New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-08
A GANG OF THIEVES CAUGHT
THEY HAVE BEEN ROBBING BOARDING
HOUSES FOR MONTHS.
STORY or A REMARKABLE RESEMBLANCE THE
ARREST AND INDICTMENT OF AN INNOCENT
MAN. AND THE SUBSEQUENT CAPTURE
OF BAND OF ROBBERS AND THE
RECOVERY OF QUANTITY
OE. cTorrN PROPERTY
OF STOLEN PROPERTY

or ST OLEN PROPERTY.
The Detective Bureau ct Police Headquarters
yesterday secured one of the bodest gangs of fur
nished-room house thieves that has operated In
this city for several years. and secured evidence
which Will at length free an innocent man VINO
is now In jail charged with the commission OF
one OF their robberies.
On October 81 last a slight gentlemanly look
ing man rented room In the house or MIS-
ANNE Chase, at No. "A West Eleventh-st he
slept one night in the house and the next morn
ing when the boarders got up had disappeared
SO also had everything valuable that could De
carried away, In all about $500 worth Mrs
Chase reported the robbery at the Mercer-st'
station, and after looking over the photographs
In the Rogues' Gallery. picked out the picture OF
John Ford. alias Bolts as her quondam lodger
4 warrant was issued for his arrest. and two
days afterward he was captured by Detective
Brown. Of the Central Office, ard handed over 10
the Mercer-st. police. He protested his inho-
cence and offered to give an account of his re-
cent movements but Mis-. Chase on seeing MN
unhesitatngly Identified him as the thief wanted.
He was indicted and held for trial
For some weeks Detectives Doran and Tinker
of Captain O Brlen's staff. had noticed man
and woman making an occasional round OF the
pawnshops on the West Side. The woman would
enter the pawnshop and leave ali article and on
emerging would hand the money she had op-
tained with the ticket, to her male companion,
who had meantime waited I'm the nearest nall
way. The suspicious of the detectives were
aroused and they followed the couple home to
house at No. 1886 West Twenty-escond-st Ihe
couple said they were John G. Smalins ana MS
wife Lena. and told story about purchasing ''ie
pawned articles In Boston. Ii was so improDapie'
however, that the detectives placed the coupe
and man named Frank Reilly. who SAID ne
lived at No 27O Bowery under arrest and took an
inventory of the contents of their rooms Iney
found number Of articles which had been stolei
recently.
The prisoners were taken to Police Head
quarters, where they were interviewed by Act
ing Captain O'Brien The Captain received a
surprise when he found that Smaiing was
enough like Ford. the eX-convict. now Locked IN
the Tombs to be his twin brother lie taNeu
Smaling with the Chase robbery. and the thiei
broke down and confessed that ne. MS wire ana
Reilly had been acting In concert in roDplng
boarding houses in this city. and within tew
months had secured several thousand dolarS
worth of plunder. Ford, he said. was an lnno-
cent man.
Mrs Chase. when sent for came to Headquar-
ters and when confronted with Smallng, con-
frmed this statement by admitting that she had
made mistake in her previous identification ana
had testified against the wrong man. The dls-
covery utterly unnerved Mrs Chase. and she pro-
tested her deep regret at having sent an innocent
man to jail. <
The Distrlct-Attorney's office was Informed
and inme1 1iate steps were taken to secure the re-
lease OF Ford from the TOnbs Ine fcal GRIM
inals were searched and ~ Smalings possession
vas found card which bore the name Madame
Jnnav.thek,- No. 20 East Thrd-st. on tracing
this card the detectives found a clew as 10 the
methods by which a good deal Of the stolen prop
erty had been disposed Of by he gang. The apart
ment OF Madame Janauschek,' az the address
civon nroved 10 be den Of the vest kind, oc-
cupied by Madame" who proved 10 be man
named John Steiglitz who Is an eN-conVlct, ana
five other men Of effeminate appearance VINO
wore female apparel and masqueraded as Mrs
Langtry" and other leading actresses IN the
place were found two trunks OF stolen corning
Ave bundles Of imported cigars stolen from NO 6'
Seventh-ave. and forty pawr tickets representing
stolen jewelrv and clothing.
All the occupants OF the place were arrested
and taken 10 Police Headquarters The police
are now looking up their records and the owners
OF the stolen property discovered while the DIS
rct- Attorneys o.ice is interesting Itself In pro-
curing the release Of the innocent man.