New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-02
he ROBBED THIRTY HOUSES.
YOUNG ENGLISH THIEF Is CAPTURED AMI
MAKES 4 CONFESSION.

A YOUNG ENGLISH THIEF Is CAPTURED AND
MAKES 4 CONFESSION.
smart young English thiet who boasts that ho has
robbed thirty houses in this city within two months. Is
prisoner in the East Eighty eighthst police station
Captain OConnor and Detectives Doran and Doyle
have besn looking for the scamp since the early part
of January, when hs began to steal from private
houses in their precinct. They learned that he
worked only in the small hours Of the morning and
that he visited only private houses getting INTO each
house through q 'front.' window Of tho parior foor-
Captain oConnor instructed his patrolmen to keep
close watch on houses whose front windows were
within reach Of the high stoops. About O'Clock on
Thursday morning Policeman Fitzpatrick saw the
thief trying to unfasten the window Of Morris Bcr
ringers house, No. $50 Parkave. Tho rascal had
slipped q Inifo Nado between the window sashes and
was trying to throw back the catch. He ran whom
he caught sight Of tho policeman but after chase Of
two biocks no was arrested.
When the prisoner searched In tho police sta
don several pawn tickets representing stolen articles
were found in his pockets. A key to . room In the
Great Northern Hotel In the Bowery showed whore
he had been staying, and IN the room the Detectives
found stolen trinkets. Seeing that he was
fairly caught he made confession to Captain OCon-
nor yesterday. He said he William Harris, born
in Plunstead, England, on March !, 1888. Ho came
to this city last summer and since Jenuary /, when
he turned over tho wrong caf no had been N acuvo
thief While he could not remember all tho places
he had robbed IN that time, be was willing to tell his
crimes to tho extmt Of his faulty recollection One
OF his visits he said, TO the house Of Judge Gil
aersleove No. 90 West whore he stole
two handkerchefs and drank part Of tottie Of wine
On the morning Of January 40 he gpt into
tho house OF John Townsend, Ne. 20 West FffyNsec-
ond-st and stole number Of fne things, including
several rare coins he aftorwsrd wrote to Mr.. Town.
send, Offering TO send back any articles valued highly
as helrlooms II the owner would describe them In an
advertisement. II was point Of honor with him, he
tad to rob only rich people, and not to take treas
ured relics II he could holp II
In the house of J. seligman, Ne. II wost Fifty
sevcnth-st, he stole 1e7 silver forks, knives and
spoons on the morning OF February Is. As most Of
the articles bore tho family monogram, be was
Obliged to have all tho silver melted before he could
dispose Of i. On Tuesday morning he entered three
houses In sixty-second-st between Fourth and Lex
lngton aves but did not get much In either place In
one house he scared By o woman, who screamed
when he entered her room. He stole trnkets nom
the houses Of Henry Schmidt No. 10 East Eighteen
ST. and of Henry Rogers, No. 81 East Eighty thirasts
Harris was shown to Inspector Byrnes and tbs
at Headquarters yesterday, and his
picture was taken for the Rogues' Gallery. Hs VIII
be arraigned In q police court to-day