The evening times., 1896-10-13

A clerical-looking stranger was in the
| city several days ago and left behind him
a number OF wide-open"I . U.s.
He stopped at several boarding houses
| here, representing himself as Rev James
| L. Morris, a Methodist divine, OF Motile
| Ala. III each instance he is said To have
| defrauded the proprietors OF the cstab-
| lishments by skipping away without set
| ting his board bill.
He also managed to get a quantity of
clothing and other goods on credit, ha wing
| the articles sent to bis stopping place, and
never paying for them. The police could
not have successfully prosecuted the fellow
| had he been arrested, for there is no law
| here to punish hotel or boarding house
| beats, as there is in other cities. In
each Instance he delayed payments ON the
| pretext that he was awaiting check
from his congregation in Mobile.
| The police have been informed that
| man believed 10 be Rev" Mr.. Morris
is under arrest in New York. The man in
| is under arrest in New York. The man
in custody there is represented to be well
dressed, OF medium height, with hand
some face and wearing clerical garments.
| This answers the description OF the bogus
preacher who operated here
III. NJ. HAYWOOD"
| He walked into the New Netherlands
| Hotel, and the porters all made Tush TO
| get the privilege of carrying his fine al
ligator grip to his room. He asked for a
! nice quiet room, and signed his name on
| the register, III. NJ. Haywood, Florida"
He was shown to room No. 269, near the
I .nrf,.s
Mrs. Thayer.
During the evening, while that lady was
at dinner, the fake doctor of divinity ran
| sacked her rooms and got away with her
| watch, chain, bra celets, diamond rings and
other jewelry valued at $3.50.
Central office Detective Evanhoe and
Formosa were summoned, and pronounced
the fellow not only u beat, but "A clever
hotel thief as well. In his room they found
evidences OF his hasty departure and his
| fine alligator satcheI stuffed with waste
paper, also some letters addressed 10 vari-
Gus aliases in Washington, Baltimore, Jer-
sey CityandNew York
The detectives visited other hotels, and
discovered that he had been to the Savoy,
Belyidere and other houses, and had left
an unpaid board bill at each. The names he
:.
prefix in each instance, Were. Scott. Fer
guson, Fraser. johnson and Jones. He was
| traced 10 No. IT'S South Elliott Place. Brook
iyn, where he had left a trunk containing
several clerical suits of clothing and dis
guiscs
ARRESTED IN BROOKLYN.
Hew as finally arrested at Nc. 1isCumber-
land street, Brooklyn. where he had en-
gagged a furnished room. None Of the stolen
good were found upon him. II is Lelievcd
he is an experienced hotel worker and dis
posed of the plunder quickly al some fence
In the Yorkviile police court the prisoner
said tiis right name was Thomas Johns.
He was held by Magistrate Deul in 81 900
bail on the charge OF larceny and $500 for
violating the hotel law. He Will have
hearing tomorrow.
In the mea ntime his picture will be taken
for the rogues' gallery. The fellow admits
that he made a practice of beating hotels
and said disguised as a Clergyman from the
South he could fool 'em all" 1t is he
IeveI he buncoed several ministers while
in Washington as he acknowledged tha, lac
found some good marks here.