The daily gazette., 1883-10-29
WAS IT COLL. HAEIiETT
A BRILLIANT PIECE OF POLICE
WORK.
NOT TO CAPTURE A MAN
Police Looking After - Man Supposed to
be HAIIett, the Escaped Murdersr-HoW
They Let Him slip.

One of the NEST hagfant exhibitions Of
thorough incompetency was the utter failure
Of the police IN their attempt ct detective
duty on Saturday night.
Chief of Police Hawkins received, on Sat.
urday afternoon, word from some source
that Collingswood P. Hallett, the murderer
Of James B. Deputy, who escaped from the
Georgetown Jail on Sunday morning, June
Gath last, would arrive In this city
sometime between the hours OF 12
and O'Clock on that night, and
the informant stated that he would 90 at
once to relative of his on Washington, be-
tween Eighth and Ninth streets, and that he
should keep his eyes open and arrest him,
as there was a reward o. $700 for his cap
ture. -
Working upon this information the Chief,
early In the evening, stationed two men
along the street and also cautioned the night
watchman who patrols that thorough
fare to wear rubber shoes and keep his eve
open as something was going to happen"
Abo.it Q o'clock the Chief, In company
with Sergeant Hstton and officers Cathcart,
Townsloy, Raymond, and Adams proceeded
to the place desianated by the informant,
and after carrying on whispered conversa-
tion with the Sergeant, asked the night
watchman, who happened by, to take up his
position In the yard of certain residence
occupied by q prominent business man of
this city. To this the watchman objecte
on the ground that he was paid for doing
certain work and told them he had other
matters to attend to, at the came time NOV
ing on.
1t was at last decided TO leave officers
Cathcart and Townsley to guard the house,
the Chief and the other three going down
town to procure q warrant for the arrest of
the man they were looking for.
Toward 12 O'Clock they returned with the
desired paper and then q discussion again
arose between the Sergeant and the Chief as
TO the proper mode of procedure. The Ser.
geant insisted that the spotted" house
should be searched at once, but the Chief
said he "didn't know how the case would
work" and as she didn't want to make
miss of 1t he would 60 and sec tho Mayor
about It,"
After some further talk they decided to
go and hunt up Sergeant. McC Connell, feeling
possibly that he would be able to max Q
some suggestion that would aid 10 the cap
ture of the $500 reward aud the man Hallett
Again the Chief and Sergeant Hatton,
with Raymond and Adams, departed, leav-
the other two to watch as before.
While they were gone the two officers left
in charge hid themselves, so that they could
seize upon any suspicious person that might
make his appearance. They conclealed
themselves so successfully that they failed
to be around when George Mahan's night
cab arrived about 1 o'clock, from which
there alighted aperson clothed in long coat
and who hurriedly entered houre In that
square. This much was seen by Frederick
Lewis, the watchman on that street, but
whether 1t was man or woman
he was unable to say. When the cab
drove up he saw no police around and did
not see them until considerably later, when
he again came up the street and saw them
standing In front of the house In question.
A guard was at once set and kept there
until 10 O'Clock yesterday morning, when
the police gave up the case and
geant Hatton went to the house sup
posed to contain the much sought for man,
and asked Of the gentleman living there If
the cab which stopped there during the
night contained q woman. Receiving mega
tive reply he asked twas 1t q manGo Upon
being told that no cab had stopped at the
house at all, and being asked why the ques-
tions were asked, the Sergeant said; 1--WE
are looking up q case and thought the party
came here, but If you state on your word Of
honor that no person came here, why we
will not search the house"
The gentleman could get no other In
htObA bhO 6CA ECaub1 huA ASCAb COn-
siderably annoyed that the police acted as
they did, as he stated that had they applied
as they should have done during the night
be would have given them free access to the
house, SO that they might make search Of
the premises, and not stand around In front
and arouse all sorts of coDjectures on the
part Of the neighbors.
There is considerable doubt expressed as
to whether the man seen alightipg from
Mahan' cab was really Hallett, but If such
was the case the police certainly took
very poor way for trapping him.
Had Cathcart and Townsend been arou nd
when the cab drove up they would have
seen that which would either have resulted
| in the arrest OF Hallett or the discovery of
who the person in the long coat was.
Sergeant Mcconnell was found at the
City Hall this morning by GAZETTE repre-
sentative, but appeared to be greatly
surprised, when questioned about the matter
to learn tthat t.s:.t. there was even rumor ahoat
that Hallett had been in town. He stated
that he ''knew nothing about 1t at ALL -
The Chief was also sought for, but could moi
| bo found.