The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-24
A CLEVER THIEF.
Run Down BY Detective
Hottie After a Weeks
Hard Work.
BOARDING HOUSES HIS GAME.
Frank Farrell Had About Con-
cluded His Work Here
When Caught.

Detective Hottie of the Fourth precinct at
eight o'clock last night captured one of the
slickest boarding house sneak thieves it has
ever been the misfortune of the Jersey City
Police to have dealings with. His name is
Frank Farrell, but he is also known as Frank
Doyle and John Doyle. His face as it was
two years ago, is familiar to every detective
in the city, his picture being in the rogues'
gallery. He has only been out of prison a
short time, having just completed a SEN
tence of eighteen months, which he
received for stealing a horse and
wagon. For the past eight days
he has been systematically robbing
boarding houses all over the city and for
eight days the police have been chasing him
from place, have been baff1ed by him at
every turn and have worked necessarily in
their endeavorS to catch him. He worked
the First, Second and Third precincts and
the Fourth precinct, where Captain McKaig
and Detective Hottie proved too much for
him and landed him in Jail just as he was
about to move to the Fifth precinct.
BORROWED AN UMBRELLA.
Mrs. Doris Abrecht of No. 81 Cottage
street gave him lodgings last Saturday. He
went to her Sunday morning and telling her
he wanted to go to mass, asked her if she
would lend him an umbrella. She did and
she hasn't seen it since. He didn't come
back and after he was gone Mrs. Albrecht
discovered that he had taken an open face
watch belonging to one of the boarders. She
notified the police. Detective Clay keenan, was
already looking for him, he having pilfered
several other boarding houses in the pre-
cinct On Monday afternoon Mrs. Plenty
of No. 29S Halliday street complained to
Captain Mckaig that her house had been
robbed by boarder she had taken in that
morning. He had come to her with refer
ences from the agent at the Lafayette sta
ton. He represented himself as an engineer
with night run, who wanted place to
sleep in the day time. He had taken a room
and retired. He did not come down to din
ner, so Mrs. Plenty went to call him. She
found him gone, and discovered that he had
taken with him gold watch belonging to
another boarder, Miss Lewis.
BIG DAYS WORK MONDAY.
Detective Hottie was put on the case and
has been working on it all the week Since
leaving Mrs. Plenty's, Farrell, for from Mrs.
Plenty's description the police recognized
him, has robbed four other boarding honses,
and has been refused admittance to several
more. He worked hard on Monday. After
leaving Mrs Plenty's he went to Mrs Weeks
at No. 1874 Pacific avenue He told her his
story but she wasn't satisfied with him
and refused to give him aJoom. From there
he went to Mrs. Reilly's, No. 140 Pacific ave
nue. He told her that he was Frank Doyle,
foreman in Lerillards tobacco factory.
He showed her an employees card bearing
that name and she gave him room. He
left few hours later, taking with him silk
umbrella, coat and pants belonging to Mrs.
Curry and music box, the property of Miss
Fitzpatrick That same night he went to
Mrs. Radeg's at Lafayette and Whiton
streets and was refused lodging and to
Mrs. Evelyne Shaw's at No. 319 19Communipaw
avenue, where he secured board and lodg-
ings, as an engineer on the Central railroad,
and where he remained until Tuesday night.
When Mrs. Reilly told Hottie about the em-
ploye's card he recognized him as Farrell
and acted accordingly. He took his picture
from the rogues' gallery and calling at every
boarding house in the precinct, showed it
original of it. The picture was that of a
slim, smooth faced young man, while the
sneak was described as having q sandy.
moustache and being rather stout. AL other
points, including the card tailed and Hottie
was sure that he was on the right trail.
Besides showing the pictures he told the
boarding mistresses to notify him if they
took in any new boarders.
UPSTAIRS ASLEEP.
While he was giving Mrs. Shaw instruc-
tions Farrell was upstairs either sleeping or
pretending to sleep, although Hottie didn't
know that until this morning. Farrell left
Mrs. Shaw's on Tuesday night, taking a
silver watch, overcoat and pair of opera
glasses with him. He didn't work on We'd
nesday during the day, but at night he went
to Miss Lizzie Drummonds, No. 81 Atlantic
street and secured a room. He couldn't find
anything very valuable there so he took
bed spread. Thursday afternoon he stole a
H.,
tral Railroad roundhouse, and as an engin-
eer, likewise cousin to Mike Doyle, "a personal
friend of Blewitt's he went to Blewitt's
hotel at No. 66S Communipaw avenue. He
told Blewitt that he would receive his pay
in week, and asked for lodgings in the
meantime Blewitt. for his friends sake,
gave him room, and several hours later
Michael Sweeney, another lodger, missed a
pair of pants and found in their place Far
rers overalls. Hottie in the meantime was
close on Farrefs track, and traced him to
Blewitts, arriving only a couple of hours
after Farrell had departed.
THE BIRD CAUGHT.
Last night the detective got wind of the
fact that his game had taken rooms at No.
GA Virginia avenue He went there, and the
landlady told him that Mr.. Doyle was. up
stairs in bed. Hottie said he wanted to see
him and, going to his room, foundNhim lying
down and shamming sleep. When he found
out that ne was naDpeQ, ne showed ugnG ana
gave Hottie sharp tussle. The detective
did not want to hurt him, but was
finally compelled to use his fist.
This quieJed his prisoner, who
went to the station house without giving any
further trouble. There he was booked as
Frank Farrell, twenty four years old. He
acknowledged number of the robberies,
and said that he was surprised that the police
had not caught him before, He told Cap
tain McKaig that If he had not caught him
last night he never would, as he was going
to leave this morning for another State.
HELD FOR THE GRAND JURY.
He was arraigned before Justice Kimmerly
this morning and held for examination. Mrs.
Albrecht, in company with Detective Clay
keenan,, called at the station house and iden-
titled Farrell as the boarder who had borrow
ed the umbrella to go to mass last Sunday
morning. Complaints against Farrell are
coming in from all over the city. He is
good looking young fellow with
sandy mustache and an open countenanee
that would deceive person, and make them
believe him to be nothing but what he rep
resented himself to be, hard working
Young railroad man. Boarding house keep
ers all over the city will rest easier now that
he is behind the bars once more.
1xxTfERS n