The San Francisco call., 1896-09-10
HONEYMOON TRIP
ON STOLEN BIKES
It Was Planned by w. H.
Smith and Adele
Laura Tucker.
N1PPED IN THE BUD.
Just as They Were Going to Be
Married Smith Was
Arrested.
GRAND LARCENY THE CHARGE.
The Girl, Who Is Only Fourteen Years
of Age, Will Be Sent to Her
Parents in Santa Clara.

Instead OF getting married and spending
their honeymoon on a bicycle tour, Will
liam II. Smith, alias D. Banks, is in "the
tanks" at the City Prison and Adele
Laura Tucker, a pretty girl, IA years OF
age, is in the matron's room, and will be
sent home to her parents in Santa Clara.
What brought about this unhappy state
of affairs was dispatch that Chief Crow
ley received on Monday from Chief Mimic
of Portland, Or. The dispatch asked him
to arrest D. Banks, a passenger by the
steamer from Portland, and secure two BIZ
cycles he had stolen from the Owe rman
Wheel Company as evidence against him.
Detectives Gibson and Wren were de-
tailed on the case, ana when they got to
the wharf they found the steamer had
arrived and her passengers had all disem-
barked. The two bicycles were, however.
on board. One of Pinkerton's men was
also on the wharf looking for Banks, as
they had received dispatch from the
Overman Wheel Company to arrest him.
They remained on watch all day Mon
day and Tuesday, in the hope that Banks
would call for the bicycles. Tuesday after
noon an expressman drove up to the
steamer with an order for the wheels. The
detectives spoke to him, and he said he
had instructions to take them to lodg-
ing-house at Twelfth and Franklin streets,
Oakland.
The expressman got the bicycles and
the three detectives crossed the bay with
him. On reaching Oakland the Pinkerton
man drove the wagon to the lodging
and Gibson and Wren took the cars,
reaching there, as arranged, as the wagon
drove up to the door. a young man came
out and gave receipt for the two wheels
and was promptly placed under arrest.
He denied knowing anything about the
wheels. Then he said he bought them
from a man on Market street, San Fran
cisco, and produced bogus bill of sale
He also denied being d. Banks, aud said
his name was w. II. Smith. He showed
a letter of recommendation from the Pa
ciic Manufacturing Company of Santa
Clara, where he had been EN- mployed. The
bluff did not work, and he finally ad-
mitted having stolen the two bicycles.
A young girl was with him and he told
the detectives she was his wife. They
questioned her and she said she was not
his wife, but they were to be married that
afternoon. She showed a marriage
license, which Smith had procured in Oak
land. 1t gave his name as William II.
Smith, age %, and hers as Adele Laura
Tucker, age 10. She admitted that she
was only IA years of age. She had known
Smith when he worked for the Pacific
Manufacturing Company. He telegraphed
to her on Monday to come on to Oakland
and they would get married.
She started Tuesday morning without
telling her parents and reached Oakland
by the noon train. They were just pre-
pairing to go to a clergyman to get mar
ried when the detectives arrived.
Smith and the girl and the two bicycles
were taken to the City Prison. He was
locked up in "the tanks and she was
placed in the matron's room.
She said she could ride bicycle nicely,
and so could Smith, and as soon as they
got married they were to start East on
their bicycles, but she did not know their
destination.
Chief Crowley yesterday morning wired
to Chief Kidward of San Jose, who had
been making inquiries about the girl, that
she was in the City Prison, and Kidward
replied that he would take her home
to- day.
Chief Mimic of Portland was also noti-
fed of Smiths, alias Banks, arrest, and
he sent reply that an officer would leave
at once to take him back there.