Year: 1871

A Military Marvcl-An Onccr from West
Point Falsely Charged with Petty Theft
HIemb .rs Of the Bar as Swearists.


Before Judge Shandey.


Patrick Reilly. military officer at West Point was
charged yesterday morning by James Ennis, liquor
dealer at No. COS Grand street, with taking twenty
five dollars from the pocket OF o vest hanging In one
CT the rooms In the house. The defendant was q
TALL gentlemanly looking man, with a good tenn.
pered face and presented an appearance the
OF that which usually accompanies vice. His wife,
neat looking, wcll-dressed lady, In court and
both the parties appeared to refute the charge upon
their features Everything connected with them
appeared respectable. On Saturday last Reilly came
on from West Point to this city and stepped into the
barroom kept by the complainant to get glass Of
liquor and write a letter. Having desire to visit
some OF his friends In company with his
wife he sent for her to meet him there
message by boy who Was In Tie place. While
waiting Tor reply to his note the proprietor passed
In from the street. and taking OF his coat hat and
vest he hung them up IN room adjoining the bar
and went upstairs Reilly was then talking to bar
tender by The name OF Dixon, subsequently passing
through the room in which the vest, &c were
hanging for the purpose Of WASHING his hands. Ie-
for few mue rs into one room nen "' bo
other until the messenger returned with note
stating his wife wanted 10 meet him In Church





the means TO buy the desired suit, and made an
L ngemcnt to meet his vile later In the afternoon
at the " iamsburg ferry. Reilly, having been re-
lieyed OF the military habtliments,


DONNED HIS CITIZENS DRESS


and marched out into the street, en- route for
Williamsburg. AS he was proceeding to the above
named rendezvous he was accOsted by the man
Dixon the member Of the bar referred 10, ana In q
few minutes an ollcer came up aud walked Reilly
OF to the station house on charge Of stealing
twenty. five dollars from Mr. Ennis vest pocket.


The prisoners wife In the meantime was kept at
the ferry, wondering what on earth had become OF
her husband. She waited at the place for four hours
after the appointed time, then retraced her
entered the house an o1,cer came and asked
her the peculiar question whether or not she had
given man any money that afternoon" Sne said
she had given her husband some money tile same
on q charge OF THEFT she proceeded to the cell IN
which he was confined and made her statement To
tne sergeant, who, 10y the way did not appear at
the trial In the Court OF special Sessions.


Ennis, when placed upon the stand, could not
swear that


THE MILITARY GENTLEMAN HAD TAKEN HIS MONEY:
all he knew was he had 1t In his pocket when he
entered the house, and that when he came down
STAIRS, nIteen minutes later 1t was gone; he was,
he SAID compelled 10 rely upon the statement OF
the man behind the bar, in whose sleeping apart
ment the vest was hanging


Dixon seemed prepared to swear to ANYTHING He
didnt see the monev taken, yet he was certain Rel
ly had II. There had been no one else in ihe room
10 the room more than fifteen minutes; "ior,r said
he, che first went In TO wash his hands, and the
next time he was In there more tnaD a quarter OF
an hour In other words, the defendant, In his
went up stairs; still he made IL appear that either
his employer had grossly miscalculated the time
Or else That Reilly was there longer than the vest
was In the place. In order " give his story fur