Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-13
N ABE A GOOD HAUL
Hotel Sneak Thief Gets Money, Jewelry
and Securities
Representative Grove johnson tn,
Victim Of a Clever Professional
Police Send n Description.

Burglars and sneak thieves who belong to
the professional class have let this city Sc
verely alone for several weeks. until We'd
nesday night, when the room of Represent
ative Grove johnson of California was Wis
tied by one of the light-fingered gentry.who
made good haul. The Californian and his
family have occupied a suite of rooms in
the Cochran Hotel during the present ses-
sion Of Congress. and Wednesday evening
between and o'clock, while the members
of the family were at dinner. the sneak
thief entered and made the haul
When the Congressman went to dinner
he left the trunk. as well as the door of the
room, securely fastened. and he found them
fastened when he returned. There was
nothing about the room to arouse suspicion
or indicate that an intruder had been there.
But later in the night, when a member of
the family had occasion to go to the trunk
for something, the discovery was made that
thief had been there, and had taken cash,
1ewelry and securities aggregating more
than $500.
A telephone message " as sent to police
headquarters, and a detective was soon al
the hotel to make an investigation. Yester-
day morning another detective was called
in, Snd the entire force is row looking for
the man. who IS undoubtedly a professional
sneak. The result CT the investigation by
the police was the sending out of a descrip-
tive circular, offering q liberal reward for
the arrest of the thief ard the recovery of
the property stolen or any portion thereof.
The Stolen Property.
The property described in the circular is
as follows: Gold hunting case watch, No.
1859. F. H. Mathez make, gold fob chain
attached; cost $175. .Lady's ring. set with
three large diamonds: cost $500. Lady's
diamond ring; cost $25. Garnet set of jew
elry; cost $40. Plain gold wedding ring,
very old. initials worn off; pair of hair
bracelets. with gold clasps; old gold watch,
key winder; $42S in greenbacks, a SO gold
piece and certificates of deposit on Ohio
National Bank amounting to 81, $50.
The circular also says that the prop
erty was stolen by hotel thief who reg
istered as j. H. Willetts New York. fifty to
ffty-fve years old, five feet eight or nine
inches tall, $50 or 100 pounds weight me-
dunn build. gray hair and mustache, short
gray whiskers slightly parted in the mid
die, small features. light complexion, quick
movements; wore a black derby hat. dark
clothes. lightweight overcoat, looks and
dresses like business man.
Who this man Willetts is the police do
not know. He reached here Wednesday
afternoon, and rode to the hotel in a coach
in which Inspector Mclaughlin was also
seated, but the police official, who knows
most OF the prominent crooks. did not
recognize him.
Wednesday evening, few minutes after
the robbery was committed, the suspected
man paid his bill and left the hotel
The Suspected Guest.
About the hotel the guest who is now
suspected of having committed the rob-
berry said he had come to see the Brazilian
minister on some business. He was as
signed to room 10, and chambermaids in
the hotel say they saw a man answering
his description going down one floor to
another about the time the robbery was
committed.
Detectives Horne and Rhodes, who are
especially assigned to the case, are en-
deavoring to learn something more of the
mans identity, and the printed circulars
mentioned above have been sent to The
police departments Of other cities.