KinSource - Tale of the Week - Up To His Old Tricks Again

KinSource

Minnesota Tales

St. Paul Daily Globe, March 24, 1899, page 2

UP TO HIS OLD TRICKS AGAIN

GEORGE FARRELL CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTING TO BURGLARIZE A RESIDENCE

Served a Term in the Workhouse for Robbing the Same House Last Year - Was Rounded Up in Very Short Order.

Fifty minutes sharp work on the part of Detectives Murnane and Sweeny last night served to place George Farrell, alias McDonald, an old-time thief and all-around crook, once more within the tolls of the law. Farrell was wanted for an attempted burglary at a boarding house kept by Mrs. Nellie V. Friend at 254 East Tenth Street.

A peculiar feature of the attempted robbery was the fact that Farrell robbed the same house on Dec. 14 of last year, was captured afterwards and sent to the workhouse for ninety days in expiation of his sins. Notwithstanding the failure of his first attempt, he made another last night at 9:10 and would have succeeded, but for an accident.

The crook entered the house by the front door, which was left unlocked, choosing a time when the boarders were least liable to be in the halls. The front vestibule was unoccupied, and he made his way down the hall, trying to get to the stairs. Just as he reached the foot of the staircase, William Hemann, an employee of the C. W. Hackett company, happened to come down, in company with a friend. A short inquisition followed, in which Farrell was unable to give a satisfactory account of his actions. His answers aroused the suspicions of Hemann, and, as the man turned to leave the house, he recognized him as the same individual who had burglarized the place in December.

Farrell turned down Canada street on leaving the house and a few minutes later, after telling his friend of his suspicions, Hemann and his companion followed, intending to track the man to Seventh street and there inform an officer of his attempt on the house.

Farrell noticed that he was followed at once and, waiting until the two young men had passed Ninth and Canada streets, out of the glare of the street lights, he slackened his pace and allowed them to catch up with him. He then turned coolly on his pursuers and, flashing a revolver in their faces, politely requested them to go home to their friends and relatives or take the alternative of a double inquest. The young men returned.

They at once telephoned the central station, and Capt. Roleau notified Detectives Murnane and Sweeny, who were then at Twelfth and Wabasha. The two officers located their man fifty minutes later in a Third street saloon and promptly locked him up.

Farrell has served a five-year term at Stillwater, being sent there in 1893 for the highway robbery of a Chinaman here in St. Paul. He is a well built man, and, under ordinary conditions, would easily pass for a prosperous merchant.

The St. Paul Daily Globe, March 25, 1899, page 2

WAS A PRETTY BUSY THIEF

GEORGE FARRELL, OR M'DONALD, AS ACCUSED BY THE POLICE

Detectives Say That Since His Release From the Workhouse a Few Days Ago He Has Helped Stock Several Pawn Shops.

It developed yesterday that the attempted burglary of the East Tenth street boarding house, which landed George Farwell, alias McDonald, behind the bars Thursday night, is not the only offense committed against the public in the course of the past ten days by the same gentleman. He admitted entering Mrs. Friend's boarding house the night before and also confessed to a number of other operations in the sneak thieving line.

Detectives Murnane, Sweeny, and Hallowell were put at work early in the morning to trace Farrell's record during the past two weeks, and after a few hours' work, they say, found that on Thursday afternoon he entered another boarding house kept by Mrs. J. M. Egars at 227 East Tenth street, and stole a black suit of clothes belonging to Elliott Hunter, an employe of Haynes' photographic gallery on Selby avenue, and made away with a brown suit from a room occupied by O. C. Peterson, employed at the office of the state board of health.

Previous to entering the Egar house he entered the Fey hotel on Seventh street, and from one of the rooms took a gold watch valued at $30. On another occasion he had stolen an overcoat from an unknown party, which was found later in Weinberg's pawnshop, 382 East Seventh street.

Having unearthed the man's record, the detectives visited him in his cell at the central station and confronted him with the proof of the queer transactions charged to him. He weakened at once, admitted his faults and offered to show the officers where he had taken the stolen property.

In company with the officers he made the rounds, and at Max Krivanski's pawnshop on East Seventh street the property taken from Mrs. Egars was found. The proprietor of the place identified Farrell as the man who had pawned the goods. At Friedmann's on East Third street, the watch taken from the Fey hotel was found. At a pawnshop kept by I. Calamson, 374 Minnesota street, a miscellaneous collection of pants, ties and other goods was found. Farrell seemed penitent, and gave the officers valuable aid in recovering the stolen property.

As stated previously in The Globe, Farrell has served terms in Stillwater and was but recently released from the workhouse, where he served a ninety-day sentence for a burglary at Mrs. Friend's boarding house, 254 East Tenth, Dec. 14. His second attempt Thursday night on the same house again landed him in a cell. The only defense that the man makes to his actions is that he was drunk. Upon being released from the workhouse recently he went to the chief of police and chief of detectives and assured them with great earnestness that he intended to reform and lead a virtuous life. Impressed by this assertion, a collection was taken up for his benefit.

Farrell is a carefully groomed man of forty years, apparently of good education, refined and courteous in his conversation, and a man who would easily win the confidence of those with whom he comes in contact.