The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-04-25
Disguised as a Sailor and Eluded
an Oakland Detective.
WENT AS sTEERAGE PAss=SGIGR.
Took Name of w. 5. Kimball-Handled
Large Sums of Money as Balls and
Fines, but Implicitly Trusted
Drank Hard While in Honolulu,

Walter r. Lambert, the defaulting
Police Court clerk of Oakland, return
ed from Honolulu on the steamer AL
ameda yesterday morning under the
name of w. s. Kimball. He walked
past the officers who were on the
wharf to meet him with warrants for
his arrest, and was free until late last
night, says the San Francisco Exami-
ner of April 18th.
He came back to San Francisco
alone. His young wife, nee Mahaney,
who ran away with him, remained in
Honolulu for some reason not yet ex-
planned, but it is thought that he
did not have enough money to pay
her passage as well as his own, and,
as a result, she stayed behind.
Lambert was steerage passenger,
and few hours before the wharf was
reached his companions in the after
part of the ship below the upper deck
were surprised when he appeared
among them with his upper lip shaw
ed as clean as razor could make it.
His luxuriant brown mustache was
gone.
The steamer Australia on her last
trip brought letter FROM Henry Ev-
ers, the son of one of Lambert's
bondsmen, that the defaulting clerk
Intended to return to San Francisco,
and possibly Oakland, on the Alamo
da. Little faith WAS placed in the in
formation, but long before the steam
er was due Detective Holland of the
Oakland force was at the wharf wait
ing the arrival Of the missing clerk.
The detective made arrangements
with the steamship company to allow
none but their own officers down the
baggage gangway at the forward part
of the vessel while he stationed him
self at the passenger gangway aft.
THE DETECTIVE LISTENS TO A FAIRY
TALE.
He had no sooner taken up his posi-
ton, when one of the steamer walters
named Jones, who was acquainted
with the detective, rushed down the
gangway and shaking hands with
Holland, said: "Well, saw Lambert
and his wife in Honolulu. He has
gone to China, and she will come to
San Francisco on the next steamer"
He went on telling the detective all
for her return when a letter was
thrust in the policeman's hand. 1t
was from Evers and contained the in
formation that Lambert had taken
passage on the steamer from Homo
lulu.
While Holland was reading the
note Jones regained the steamer. The
detective went in search of him, and
in the meantime, it is thought, Lam
bert made his escape from the vessel.
Some of his fellow passengers in the
steerage saw Lambert in overalls and
with sailors cap on his head about
the baggage gangway, and in that
disguise, it is thought, he managed to
elude the detective.
Jones, the waiter, afterwards ad-
mitfed his share in the plot and said
that Lambert only wanted to escape
arrest on arriving, so that he could
first arrange for bonds, then give him.
self up.
The fugitive ard his wife lived in
Honolulu under the name of F. n.
Thomas and wife. Lambert drank
hard, but otherwise there was MOTH
ing Objectionable in his conduct
When the San Francisco newspapers
were distributed in Honolulu on the
arrival of the steamer following the
one on which he was a passenger,
giving the news of his defalcation, he
became very uneasy, but it was not at
that time known that he was the man
spoken of.
HAD THE BEST IN THE MARKET.
Later Lambert admitted that he
was the Clerk of the Oakland Police
Court, but denied that he absconded
or was short in his accounts He and
hia vvifo oniOuof lifo In tho frnn;oo
They had the best the Islands could
give them. and he apparently seemed
we'll supplied with money.
a few days before the Alameda
sailed Lambert and his wife had dis
agreement and she was preparing to
return home by the first steamer,
while he declared his Intention of
going to Australia.
AS clerk of the Oakland Police
Court Lambert handled large sums of
paid into his hands as bail and
for fines; but was trusted implicitly,
and when he disappeared on March
Sth last it took but little work to trace
the couple to the steamer Mariposa,
which had sailed for Honolulu on that
day Henry Evers aid o G.. Kirk, of
Oakland, were on Lambert's bond,
and, as soon as his shortage was
checked up, paid the city the amount
due-Sl65O. All the money was used
by Lambert during the month pre-
ceding his flight, except the ready
cash he carried away, which is be-
lieved to have been not more than
$500.
Walter r. Lambert was arrested at
ISL Geary street about O'clock last
night by Detective Holland and Po-
liceman Hodgkins. He was taken to
Oakland on the 10 O'clock boat and
locked up at the City Prison.
John A. Mahaney, father of Mrs.
Lambert, stated last night that he re-
ceiyed no letter from his daughter
since the Peru arrived on April g. In
3 letter from Honolulu received here
on that date, Mrs. Lambert wrote that
her marriage had been soIemnized be-
fore a minister in Honolulu and she
and her husband were very happy.
But she added she had grown home
sick and expected to return to San
hn CT