The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-03
DIR. TALMAGE'S COAT.
The Preachers Wife Captures Sneak Thief,
but Allows Him to Escape.

The Preachers Wife Captures Sneak Thief,
but Allows Him to Escape.
New York Special.
The Rev. DIR. Talmage left his house in Brook:
| lyn about noon to-day. He had been gone only
few moments when the boor bell rang and the
| trim little Irish servant girl who attends to the
bell admitted a thin, gray-haired man, wearing
rather a seedy looking brown suit and derby
hat and eyeglasses. He looked as if he had
been chilled by the wintry wind, and the girl
noticed that he had no overcoat. With an
air of assurance and in a rather pleasing
voice he asked if DR.. Talmage was in,
and having been answered in the negative. he
inquired for Mrs. Talmage. The girl having
told him that Mrs. Talmage was up stairs, he
handed her letter. and asked her to deliver it.
| She took the letter, which was addressed to DIR.
Talmage, and started up stairs. Before turning
into the hall on the second floor. she heard a
rustling on the hatrack below, and looking over
the RAIL- she noticed the visitor exam
| ming the four five overcoats hang
ing on it. It struck her at once
that the visitor was a sneakthief, and she lost
her suspicious. Mrs. Talmage tore open the en-
velope and found begging letter from "a
| Christian in Distress" She went down stairs to
see the visitor, whose appearance had meanwhile
undergone transformation. He was wrapped
in fine chinchilla overcoat, his derby hat had
been removed and partially bald head, with a
broad, intellectual forehead was exposed.
The girl noticed the change Where did you
get that coatg' she asked lyon did not have it
when you came in" Then turning to Mrs
Talmage. she added "Fhat's the Doctors over
coat"
AS she spoke she stepped past the visitor, and
adjusted patent fastening ON the door, which
prevents it being opened on either side.
''Take that coat off," Mrs. Talmage said; sit
belongs to my husband"
The man raised his specialized eyes with APP
parent establishment and said: You're mis-
taken, madam; you're mistaken"
II think not" Mrs. Talmags said, ''but let me
look at it,"
She then tnrned down the collar and saw the
trade. mark of tho house at which Mr.. Talmage
had purchased the coat on the last visit to Lon
don. Then. all doubt being removed she said
firmly: @Take off that coat; yoare thief"
"Open the door first" the man said raising
his clenched fist threateningly, and at the same
time removing the coat, with the ready assist
ance of the girl
As soon as he had Invested himself of the coat
the door was opened and he hastily departed
The police sent ont a general alarm, calling for
| the arrest of q gray whiskered and gray mus
tached man, fifty years old, five feet seven
inches tall, and wearing. a brown suit and
a derby hat The description tallies with
| that of sneak thief who has been robbing the
residents of the Hill. Mrs. Talmage related the
adventure to her husband as soon as he returned
home He complimented her on saving his moss
comfortable winter oyercoat, but expressed his
regret that the thief, who, he said, resembled a
broken-down minister he knew, had not been
captured. my son" he said this evening, twas
upstairs at the time. and if he had been called
down there would have been a tnssle ia the bali
way