, 1866-01-22
a DISTINGUISHED COAT TatEF.
The Late Private Secretary to Detecyiye
General Baker In Limbo.

Coat stealere are numerous. The member Of the
fnlernly In thIa city nay be counted BY scores and
ber audacity Is only By their success both
in dlepostng Of their iil.4otten pupder and escsp-
ing the punithment which Is 20 Justly their due.
Whist adds to the enormisy OF their crime, is the
fact that they do not. n general Thing steal the
coats Tot theE Owl Weaf. bni 10 sell A1ihourh tho
secretary Of the detective department OF our city
police u a1moat hourly over-Tun With complafnts
ffom psfis. loos.ng thsit oveteoa.a II e only oca
Of the frsteEntty do not seek renown through he
measg% s1 q Pe!iGs Pn'' cent S Irpot Ar individual
tne position Of private secretary 10 Genera! + i.
Baker, late Chief Detective OF tho War Department
hAe come 10 crieH owing to bis having taken ancy
10 say tina, he wns but novice 10 lie IT. Tie ses
eonteeteu wi!h bis crime and detection, ~ ne arc
informed BY Deputy Superintendent Nelson, ase a.
On Tuesday last recently discharged naval officer
named Ba1nrtt, arrived in tha CITY, ind took ro0ms
A. ss ,hc Mai.e1on House He had not been II TIC
who, appears, Was IN old acqaA1ntancc. 1hey
bud net While in The rervlce frequently, md eonse-
son ea e
rtve Nr. narnett invited Wells 10 dius viii I itm
md md 1t Tonld be s1peEauous TO ssy be did not Re.
,sop ss1 WSe Of ss meal .as s0nys
shs!s = " s.epps Wei. .nsse2ss seas1nlsa iss'
com equence e1e7J dsy becoming lower, be was se.
r1ousy considering the propEiety Of moving 10 some
pes Of Sosrd nd - e. e E,
wallet. As Mr. Barnett was intending 10 remain In
the city Tor several weeks he Immediately thought
that no better a17an2emeut could be made than to
hnse the amtable and honest q expriyate secretary
foT roommate He then and there msle a nropn-
'9sR Mhsus S naa s sss. see ss s;y
matt tgot the Matesou House. md the almost constant
companion Of biz naval friend. On Thursday Barnett
before going 1nto ihe dining room removed his over
stead oI1easfng il in the cloak ROOM and receiving
check for It When Nj. Bsrne,t and bis com.
Psnion =, %ete ;easa Wells suddenly proclaimed
Ar T., On the contrary. never felt in better health
ID ns IT, .nd n,t shSEed ~: hs appreciation Of The
place wherc be bsd len his @ eyereost t vas sas
one had been thsre before him and tai taken nj i
a~ay. Supposina that probably his ffiend Wells
had carried It to their room, hedespatcheda bog for
lion that tie room did not contain eithe1 Ml. Wei.
or the ''enselope." Mr. Ba,nett then concluded
that Wells nuef hare worn the coat to aphysicians
out on some business which occupied l1is attention
until supper hour a1tEed4 when be returned to the
hotel: lp9nlring Of NJ Stacey, the clerk. 10 was
their appearance during hIs absence. For The drst
time the ibought then Aashed ACROSS his mind that
bis friend u did not Intend to come back-n fact
bad etolen his coat and made OF with 1t. After
coming to this cnncIuslon he lost no time In
communicating bis susptdons to the Deputy Su-
pernrendent OF Police, who at once detailed de-
teetxe 10 endeavor 10 recover the property and ar
As IN The pocket Of the stolen coat was a wallet
containing Ill III. BaEnett's money, together with
b.. discharge papers and other ra1uables, he was
not htfle anxious about Its recovery, and airer re-
eeiving permission from Mr. Nclson to arrest The
thief If he could catch him, he started out IN search
OF him. All day Friday he looked Ia vain for bis
m.n. but on Saturday his zeal was sreEasded. Upon
entering the billiard room attached TO the 3fer-
chants Hotel. On the corner Of Washington and
Slate streets, the ftst object his eyes lit upon WIS
Wells, encased In his coat, engaged In playing a
demanded his property, which was handed oyer
without any rrsi*tanee. lie then informed him that
be must accompany him 70 the Central Station.
To this proposition Wells objected, but few Wig
orons jerks and cuffs which he received trom tie
tmTTovised officer, convinced him that resistance
would be IN vain, and he walked quietly along.
Upon searching him at the Station, the wallet,
with ail iis original eontenis, except the money,
vas found On bis person. lie did not attempt io
deny his guilt, but refused to give any explanation
iof his singul>r conduct he win hare an e1aml-
ing.