Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-04
CAUGHT OFF HIS BASE
Stephen Quinn, Who Says He Belongs
10 the Philadelphia Club,
ROBBED OF JEWELRY AND MONEY.
lie Hypothecates His 0vercoat to Purchase
Square Meal
CLEVER CAPTURE OF TIE THIEVES

Stephen Quinn, who says he is member
of the Philadelphia Baseball Club. is in the
Central station, where he is held as wit
ness against the men who are suspected of
robbing him of his watch and money. The
men were arrested as the result of clever
work by Inspector McAleese and Detective
Robinson.
Yesterday afternoon cler k from Wylie
avenue pawnshop ran into the Inspector s
office and told him that two men were trying
to pawn watch, and that their actions were
suspicious. The Inspector and detective
went to the place. The Inspector stepped
up to the counter and listened to theconver-
sation between the pawnbroker and the
young men. The latter were unconscious of
the Inspectors identity, and talked freely,
one OF them saying that the watch had been
his fathers, who left it to him when he
died.
The Inspector asked permission to exam
inc the watch, and finding it was good one,
offered to buy it. The young man was will
ing, and with his friend started out with tine
officers.
Brought Up at the Central.
By some peculiar coincidence, which was
probably engineered by the officers, the
party brought up at the Central station,
where the men were placed under arrest.
They gave their names as Daniel Murphy and
Ferdinand Yensen. Murphy said at first that
he lived near Dinwiddie, but afterwards
claimed that his parents resided on Fayette
street. He is about Is years old, while his COM
panion is 81. YeDsen SAID he had only come
here few days ago, and had no home in par
ticular.
watch, young Murphy finally said they had re-
ceived it from man they did not know. but
who had given it them and asked them TO pawn
it. They described the man as tall. about q
years of age. fair complexion and dressed in a
long overcoat, under which he carried a small
valise. He had met them on Grant street.
Murphy and Yensen were locked up. and the
two officers started out to find the third party.
When they reached The Baltimore and Ohio
depot they met man who answered the de-
scriptiOn, except the overcoat, which was miss
nonchalance against post. and did not notice
Robinson step up to him and pull the end of his
watch chain from his pocket.
Quinn Discovers He Has Been Robbed. .
"Where's your watch?' asked Robinson.
The young man looked at the chain from
which the watch had been removed and an
swered. II dunno. 1 must have lost it."
The Inspector here produced the watch
Murphy had been trying to sell. rs that it?'
You bet it is. 1 am very much obliged to
you. Somebody must have robbed me. Two
fellows was talking to. guess"
Seeing the young man was unfit to take care
of himself the Inspector decided to lock him
up. On the way to the station the young man
said his name was Stephen Quinn, and claimed
he was pail player on the Baltimore Associa-
tion team last year. but since the Association
had broken the national agreement he had
jumped his contract and would play in Phila-
delphia this year. HIS home was at 1ngleston,
a suburb of Philadelphia, and he could not be
persuaded but that he was still in Philadelphia
when arrested. Even at Central station he in
sisted that he knew the place and said the
"boys" were playing joke on him in trying to
convince him he was in Pittsburg. Quinn said
that when his watch had been taken SIS in
cash. an the money he had, had gone with it,
and he had to put up his overcoat at a restaur-
ant on Water street for meal. He said his
watch cost him Sl65
Quinn will be detained until young Murphy
an u Yensen are tried for the theft His relatives
will be notified of his predicament to-day as
soon as he soDers up sufficiently to tell his
story straight. 1t is believed that Quinn is not
his real name.