The New York Times/1881/01/13/Arrests For Burglary

by The New York Times

Arrests For Burglary.

A Bold Attempt To Rob A House In University-place.

John R. Moll keeps a lager-beer saloon at No. 66 University-place and occupies the floor above as a dwelling. The only entrance to the dwelling apartments is through the saloon underneath. Between 9 and 10 o'clock last evening, while Minnie Hamilton, a niece of Mr. Moll, was in a back room on the second floor entertaining a visitor, Bernard Gaffney, she was startled by hearing footsteps in the front room, and saw on the glass panels of the folding doors I dividing the two rooms the reflection of a person moving about. Miss Hamilton opened the folding doors, and, on looking into the room, saw a man standing in front of a bureau endeavoring to force open one of the drawers. She called for help, and Mr. Gaffney ran to her assistance. The intruder, finding himself discovered, sprang to the open window and leaped out to the pavement, a distance of about 20 feet. In the fall he fractured his right leg. Mr. Moll and his barkeeper, hearing the commotion, ran out into the street, and found the injured burglar making an effort to rise from the sidewalk. They attempted to detain him, but were prevented by a confederate, who had evidently been on the watch outside, and who struck the barkeeper and drove him away. Patrolman Parker, of the Fifteenth Precinct, came up and took the wounded man into custody. He was carried to the Mercer-street Police station on a stretcher. He there gave his name as James Farrelly and his residence as No. 32 Bleecker-street. At the station-house he was recognized as a professional house thief and burglar, who had been arrested several weeks ago for a burglary at William Leutner's shoe store, No. 86 Bleecker-street, but was discharged by Justice Morgan for lack of evidence. Farrelly was taken to the New-York Hospital as a prisoner. An examination of the premises showed that Farrelly had mounted the iron railing on the side of the stoop of the house adjoining Moll's saloon, and thence clambered to the top of the projecting window of the saloon. This brought him on a level with the front windows of Mr. Moll's apartments. It was an easy task to open the window and step into the room. A number of burglaries and house robberies recently in Jersey City, have been the subject of Police investigation by detectives. They obtained testimony to show that several of them were committed by three professional thieves, named George Rines, Jacob Lindauer, and Martin Schmidt, who live in this City. The testimony was laid before the Grand Jury of Hudson County, and indictments were found against the men, and last evening Detectives Bowe and Kiernan came over with warrants for their arrest. With the assistance of Detectives Moran and Brennan, of the Fourteenth Precinct, Hines, Lindauer, and Schmidt were arrested at their residence, No. 141 Mott-street. In their possession were found a number of skeleton keys. They were locked up at the Mulberry-street Police station, and will be arraigned at the Tombs Court to-day.