The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-09-16
ARREs1 UspxR SINGULAR CIncuMsrANoEs.

ARREST UNDEk pIN0ULAR CIRCUMSTANCE
Yesterday afternoon Detective McDevitt,
Of the Metropolitan force, with the assistance
Of Special Detective McGowan, arrested a
man named Albert @. sterrett, under very
singular circumstances, as follows; On Tues
day forged check was presented at the
Treasury Department, purported TO have been
signed by Major Brooke, paymaster. The
check was paid and the forgery discovered
shortly afterwards. Mr.. McDevitt was as
signed the duty Of working up the case,"
and In pursuing his inquiries his attention
was attracted by . conversation, In which
sterretes name was mentioned as being con-
nected with . forgery.
Obtaining this data, he found Sterrctt, and
a. his description tailed exactly with that
given Of the man who presented the forged
check at the Treasury, he arrested him, took
him before Major Brooke, who not being
competent 10 Identity him, summoned tho
paying teller at the Treasury, who, after
some elaboration, decided that he was not
the party. Tho detective having satisfied
himself that he was not the party "wanted'
and conveyed him TO police headquarters for
the purpose Of making Inquiries into tho
following case,
During the latter part Of August stcrrett
wasin Chicago, and advertised In the Chicago
1ri6vns for Q governcss or lady attendant to
walt upon an aged female relative. Several
ladies answered the advertisement, one of
whom seemed to suit him, and an arrange
meut was made for her to accompany him to
this city, whore no told her his grandmother
and histwo children, whom she was TO serve,
resided.
Tho day appointed for their departure
from Chicago arrived, tho understanding
being that she was 10 meet him at the depot.
By some mistake the hickman engaged by
the lady arrived at the depot after the trnin
bearing sterrctt had LEFT. She, thinking OF
course that her situation was gone, gave up
hopes OF hearing from Mr.. Sterrctt again,
when, about September /, she received the
following letters
- WILLARDs' Horst
NY pxtn MIA, I .e ~ " A easa,1 n ,s come
to see you. MY brother.in.iaw, Mr. walker,
niisunderstood me In sending you back. when
! got to the aspot was sure you were there.
M sm snmou, ,or you 70 Gee come on AZ 0nee.
pointed. / send YOU A $50 drsft WHEN vol,
can get from Hardin, Cushman & Co., in your
city.
Inc mom ,na yon &c. this letter please write
ron II Won Won shouid cboose 10 Same wish IN
20 TO Europe next month, and cannot leave
unless have some one to leave with my be.
loved grand, mother. 20 not fall to write to
Will DO treated With great kindsess BY ussll:
1917 $50 'NeN'N' sSN'
me hear from you at once. -
Your niend, A. u. sTERnETT.
The DRAFT spoken OF was refused by the
from somc resnonsible nerson, Tbis was
sao,, xoO,aS,aS II az S.5,,. S.o,to. ~, -
s soon reuneaieu ~ she auy oio'heI enuois
ing u, ana upon tnts voucher the money was
paid. II subsequently transpired that this
| dra,t was forged, rs will be seen from the
letter published below.
Having received tho money the lady came
to TINS city, and as the letter OF Sterrett was
dated from Willnrds' hotel, she naturally re-
paired to that house. Having taken a room
she began 70 inquire LOT ner employer, ~
VINO mad gwen her q card on which was
States Senate.
Tho nronrjetora NJ tho bo,o, M, tpovj,g
srcb pi nartv ssnt tbe S ca u ~ "SswsnsneS
Row." but the correspondents" knew no
such person, ana further inquiry proved to
the satisfaction OF Messrs. sykes Chad
WICK that the lady was the victim OF de-
ception. one OF the clerks OF the house,
apprccisting her unpleasant situation, took
her to his home, and she has been stopping
with MS WIG since the fraud was discovered.
she wrote 10 her brother-in.law In Chicago,
stating the circumstances, and In answer re-
ceiyed the following:
nr,n s,.- yalG.ao, SEPTEMBER Us. lsSa e.,
| infant came 10 hand This mornina. Aitriek
| Of this kind 10 no Joke. sh all place the mat.
| ter In the hands OF Chicago detectives to
bring MS man that calls himself A. g. ster.
far,o az 'ne aont w,n o. v ,U,g y, ,he
self any concern about the money, as the loss
| of ESQ amounts to nothing.
II you cannot get along. there write to me
,nd. WIN ~, ssnu {Vu money 70 ofing YOU oaek,
to NJ" IL pont in The ,oIe All ~ o ose ~
obieat o. what good it would do any person 10
play such tri6k: 1 think that your not start.
Ing At the time you was totaNes Tou from n
mapi however, aeep w gooa spifits, ana 20
money "' "' '1''' ''u'' "oo'' '"'
Twill pay 4 great deal more to catch him,
and can get his description. ! shall not say
ahy'h,nt 70 M apout ~, put wen would he
viii know H. Tale care Of vouI.eif and d sS
get dIshesrtened by any means Wv"
| Yours Affscti onately.
gentleman for obvious reasons.
This letter reached here yesterday, and q
pcrusal OF Its contents caused Mr.. McDevitt
to hold sterrett until he can communicate
with Chicago.
Since his arrest, 1t appears that Sterrett
brought with him young lady, who Is
stopping at the Ebbitt House, and to whom,
II Is said, he was TO have been married yes
terday.
~ also appears that on the train bound Tor
This city he met young man from Ohio
who, II would seem, has more money than
brains, for no has been loaning sums OF
money to sterrett, which the latter has been
spending very freely In wines and liquors.
Whether there is anything in the case or
not, there Is certainly something very mys-
terlous about this man sterrett.
He aud his Ohio companion mentioned
above have been living In rooms on Fifteenth
street, and he was most lavish In his expcndl.
| lures. Ho took a sudden fancy to the son of
the lady with whom he boarded and pro-
posed to educate him thoroughly. Indeed,
he professed to have made all necessary ar
Engagements TO that end, the proposition be-
ing to place him at good school in Mary
land, and matters had gone so far that the
boy was preparing for his departure when
the detectives made their appearance ycstcr-
day and the arrest was made.
-