Norwich bulletin., 1922-02-21
FOR TRIAL FOR RAILROAD
THEFT AFTER TWO YEARS

FOR TRIAL FOR RAILROAD
THEFT AFTER TWO YEARS
Charged with breaking an entering an
interstate railroad car in the Fort Neck
yard at New London on the night Of July
Is; 1919, Petro Facerda, formerly of that
city, was arraigned in police court there
Monday, brobable cause was found after
a three hour and a half hearing and the
accused was bound over to the next term
of the superior court under bonds Of
s2,50O. Facenda has just recently been
released from Jail in Worcester, Mass,
where he was serving time in connection
with another break, enacted some time
subsequent to the break in the Fort Neck
yard. A warrant issued by the New Lon
don authorities was awaiting him OH his
release,
The arrest of Facenda followed two
years of activity on the part of Captain
Edward Roach and Sergeant Caleb
Green of the New Haven road police force
Sergeant Green testified Monday that on
the night of July 10, 1919, he and Captain
Roach encountered three men removing
goods from a freight car in the local
yards. The railroad police we're walking
| througl: the yards abous midnight when
they heard a noise in one Of the cars. One
officer stationed himself at one cnl Of
| the car, from whence the sound came,
and the other officer crept around the ca
I and there found a. man in ola act of re-
ceiving gods which were being passed
GU: to him from soneon., within the car.
A 75-pound bag of coffee and a00-pcund
box Of candy had been removed from the
| car. When the man wao was standing
outside the car saw Sergeant Green he
starred TO run Sergeant Green made a
grub at the man as he passed hut did not
catch hold of him.
The officer drew his gun and shouted
Stop or I'll re" The man did not stop
and the officer then grapple1 with tIs
man and a tussle followed. The man hit
Green over the head with a blunt instru-
ment and Sergeant Green then called to
| Captain Roach for l1elp. The man was
captured and proved to be Victor Fred
ericks, who was later convicted and cen
fenced to Jail
One Robber Concealed Identity.
| While Sergeant Green was tending tc
his man, Captain Roach at the ether enc
of the car was having a. stiM more siren
uous encounter. The alarm of the officers
+, approach had first been given to tbs
thieves when Captain Roach brushed
against an iron fixing on the car and rat.
run and two other men to attempt to ge'
out of the freight car. Captain Roacf
shot the rays of his searcaligllt in the dool
of the car and got a glimpse of the two
men, one the taller OF :ae two men wa:
Facenda, according to testimony offered
by Captain Roach. The other man was
short and he hid behind Faeenda and tn,
officer did not identify him.
Captain Roach then ordered the tive
~
; jumped to the ground they attacked him
The little man wrenched himself freed ant
sped away Captain Roach and FacendE
fell to the ground in a tuss!2, rolling IN
der the car. At that moment the shot wa
fired at the other end of the car by Ser
geant Green and Capt ain Roach hearC
Sergeant Green call out. Thinking tina
Sergeant Green had been shot, Captain
Roach dropped his man and rushed t,
f. Sergeant GREEN'S aid. Two Ct the tire
thieves thus esca ped. But Captain Roacl
had gotten full glimpse CT Facends an,
was later able to identify Raeenda il
i: the Worcester jail.
| While Facenda was in Jail at Worcester
Captain Roach identified him from anon.
a group Of II Italians implicated in
series of railroad breaks in Massachu
sets Charles Satti formerly Of thi
$ cityf and now on the railroad detectiv
, force in Worcester, went into Jail cell ad
+ joinong FaceIlda's cell, got into a CONVEX
$ Sation with Facenda and pried out Of hin
the information that Facenda had pTevi
ously lived in New London. had tende
bar IL Antoine Leverone's saloon, 1olde
!. street and had know Victor Frederick
! Detective SAITH testified Monday tina
Facenda had confessed to him that h
had been in on the break in the Fort Nee
: yard, but that he had gotten away. AT
;, torney Thomas E Troland, counsel 70
. the accused objected strenuously 10 the in
: | PRODUCTION into the case of any facts co
=. lected by Detective SAITH Attorney Trc
> land argued that an officer accosting
- man was obliged by law to inform the ma
that he was an office, and to furthe
= warn the man hat anything he might sa
would be likely to be used against hin
= Prosecuting Attorney Daniel NJ. Croni
: argued that a railroad detective was ns
a police officer to that extent that h
had to caution a man before interrogatiE
: him. Attorney Troland called the procet
y urc Illegal and a third degree method {
getting evidence. The court ruled that II
conversation was permissible as evidene
A second clash between the attorney
3 arose over tho question of the condition
/ the freight car at the time it arrived in IL
Fort Neck yard To prove that the car a,
\ rived and was received by the railroad q
J. fcils without the seals being broken,
: was necessary for the court to take r
Il cess while Captain Roach retained to h
offEce, collected some re-ocds and T
n turned with Frederick Wilbur, CHEZ clel
y of the freight Office, who produced r
: cords TO prove that the car in question lit
# been received in perfect condition.
l. A third clash occurred wnen Attornt
n. Trolnd claimed that Prosecuting Attorn,
q C.oIin had told Detective SAITH abo
,f two years ago not to bring any more IRE
,f passers on railroad properly to him
r. prosecute, after Detective Satti made
~ alleged arrest of a person who was n
q guilty Of trespassing. Attorney Cron
!, Jumped to his feet TO utter denial al
a. to question Attorney Trolands authori
:. for his remark. Attorney Troand offer
a to explain the situation outside Of con
~ ami Immediately accepted the denial al
!. withdrew the question.
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