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Show YEGG'S JJFE STORY "Liverpool Jack," Safeblower, Relates Experiences. Once Tried to Blow Police Headquarters Headquar-ters Safe to Get Revenge Proves Self Guilty to Save Friend. New York Hnw hp li;H nno. trlo to blow open the safe at Mulberry street police headquarters in the '80s, as revenge for an unjust conviction got by one of Inspector Byrnes' men: how he had cleverly fooled a country justice of the peace after being caught on a safe-breaking job, by feigning to be drunk; and how he had later proved his own guilt, to save another man from the crime, was told recently recent-ly at the new Center street headquarters headquar-ters by James Murphy, safe-breaker, arrested for carrying burglar's tools. It was Murphy, known as "Liverpool "Liver-pool Jack," who, with Red Leary and Johnny and Jimmy Hope, blew open the saft of the Manhattan bank, at Broadway and Bleecker street, in the early '70s. Murphy, now well past 70 years, has been implicated in many of the big safe-blowings of two generations. Released from the penitentiary pen-itentiary on Blackwell's island only the other morning he was seized again on a bench warrant issued by Judge Rosalsky, charging him with carrying burglars' tools, at the time of his former arrest Jor carrying a revolver. re-volver. The old safe-blower told Inspector McCafferty of the robbery of the Manhattan Man-hattan bank, and said after his release re-lease from Sing Sing he went to Kansas Kan-sas City for five years. "While I was away from the city," he went on, "a safe was blown. When I got back to New York in 1880 one of Byrnes' men nabbed me and railroaded rail-roaded me to prison, for this crime, gMiSk Taken Before a Justice of the Peace. of which 1 knew nothing. That way the one great act of injustice done me in all my career, and even the grave won't bring forgetfulnesa of that nasty piece of work. "After i did that five years in Sing Sing for another man's crime I wanted want-ed to get square with Byrnes. I and another set out to blow open the safe in police headquarters. It was then In a little office off the big hall. We were at work on it when we heard footsteps, and if we hadn't been frightened off then we would have blown that cheesebox to bits." In 1885 he went to Gloversville and robbed a safe there. He was arrested arrest-ed outside of the bank, while feigning intoxication, and actually had the loot on him. The policemen did not search him, but took him before a justice of the peace. " 'He was drunk outside the bank just robbed, your honor,' said the policeman," po-liceman," continued Murphy. " 'What's your business?' asked the justice. " 'I'm hie a brlcklay hie er; hod carrier hie anything.' "'How much money have you?' " 'Three hie dollars, judge.' " 'Well, you're fined $3, so you can't get drunk for a few days more.' "But, inspector," continued Murphy, "the laugh was on me. Peggy Donovan Dono-van was arrested'for this crime I had committed, and railroaded to prison. When 1 learned of it I gave myself up and confessed to the crime. I had a hard time proving I had done the job. I had to subpoena the justice Of tho peace and the policeman from Gloversville. Glov-ersville. They bore out my story as far as they could. I was convicted, Peggy was freed and the three years and three months I did for that crime were some of the happiest years of my life." How he got the name of "Liverpool Jack" was developed as follows: "You remember, inspector, what you said to me a year ago, when I was nabbed with the gun and tools? You said: 'Murphy, you are old. Do you want to spend the remainder of your life In Sing Sing or In the convicts' home kept by the salvation army out on Long island?' I told you I wasn't a hypocrite, and It was either freedom to go and do as I rlease or Sing Sing. I'm James Murphy, alias Connors, alias Liverpool Jack, and a few other fanciful names; professional crjmia.l safc-blowet ' |