New-York tribune., 1896-11-22
SEVERAL ROBBERIES CLEARED UP.
CAPTAIN THOMAs'S MEN RECOVER A LOT
OF STOLEN GOODS AND ARREST TWO
ALLEGED THIEVES

Captain Thomas. OF the West Sxty-eighth-st sta
tion. and Detectives Mcknight. Linn and Lang
succeeded yesterday In clearing up several robberies
that have occurred in the precinct in the last two
weeks. They arrested the thieves and recovered
some Of tho stolen property. In the last two weeks
the following robberles were reported: Otto V.
Lang. No. IS West Seventy-third-st, robbed of
slverware and clothing: Gustave Rothenberg. No.
46 West Seventy-hrst-st.. robbed OF tewery valued
at s.40o Leo Sondhem. No. 142 West Fifty y-fourth-
st. robbed OF silvorware. and F. w. Brewer, No 90
West Fifty-ninth-st.. robbed OF jewelry
The detectives have been looking for the thieves,
but got no clew to them until Friday morning
About 1920 a. m that day the daughter OF Marcus
f. Downes. of No lO6 West Seventy fourth-st. sur
prised a colored lad who was In the house evil
IDENTIFY bent on robbery. He tried to escape when
he saw that he was discovered. Mr. Down.s pur-
sued him down Seventy -fourth-st and called Police
man Hubbard. who caught him at Seventy third-s..
and Amsterdam-ave At the station the prisoner
described himself as William Frazze eighteen years
old, of No 2i3 West Forty ty-seventh-s;. He said he
was furniture mover Soon after no locked
up a negro went to the station and said the pris-
oner was his He declared that the boys right
name was William Johnson. He also informed
the police that his bad boy and that he
was glad he had been arrested. In the prisoner 5
pockets were found several pawntickets for jewelry
and clothing. Johnson told the detectives that he
got the pawntickets from ii named William
Jones. living at No. li5 Macdougais;. This state
mcnt the detectives found to be in,rue.
The prisoner arragned In Yorkville Court on
Friday afternoon. He had refused give any In
formation to the police. who suspected him OF being
implicated IN some of the robberies mentioned De-
tective Mcknight, however. rcsorted to piece OF
strategy which resulted in portion OF the stolen
goods being recovered. McNaught represented
himsel: TO the prisoner Mr.. Lang. OF the
who robbed lie told Johnson that II he
would confess TO him where he had the stolen
property hidden he would make complaint.
Johnson finally told McNaught TO go and his
mother and that she would tel. him where the
stock was. McNaugh got him write out an or
der directing his mother delive- certain goods
to him. The detective then went 10 No. 2f
West Forty -scvonth-st.. where Johnson's parents
live. They saw Mrs Johnson. but she AT first de-
MED all knowledge Of the stoler property De-
tectiVe McNaught found Johnson's father. and rep
resented himself 10 him Mr.. Lang one Of tho
victims. and said he would not appear against the
II he could T'co.ci his goods johnson agreed
10 give up the property at O'Clock yesterday sfter
When the officers went there last evening Johnson
was not on hand but they frightened Mrs. Johnson
into telling where he was. They found him In a
stable In the OF the house where they dlscOv
cred him In the act Of removing quantity Of silver
ware from a trunk. He was placed under arrest
and tho trunk and contents were taken to the West
SiXty-eighth-st station. The trunk contained lot
Of mems clothing. some silver ash receivers "a mum
ber OF brushes with silver backs and sllk
scarfs. In the bottom OF the trunk IN" officer.
found An old wooden case in which was Il pear
necklace of three rows of pearls and seven dia-
monds set In ana diamond brooch Ihe neckMiac' XII
were identified by Nj. Rothcnb.rg OF No g Wcsi
Seventy as his property Some OF The Other
goods were clalm,n "N Mt liht, OF 30 - N'-l
Seventy y-first-st. The polio" believe that young
Johnson committed tho robhorios at the houso'
mentioned. and That his father aided nm In i'-
that he has committed q large number Of robberics
The elder johnson IS truckman hfty-three years