THE “HOODOO” BURGLAR OF BEDFORD (1904)
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The story you are about to read was composed from research conducted in the course of one of those investigations.
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“In the arrest of Roy Hyden, a 25-year old Austrian, early this morning, Brooklyn’s most active burglar was run to earth and a heavy load lifted from the police mind.
“Henry F. O’Connell, a special officer, who is employed by the residents in the neighborhood of Jefferson and Marcy avenues to watch their homes at night, caught the man shortly after 3 o’clock this morning, “with the goods on him.” O’Connell espied Hyden coming down the stoop of the home of Mrs. Maria C. de Porozo, at 254 Jefferson avenue, staggering under a weight, with his pockets bulging; the bay parlor window was wide open. Before Hyden reached the bottom of the stoop he was in the firm grasp of O’Connell. The latter lost no time in calling a patrol wagon and the prisoner was hustled to the Gates avenue police station. There he was joyfully received by Detective McGann, who relieved him of his burden.
“No less than sixty-four pieces of silver, including knives, forks, spoons and other small diningroom articles, weore fished out of his commodius pockets. But what pleased the police more than all “the silverware, was a steel case-opener and an electric flashlamp, which were carefully stowed away in the lining of the prisoner’s overcoat. Hyden gave his address as 15 East Houston street, Manhattan. The prisoner stubbornly refused to talk, and was placed in a cell. McGann investigated the robbery, and found that the sirverware had been taken from the diningroom of the de Porozo home.
“Marks on the frame of the bay parlor window showed unmistakeable evidence of the use of Hyden’s case-opener. These marks are very similar in character to those on the windows of numerous other homes that had been nrpken into within a fortnight. and McGann decided that O’Conell’s prisoner was noe other than the very active “second story man” for whom detectives have arduously searched forseveral weeks past.
“When McGann returned to the station house, Hyden was taken from his cell and after an hour of the “third degree,” he confessed. McGann says, that he had committed more than fifty burglaries. He confessed to having entered 385 and 433 Greene avenue, and a score of other places, but denied absolutely that he was the ‘hoodoo’ burglar who absconded with Judge Aspinall’s clock, although he said he had heard something about it from the “other men.” When pressed for an explanation he refused to say another word.
“He was taken to Police Headquarters, where he was measured and photographed and placed on exhibition for the benefit of the sleuths.
“He was later brought before Magistrate Furlong in the Gates avenue court, where some valuable information was mulcted out of htm by the Magistrate. Precinct detectives from far and near crowded into the court room, amd many of them charged the prisoner with having committed burglaries in their bailiwicks.
“After some more questioning Magistrate Furlong got Hyden to admit to burglaries at the following addresses: 266 Hancock street, the home of Mrs. Rhodes, where he got the overcoat he wore when arrested; the hat he wore in court he took from 455A Macon street; 433 Greene avenue, and 385 Greene avenue, unsuccessful attempts.
E. R. McGuire, a lawyer, of 147 Lefferts place, said that the prisoner closely resembled the burglar he frightened out of his diningroom, but a half hour before his arrest. Detectives Carney and Donlon, of the Grand avenue station, said that a number of robberies in their precinct were the work of Hyden. Detectives from the Atlantic avenue , Ralph avenue, and many other precincts declared that they undoubtedly could prove recent burglaries as committed by the prisoner.
“Then there were more questions by the Magistrate and Hyden was held for examination Dec. 29, under $2,000 bail.
“The 25-year-old Hyden would eventually be given eight years in Sing Sing prison.”
By then, however, the homeowners and residents of the Bedford section of Brooklyn were feeling quite relieved.
(Sources: Brooklyn Daily Times, Fri., 23 December 1904, The Brooklyn Citizen, Mon., 16 January 1905)
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