his arrest on July 15 he was held In
$4,000 bail for the Grand Pury. A West
side business man said to he politically
influential procured the necessary bond
and was instrumental in getting Hoey
the night watchman job. lie IL said TO
have notified the police that his future
interest In Hoey would be In the direc-
tion OF assisting In his apprehension.
TO appreciate fully the tremendous
chances Neville took In looking for the
stolen cigarettes II is necessary to sec
the scene OF the shooting. whole Sc