The morning call., 1893-12-12
WAS HE ROBBED? ?
A Palace Hotel Employees
Queer Story.
CLAIMS HE WAS ATTACKED.
And Robbed of Money That He
Had Changed.
THE POLICE DOUBT THE MAN.
His Name Is T. III. Brown and He
Is Locked Up i'm the
City Prison.
CLAIMS HE WAS ATTACKED.
THE POLICE DOUBT THE MAN.

A singular affair took place yesterday morn
ing on the stairway of Wells, Fargo & Co.'s
building. 1t was, II true. most daring piece
of work, as people are constantly passing
up and down the stairs, which are vii bin few
few feet of the offices of Hume and Thacker. The
detectives.
T. H. Brown, one of the Palace Rotel bell
boys, claims that he was attacked on the stair
was and relieved of $3.50 belonging TO the
hotel aud $50 that was his own property.
Brown had been sent out by the hotel
cashier 10 get some gold changed into silver,
which is needed for the accommodation Of
guests, and had $3.50 when he left the Office.
When lie came back he had nothing and was
badly used up from the rough handling he re-
ceiVed at he hands Of his assailants. Brown is
man over 40 years of age and under ordinary
circumstances is able TO take care of himself
but this time he did not have a chance TO do so.
According 10 his story he reached the ex-
press company's Office and got his change,
which he put into a bag and started back.
When near the bottom of the stairs he met two
men coming up, but they did not pass him. In
stead, one of them grabbed him and the other
struck him on the head. Then things got black
and the next thing he knew man was shak-
Ing him and asking him what allied him.
Brown was daZed and nervous, but instinct
ivey reached out for his bag, which was not
there.
He was unable TO get on his feet, but told
who he was and man ran over 10 the hotel for
assistance. Several OF the parties went over
and Brown was assisted to the hotel, where he
told bis story, or as much OF 1t as be could re.
member
The hotel people never doubted Browns
story for moment as he Is an old and trusted
employe, but al once notified the police of their
loss. Brown went to his room and il was sew
eral hours before he was able TO be around.
Nobody Is suSpec ed of the crime as Brown
did not the faces OF the robbers and there
Is nothing else 10 furnish clew. Il seems
reasonable to suppose that the men must have
been In the hotel when the money was given TO
Brown and followed him TO the express Office
and "lad for him."
Several detectives have been at work on the
case but so far have nothing to guide them.
Subsequently Brown stated that one of the
men gave him chorofOrm, and be gave a de
scription of Two men, one of whom he said had
begging letter In his hand.
After the case had been reported at police
headquarters Detective Bohen was sent to in-
vestigate. The result was that Brown was
placed nnder arrest and is detained in the City
Prison pendlng further developments.
Speaking OF the case last night Detective
Bohen said: 81 have closely questioned Brown.
and from what l have been able to gather l am
under the impression he robbed himself. He
admitted having been playing the races. al
though not to any great extent, and there were
Chinese lottery tickets found in his nossession-
Brown says he went 10 Well-FargO's to get
the money changed about IL 40 O'Clock. He
had been often there before for the same pur-
pose and knew that he could not gel change
till l o'clock.
He waited till two minutes TO / and went
downstairs TO go TO Montgomery street to get
the money changed, which would have taken
him at least from three 10 four minutes, where
as if he hid walled only half the time he would
have got it at Wells Fargo's That part OF his
story seems inconsistent. The time when lie
left-that is TWO minutes TO lean be verified
by the time one of the boys in the auditors
Office reported back from lunch.
lit would be impossible to chloroform a man
into uDcousciOuSness IN the way stated by
Brown. Then, again. no outcry was made, and,
besides. there are numbers OF people passing
up and down the stairs
Another singular thing is that Brown is able
TO describe mnutely the MN who chloro-
formed him, but the man who was begging
with sheet of paper in his hand, and who was
near him for FIVE or ten minutes, he remembers
nothing about except tnat he had blonde
mustache. The man who chlorOformed him,
he says, had also a blonde mustachr, was well
dressed and wore light overcoat, dark pants
and dark hat. The blonde mUstache of the
beggar / think suggested to him the blonde
mustache for the chlOroform man. He says he
is sure The man who was begging had nothing
TO do with the robbery"
Chief Crowley also said 1t was matter OF i'm
possibility 10 have chloroform affect man so
as 10 bring him into insensbility at once, as
stated by Brown,