National Republican., 1883-01-18
SHE FELL AMONG THIEVES.
Burglars Got Her Jowelry and then the De-
teCtives Tried to Get Her Money.
Strange Experience Of Senator Nc
Donad's Daughter-in-Law.
She Insisted on OOnviciing the Thief but Has Never
Recovered Her Property,
Though the Detectives and Commits
sioner Have Had Their Hands on II.

sioner Have Had Their Hands on II.
On Oct 10, 1881, the residence of Mrs. T.
P. Mcdonald, daughter-in-law of Senator Nc
Donald, of Indiana, corner of Seventeenth
and N streets northwest, was entered by a
sneak thief and robbed of number Of val
liable articles of jewelry, the property of Miss
Anna Ellis, formerly q clerk in the patent
office, but now employed in the pension office
Miss Ellis related her story to q REPUBLICAN
reporter, who, in company with Mr. j. w.
Thompson, called upon her last night. She
said in substance: After breakfast, as l went
up stairs, met n colored man coming out of
my room. Considerably surprised, ! asked
him what ho was doing therc2 He re-
piled that tho "ladv had sent him mp
there" l felt instinctively, from his
look, that he had my watch and l seized him
by the collar. He shook himself loose, and
ran down stairs and escaped from the back
parlor window, through which he had effected
his entrance. We afterward found under this
window collection Of umbrellas, which, in
his hurried flight he could not take with him.
j ran out into the street after him, and raised
the cry of thief" but the pursuit was inef-
fectual, and the thief escaped. 1 then re-
turned to the house, and went up to my room
l.
my watch and chatelaino chain, pin, two
pairs of bracelets, and sleeve buttons were
gone. They had been lying on top of the
dressing case, and were valued at between
5000 and $3.50. The carriage was at the door,
and Mrs. Mcdonald and myself got in and
WENT AT ONCE TO POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
There VIC saw Detective Eckloff, who ap-
peared to be in charge, a man who acted as
clerk, and noted what We had. to say on a
block of paper, and three or four others. We
reported the robbery, and they made memo
randum of it. Mr.. Ecklof said, in a very in
different and almost insolent manner, "I
think you will probably never get your
things-these cases happen every day." /
then went to the Office of the district commits
sioners with Mrs Mcdonald, and
SAW MAJ. MORGAN.
stated the case to him, and told him how
had been received by the detectives. He sent
for Maj Brock, and told him he wanted this
case to be given to the best men on the force,
and to have it looked after. Maj. Brock re-
piled that the case was in the hands of Acton
and Coombs. All this occurred between and
. o'clock in the morning. The first time /
was sent for Acton came to the patent office
after me. He called TO have me come to po-
lice headquarters and identify the thief, Mrs.
Mcdonald went with me- In the small room
were Detectives Ecklof Acton, aud some
other men. They had q colorcd man named
Thomas Addison, otherwise known as Codger,
whom L had never seen before. This negro
seemed exceedingly amused when. 1 said that
he was net the man. Ecllloff turned to me
and said, Miss Ellis, suppose you are will
ing to pay the necessary expenses. told him
yes, if they did not exceed $40. They then
took Addison away. We staid for awhile,
and looked at the pictures of their rogues'
gallery. As we came out asked Acton what
was meant by
NECESSARY EXPENSES"
He replied that there are number of
people who act as "go-betweens" who had to
be paid to secure the return of the goods.
Mrs. Mcdonald offered to give Acton SO in
addition TO what / had promised to give for
the return of the things. We then went away.
Some time, perhaps two or three weeks after,
Acton came again to the patent Office after me.
i was not there, and he went to Mrs. McDon-
aid. He told her he had caught Miss Ellis's
thief and had got her things As he left he
said to Mrs. Mcdonald that he would meet us
at headquarters in thirty minutes We were
there at the appointed time. We saw there
violin, costly instrument that had been
stolen from (as we afterward lcarned) a Mr..
Gallagher, and other stolen goods. We did
not see any of the things stolen from me-
/ asked Mr.. Acton where my jewelry was. lie
replied that it was not there, but that he
knew where he could get the iewelry. l
a.
beyond the office. The officer then called my
attention to n black man in this cell, and
asked if l could identify him. The fellow
had his lips puckered up and his checks
puffed out, so that at first l did not recognize
him; but he could not hold his breath for
ever, and as his features relaxed identified
him as the man / had caught in our house.
Then again asked where my things were,
aud Acton said that
HE KNEW WHERE THEY WERE,
but that it would take money to get them.
then said, j told you l would give $40 and no
more, but now feel as though / would not
give more If l had it, We went away. The
next day we saw statement in the newspa-
pers that the articles had been recovered and
returned to me. Then we again went down
to headquarters, and calling the attention of
the officers to the paragraph, asked why we
had not received the things They replied
that they were not responsible for these pub
lications, and Ecklof became quite impudent
about it. l asked where these other
things were found that had been stolen.
He replied that they had been found
for the citizens name, but this he declined to
give. learned. that the name of the thief
was Thad Hall, and that he belonged to a set
of three boys and two girls, as Acton informed
me-Henry Addison (Codger), Thad Hall, |
Henry Washington, alias the Bulldog" and
Lucy ADDISON ana jennie Reed L then |
asked Coombs, who was sitting there, where
could find the girls, or where they lived, but
got no satisfaction from them further than |
that Lieut.. Guy had arrested them. l asked |
where l could find "CodgerP Coombs re- |
piled impatiently rapping his knuckles ON |
the table,
HE AMT TALKING"
i then sought out Lieut.. Guy, at the police |
station on X street, near Twentieth He was |
the only man with whom we came in contact |
throughout this entire transaction who seemed |
to act honestly and above board. l asked him |
where l could find these girls, and told him
the reasons why was anxious TO find their
whereabouts He said he would be glad to
assist me, but that this case belonged to Acton
and Coombs, and he did not like to interfere
with them; but that | had been very badly
treated, and if he could serve me he would do
so. told him | should like to ask him few
questions, which he need not answer unless
he felt so inclined. l said, II want to know
who bought.these things of mine; the detect
ives will not tell me?' He said, You have
II perfect right TO know, but hope to get your
things by this evening. If do not get them
will let you know" He called at our house
that evening at about o'clock and informed
me that the things had been
SOLD TO ONE GEORGE MAYrz,
who kept "fence' near the Theatre Comioue.
Then he told us how he made the arrest; that
a colored boy came to him aud said that Bull
dog" Henry Washington) had something
to say to him Guy; that Bulldog" then
showed him our house and told him the story;