Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-13
The Detective Scandal
TIE CITIZENS COMMITTEE GIVE WARNING OF
ANOTHER BURGLAR HERE.

The Detective Scandal
THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE GIVE WARNING or
ANOTHER BURGLAR HERE.
The citizens committee this morning received
Inform tion that q housebreaker named Baker
has just arrived in this city. He is red headed,
with a red mustache, and is Of medium height
He Is middle aged man, and it Is thought
that he intends to do some work here He
Is very expert STAR reporter asked
Mr.. John w. Thompson, the chairman OF the
citizens committee, this morning what he thought
OF ex-Detective McDevitts letter to Commissioner
West He replied: "It is a lot OF words put
together by his lawyer, but they don't mean any
thing: The question is, can MeDeyitt explain the
with thieves that have come to light"
The committee have received the following
letter:
No. 1911 PRESTON STREET,
LOUISVILLE, KY, January II, 1883
j. W. THOMPSON, ESQ,
detective and general police force OF your city
have nee1 OF investigation In 1871, when was
Anaeosta saG morse and R' Carriage were brought
there as estrays, and reported twice at the Ana
costa Police station as such; but though having
Geographic connection with police headquarters,
and the estray was reported the night 1t was
picked up.no OFFICER came for It until reward had
came after 1t. 1 should know the men ut once.
1t Was Cooley, the Ice mans, horse and buggy. 1
know OF two places In Washington, 8. e., that were
making fires) or the PATROL and have walked from
street on a line with the new Jail to Sd street
east twice without meeting policeman, between
II and IL at night and 5 and 8 in the morning. I
have also walked at am. from 9Th and East
Capitol on past the Capitol to Sd and streets sw
without meeting one, and repeatedlYDrom 9th and
ID NV. to 9Th and c Sc. and not met one at 10 pm
FRANK s. BAKEwEL1, phys and surgeon,
P. S.-W s. Thompson and Dr. j. s. Ratclifre F
street, know me we'll F. s. BAKBwELL,
Noted Criminal At Large.
THE CAREER OF GEORGE ALBERT MASON.
The release OF George Albert Mason, from the
Albany penitentiary on the Sth inst, as stated in
Mondays STAR, caused considerable suspicion here
among those who were acquainted with the career
OF Mason, as 1t was known that he received twelve
years sentence in May, 1875, for counterfeitng,
and that all applications for pardon had been re-
FUSED. Upon fnquir1ng at the proper place, STAR
reporter learned that Mason's term had expired
by reason OF the communication allowed for good
oners in the different states are subject to the
laws OF the respective states in which they Inn
pr1soned. In the state OF New York the commu-
taton, or good time" as it is called : such that
twelve years sentence can be er7 in seven
years and eight months II the .. .s,ner behaves
Wen and causes the authorities no trouble. Mason
A VERY DANGEROUS MAN,
Q nd that he should be allowed 'tgood time," Is q
surprise to these acquainted with his career.
Even while In prison at Albany the reports OF his
conduct have been Just the reverse OF 'good;" in
fact, he was considered one Of the most unman-
ageable inmates ever incarcerated there. The
rule In Albany, perhaps. works both ways, and
bad ne xsr
threatened the lives Of those who were instru-
mental Fmsa in convctnRg HIM that Of
expected 0 heTe before na' great Whites
He is large. fine looking man. possessed Of abili
ties, that, II exercised properly, would make him
successful in almost any walk OF life. He is an
Englishman by birth and came to this country
just previous to the breaking out Of the war. He
espoused the confederate cause, and his prOclivi-
ties for originating sensations led him into the
most wild and reckless schemes, and he had
plausible method OF drawing others into his plans.
He was the moving spirit In cOncocting
TIE PLOT OF KIDNAPPING PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
For this purpose he came to Washington two
days In advance OF the party who was to engage
in the transaction with him. He was arrested as
confederate spy and sent to Fort McHenry He
was subsequently CONTAMINATED and sentenced
to imprisonment for life, but was pardoned by
President Lincoln upon his solemn promise to
gut tie country. He next turned up in Toronto
Canada, where he entered upon a career of crime
ada or
FORTY-sEvEN SEPARATE OFFENsEs,
including Matchmaking. perjury, forgery, assault,
threatening life, stealing court records, etc. Some
thing OF the character Of the man be judged by
the fact that while serving a two years. sentence
In the Kingston (Canada) penitentary he origina-
ted plot among the prisoners to make their
escape, and then exposed the pretended plot to
the authorities or the prison, and thereby secured
his own release after one years confinement In
1874 ne endeaVOred 10 secure an appointment as
AN OFFICER OF THE SECRET SERVICE DIVISION
OF the Treasury department, pretending that his
knowledge OF the cOunterfeiters was Of such ma
ture that he could soon rid the country of their
presence. He was not regularly employed, be-
cause no confidence was placed In his fidelity. He
Was, however, rewarded In proportion to the value
OF the Information he could give He commenced
operations upon this basis but the officers gained
Information OF his criminal course In dealing In
counterfeit money and warned him, but he boast
1ngly avoWed himself too smart to be caught. His
career was ended, however, by his conviction for
passing counterfeit money, and he was sentenced
to twelve years Imprisonment, as above stated.
Mr. MATTHEWS SUING FOR $4,000 DAMAGES
Yesterday. Mr.. VIM. E. Matthews, by Messrs
Brney B!rney, James H. Smith and r. I.
Greener entered suit against Isaac n. Carey, John
II: BROOKS. Henry johnson and Martha Alex
anoer Tor $4,000 damages for conspiracy to de-
fame his character. He sets forth that he was at
the time OF the grievance an unmarried man of
ants maciously to 1njure him and to bring him
into public scandal shame and disgrace. onthe oath
OF last December, confederated to publish
concerning him false and scandalous story, to
the effect that he being an unmarried man had
received and kept woman at his sleeping apart
m n,eh No s2 Fourteenth cen street. during the
occupied the apartment with heI. He further
complains that tine defendants did subsequently
scandalous story to be true, and did cause the
same to be published in the Washington Post on
January 8, 1883. BY reason of these premises he
claims his good name has been injured to the ex-
tent OF the amount Of the damages claimed.
RIVER TRADE.-Harbormaster Sutton reports
arrivals at the river front as follows: Schooner L.
E. Williams, Adams 100000 feet lumber for E. F.
jackson CO.. schr NJ. j. Stephenson, Evans, 600
bushels oysters, market: pungy Sarah Jane, Rus
Sel,'OO bushels oysters, market; schr. John Henry
Thomas, 700 do do; sloop Wave, Chiseltine, 500
do. do