Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-02-09
A THIEF'S TALE,
HARGES OF DETECTIVE COLLISION.

CHARGES OF DETECTlyE COLLISION.
For Disturbing His Prospective Marriage.
snatch 'em BILLY Makes Sc
riOus Charges
Philadelphia Record.
II was thief, confess, but I'm try
ing to act 'on the level now that's why
| want to tell you something" This ex-
clamation came from slightly built, blue.
eyed. pleasant faced little man, who in-
troduced himself at the Record Office as
William Henderson, and who is known all
over the United States as "Snatch- 'em
Bili' It. will be remembered that this
man was arrested on Monday by Detec-
tivcs Weyl and Jackson, upon suspicion of
being implicated in the bold robbeoy of
"a, 900 worth Of jewelry from Liggins's jew.
elry store window last Saturday night, but
when the prisoner was arraigned at the
Central station none of tho witnesses
could in any way connect Henderson with
the affair, and he was Immediately DIS
charged from csstody.
just here tinge of romance and senti-
meut presents itself to make Henderson
turn on his captors and pour forth the
walls of bitter past. Henderson has been
living in Philadelphia for nine months or
more, and camc here, SO he says, to follow
the paths Of honesty. lie secured board
with Il reputable family ON South Ninth
street, and dcportcd himself with such
becoming grace that one of the fair daugh-
terS of the landlord found herself encoiled
in the meshes of tho soft passion She
saw, and she loved. Bright in her talk,
possessing an attractive face. and too innO-
cent to smother the sacred flame, her
modest coyness drew the hardened fellow
under her softening influences, and he
found himself in the captivity of love. On
Sunday next they We're to have been mar
red, and her cup of joy was full. 1t was
therefore crushing blow that brought to
her the startling news that her affianced
had been one of the most expert thieves in
the world. She fell unconscious into 4
sisters arms, and now lies in hourly
danger of death.
And Henderson, his hopes of :in honest
life thus shocked and his prospects of Il
good aud loving wife completely blasted.
turns on these disturbers Of his peace and
tells a tale that stirs the depths Of official
rottcnness--if it be true.
lie says that on the day before the
Third street brokers, Grant and Aull, were
robbed OF securities worth $12, 600 he came
to this city, and, standing at the northeast
corner OF Fifth and Chestnut streets, he
sigual!ed 20 Il detective then on duty at
the Central station to come over to
him. The detective came over in his
shirt sleeves, and the thief and. thief
catcher together meandercd into Penis
tan's saloon, and together slipped at the
social cup. The detective asked him what
he was loing, to which Henderson re-
pied: II am going down on the street
to work. meaning that he proposed to
rob some brokers' office. He did secure
some small plunder that afternoon, and on
the following day lie robbed Grant s. Aul!
of s13, 900 worth Of bonds. Immediately
fastening to detective headquarters he
told the detective above referred to what
he had just done, and instructed the thief
catcher to Immediately call on Mr.. Aull
and tanGle up that gentleman in his de-
scriptions, so that when the case was re
ported at police headquarters the wrong
scent would be given. The thief says
that the detective did start off On this mis-
sion, and met him on the same night and
announced that Mr.. Aull had first gone to
the Pinkerton agency, aud had also re-
ported the robbery at the Central station
before the detective could intercept
him. Henderson says that On the
stO - " CioSh AC SOstA tCu III
New York, but he was arrested in Jersey
City in the morning upon the arrival Of
the train. He was taken to a police
station, aud the authorities in Philadelphia
were notified by telegraph to send on an
officer who could indentily the criminal
Detective Weyl was directed to go to
Jersey City by the next train, and on ar
riving there he was ushered into 4 room
where "Snatch EN- Bill' was seated.
Apparently not recognizing him. the det-
ectiye innCceEtly inquired ''Wherc is
your man: :'' Here he is said the Jer-
say City officer, pointing to Henderson.
There was nothin. left for the detective to
DO but to bring the prisoner to Philadel-
phia and to lock him up. The thief was
kept in tho station house at Fourth and
Union streets, was given a good bath and
the privilege of the lieutenant's bath
room an:l the police gymnasium. and in
seventeen days; he was allowed to go free.
Henderson relates one instance occurring
in March, 1879, when he paid percent
age He says: 1--WE knew that young
man had been sent by his employers to
present l. check at the Penn national bank,
Sixth aud Vine streets, for SO, 900. We
used IN Old 2J cent note and played the
drop on him, q pal of mine tapping him en-
the shoulder while he was counting over
his money and saying to him You drop
ped = note there, mister, at the same time
pointing to the note at the young fellows
feet. lnStinct!"ely he stopped down to pick
it up, and Us he did so took five or
six 51O0 notes from his pile. The
yOungster has counted his money before
hand, thanked the man who had called his
attention to the note on the floor and
went his way. We afterward learned that
when the young man reached his en-
ployers he handed over the roll then it
WAS discovered that the roll was five or six
hundred dollars short, but the young man
insisted that he had received $4,000 that
ne had counted it and put it in his pocket,
and it could not be less. The upshot Of it
was that the young man was a:rested and
sent to prison." On the night Of this rob
berry Henderson says he paid the regular
rate Of 10 per cent. to Detective Weyl,
with whom he had been dealing.
Another instance is told of an arrest of
Henderson in this city upon description
telegraphed from Boston. He says that
when the folks from the Hub arrived here
they were ushered into a room where were
gathered twenty men, all of them more or
less resembling the thief in build and
looks. The Boston witnesses picked out
deputy sheriff as the guilty one, and
through this trick of the detectives Hen
derson says he contrived to escape.
Opening the Battle.
Philadelphia News, Stalwart
The New York Tribune has been in a