Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-31
MRS. TALMAGE AND A THIEF.
She Makes Him Take Off Her Hus-
bands London Nj ade Chinchilla Over
Frl7n ne Nelo YORK. Sun.

Frtm the Nelo York sam.
The Rev. DR.. ralmage left his house,
South Oxford street, Brooklyn, about noon
yesterday. He had been gone only few
moments when the door bell rang, and
the trim little Irish servant girl who at
tends to the bell admitted thin gray
haired man, wearing a rather seedy-IooS-
ing brown suit and Derby hat and eye
glasses. He looked as If he had been
chilled by the wintry wind, and the girl
noticed that he had no Overc0at. With
an air or assurance and in rather
pleasing voice he asked IL DIR. Talmage
was in, and, having been answered in the
negative, he inquired for Mrs. Talmage.
The girl, having told him that Mrs. Tai
mage was upstairs. he handed her let
ter. and asked her to deliver it. she
took the letter, which was addressed to
Or. Talmage, and started up stairs. Be-
fore turning into the hall on the second
floor she heard rustling on the hat rack
below. and, looking over the rail, she no.
tlced the visitor examining the four or i've
oyercOats hanging on it. 1t struck her at
once that the visitor was sneak thief,
and she lost no time in hurryiDg to Mrs.
TaImage and stating her suspicious. Mrs.
Talmage tore open the envelope and
found a begging let er from "a Christian
in Distress" She went down stairs with
the girl to see the visitor, whose appear
ance had meanwhile undergone trans
formation. He was wrapped in a fne
ch$nchilla oVercOat, his Derby hat had
been removed, and partially bald head,
with broad, intellectualloOki fore
mead, was exposed. The girl noticed the
change, and had her suspicious fully con-
trmed.
"Where did you get that coat?" she
asked. You did not have it when you
came in''
Then turning to Mrs. Talmage. che add
ed: THAT the Doctors Oyercoat." AS she
spoke she stepped past the visitor and adj
justed a patent fastening on the door,
which prevents its being opened on either
side.
stake that coat Off" Mrs. Talmage said;
''it belongs 10 my husband"
The man raised his specialized eyes with
apparent establishment and said:
"fou're mistaken, madam; you're mis-
TAKEN"
II think not" Mrs. Talmage said; ''but
let me look at it,"
She then turned down the collar and
saw the trade mark of the house at which
DR.. Tslmage had purchased the coat on
his last visit to London. Then, all doubt
being removed, she said firmly:
''Take off that cOatl You're thiefp'
''Open the door fret" the man said,
raising his clinched fist threatiBgly, and
at the some time removing the coat with
the ready assistance of the girl. AS soon
as he had Invested himself of the coat the
door was opened, and ne hastily departed.
The police sent Onta general alarm call
Ing for the arrest of gray-whisbered and
gray-mOustached man, 30 years old, feet
7 inches tall, and wearing a brown suit
and Derby hat. The description tallies
with that of sneak thief VINO has been
rObbing the residents OF the hill. Mrs.
Talma ge related the adventure to her hus-
band as soon as he returned home. He
cOmplimnnted her on saving his most
comfortable winter OvercOat, but ex-
pressed his regret that the thief, who, he.
said, resembled a brOken-down minister
whom he knew, bad not been captured.
"My son." he said last evening, 'was
upstairs at the time, and If be had been
called down there would have been a
tussle.v