The morning call., 1891-06-08
" is HE GUILTY 2"
Police Officer Clancy Arrested for
Grand Larceny.
John B. Serbia Accuses him of Robbing Him
Of SIS on Van Ness Avenue Early
Yesterday Morning.

Police Captain w. Y. Douglass and De-
tective Dan Coffey brought Police Officer
Henry Clancy, wearing Star No. 343. to the
Central Police Station last night about 10 80
o'clock and placed charge of grand larceny
from the person against him. On being
searched S. gold-piece, SO 80 in small sill
yer and gold watch and chain were found
in Clancy's possession.
The following statement concerning the
arrest was made by Captain Douglass:
John b. Serbia, waiter, came to the new
City Hall Police Station early yesterday
morning and stated to the Sergeant in
charge there that between the hours of 8
and o'clock the same morning man, who
he believed to be a police officer, had stopped
him in front of the new Concordia Verein
Building, on the corner of Van Ness avenue
and Post street, and had robbed him Of SIS
IN gold and 40 cents in silver. Serbia later
on repeated his statement to Chief Crowley
and Detective Dan Coffey was detailed to
work up the case.
IDENTIFIED BY THE VICTIM.
YESTERDAY afternoon, when the watches
were changed at the new City Hall, twenty
police officers were ranged in line. and
Serbia, with out any hesitancy, picked Officer
Clancy out as the man who had robbed him.
Clancy strongly denied ever having met
Serbia before, and declared his innocence of
robbing him in positive terms. Clancy was
then allowed to go on his beat on Van
Ness avenue, which he patrols from Market
street TO Suffer.
Further Investigations were made by
Detective Coffey, with the result that Cot
fey and l arrested Clancy this evening on
his beat and placed the above charge against
him."
Detective Coffey stated that there was the
strongest possible evidence against Clancy,
and that there could be no doubt of his
guilt. Serbia, who is very asthmatic, and
when suffering from a severe attack is al
most helpless, was met by man known to
the police on Van Ness avenue, near Post
street, just before he was robbed.
SERBIA CoRRoBoRATED.
This man. after giving some directions to
Serbia as to the locality, saw Officer Clancy,
who was in his regular night working
clothes, come up to Serbia as the latter was
walking slowly down the avenue. Officer
Clancy was seen by the man to take hold of
Serbia and walk away with him toward the
ConcOrdia Building. The police also have
the evidence OF a milkman, who heard
Serbia calling for assistance near the build
ing, and to whom Serbia stated that he had
been robbed by man who, he said, was
police officer. The mikman advised Serbia
TO go at once to the new City Hall and re-
port the case there.
Alter being locked up in a cell In the
hole-in-the-w Officer Clancy was seen by
CALL reporter, to whom he declared his
innocence. He denied that he had seen or
spoken to Serbia at all. and said that lie had
no conception at all of what had induced
Serbia to make such serious charge against
him. lie said that he met his Sergeant
(BirdsalD about 2:30 o'clock near Suffer
street and that he was not near the Con-
cOTdla Building al the hour Serbia said that
he had been robbed.
CLANCY's RECORD.
Officer Clancy was appointed to the
police force in August, 1887, and was
placed in the first division under Cap
tain Douglass. He reported for duty at the
new City Hall, and was in Sergeant Bird
Sails watch. Clancy lives at Lott street.
and has wife and two children. Before
joining the police force he Was a porter in
large Wholesale warehouse. Up to the pres
ent time Clancy's record has been good,
though some time ago charge OF bribery
for allowing woman TO escape from arrest
was brought against hun, but not sufficient
evidence to maintain the charges was found.