The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-01
HER SECOND CAPTURE
Miss Robertson Gets on Another
Burglars Trail.
he is CAUGHT AND coNFEssEs.
sydney Gale Returns Home to Find
His Trunk Rausae L ed-Part OF
the Stolen Goods Found.

The capture OF another burglar Is large
~ Que TO the keen mind OF Miss Willetta
Robertson. the brave young lady who
won glory some time ago by marching a
burglar from her room in San Francisco
and delivering him 70 the police. This
time the eulprit was a boy named Doug
las MeCombie. who rifed the trunk Of
Sydney Gale OF quantity OF clothing and
valuable collection OF old coins while the
owner was absent at the Cariboo mines
with Frank W. Clayton. On the informal
ton furnished by Miss Robertson the po-
lice captured the boy. who soon confessed
his guilt
ago Mr.. Gale stored his trunk in Q shed
In the rear of Mr. Clayton's residence. AS
Ninth street, fastening il with q Yale
lock. On his return he found that the
lock had not been disturbed, but that q
burglar had removed q board from a pa
ution separating the storeroom from an
other apartment in the same building and
forced open a window at the rear of the
room. The culprit had stolen two suits
Of clothes, two overcoats, a lot OF under
clothing and the collection OF old and
rare coins, valued by the owner at fully
500.
Suspicion first rested upon japanese
lad employed as domestic in the family.
This suspicion. however. was not shared
Clayton. who Is here from California on
q visit. II was her belief that the culprit
was Douglas McCombis, a boy who had
been employed OF late 10 chop wood and
do odd chores about the house and shed.
Her suspicion was strengthened by the
boys behavior in a brief talk on Tuesday
morning. and she divulged her theory Of
the robbery to Detective Sam Corbett,
whose services had been engaged upon
the case. The detective soon discovered
that the boy and a companion were living
together In a small cabin In the woods
lust off Division street, near McClaire
street.
Thither the detective and Mr.. Gale re-
paired on Monday afternoon The other
hoy, a 2o-year-old fellow named William
Laurie, was readily found near by. and
taken In charge. He asserted that Doug
las" had gone across the bay to pick ber-
ries. AS il afterward transpired he had
seen the detective approaching and had
hid in the woods. The officer and Mr.. Gale
remained until nearly midnight waiting
for the boys return, but he did not come.
Yesterday morning early they were again
on hand, and the boy soon appeared 10
get breakfast.
He was taken I'm custody, and soon con-
fessed to the crime. He also said that
he had disposed of the suits OF clothes,
overcoats and coins to b. III. Freyd, the
keeper OF q uoaSc a. ASo W ASST
,ngton street. The boy said that he re-
ceIyed $3.50 for the entire lot, giving a
part TO his accompiice. He went with the
detective TO the place, where an overcoat
and the coins were found Mr.. Freyd was
absent and the goods were taken from
the clerk in attendance. On being visited
later Freyd denied having purchased any
thing more. Toward evening he was
taken TO police headquarters. and con-
fronted by the boy. who adhered TO his
frs, story Freyd was allowed to go back
70 the store TO see II his clerk had pur-
chased anything more, and with the adj
vice TO dig up the goods"
Douglas" as the boy Is generally
known. has been working about Seattle
for two or three years. He is simple
minded lad, and has been considered
strictly honest heretofore His associate
has been known TO the police for some
time and is considered rather promising
crook IT is believed that Douglas has
been the tool Of Laurie and perhaps
others.
Miss Robertson's former exploit with
burglar was more startling than this
one. for on finding one OF the most no.
,orious crooks in California In her moth
er.s room at the Savoy hotel at San
yrancisco, she marched him 20 the els "a
tor and then 10 the parior. where she
locked him In until the police arrived 20
taka him in charge. She was the heroine
~ the San Francisco papers for several