Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-11-26
CURIOUS STATEMENT
How Criminal Affairs Are Run in
Alexandra.
PRISONER ACTED As FENCE
Gambler Had Stolen Property Hid
in His House.
THE j ALL MANAGEMENT

The mayors court room was packed to
the doors last night by a crowd of people
VINO had come to listen to the trial OF the
case against William Arlington and John
henderson, charged with being implicated
In the robbery OF French's book store.
AS has been stated. the goods were founi
In Alexandria county yesterday afternoon
in house formerly occupied by Harry
Gambler.
Yesterday afternoon Sergeant Smith sue
ceeded In getting Gambler to locate the
stolen property. which he did by driving
out into the county with Deputy Smith.
Gender explained the goods being in his
posses sion by saying that they were
brought to him at the jail by William Ar
rinFton, who. at the same time. he said,
maze MIN a present of gold pen and
noider, which was the article that led to
the recent suspicious against the jail as a
Storage place for stolen goods. Most of
the stolen property has been recovered and
was produced as evidence last night
Deputy Sergeant Webster. who has been
conducting the Investigation. was the first
witness. He told about how he had gone
10 the jail. and Richard Burnett, who was
In Gamblers room, asked him to write a
note for him. He said that Burnett hati
given him gold pen to write with. and
ne started to leave the room, and in
adveriently put the pen in his pocket.
whereupon Rurnett became excited and
said: For Gods sake don't take that pen
cut of here" This aroused his suspicions
ne went to the station fouse and procured
the warrai is for the arrest of Gambler
ana Burnett. but owing to the refusal of
the jail officials to allow the search to be
made and the delay occasioned thereby. the
piunder, viii IN Webster had seen in the iaiI
had teen spirited away before the search
was made Capt. George Young and Night
Waterman Gentzberger gave evidence of
an Material nature.
The Search of the Jail,
Deputy Sergeant Smith was next nut on
the stand and said that Tuesday morning
ABOUT III O'Clock his father Getty Sergeant
Smitn went out of the city; that he being
nrst deputy was left i'm charge Said he
mad received telephone message from the
warden stating that the officers wanted to
arrest Gambler and Burnett; that he in
stfucted him not to give them up Asked
il Warden Hayes was there. On being
told he was not instructed Warden Nc
Cuen as soon as Hayes returned for both
to search the Jail. Then went to Judge
norton OF the corporation court, whom he
told of his action i'm the case. After the
ofhcers searched the jail and found nothing
ne went out there to make a search him
self. Upon information received from
Gambler he got permission from Judge
Chichester of the county court to take
Gambler to his former home in the county
near the Long bridge. They left in a
closed carriage. On the way out Gambler
stated to him that Wednesday, the 18TH
William Arlington came into his cell at the
Jail and gave him a gold pen and at the
same time handed him a package to keep
Deputy Smith further stated that on ar
irving at Gamblers house they alighted
from the carriage. Gambler preceded him
to the house, unlocked the door and they
went In. There they found the packages
which had been secreted by Gambler on one
of his trips from the Jail on furlough by
the county sheriff. The package contained
twenty pocket knives, three razor strops,
ten razors. god pens, etc, which had been
stolen from Mr.. French.
Commonwealth's attorney asked witness
how Gambler happened to be out on the
18th instant. Deputy Smith said mas
the sheriff of the county had a perfec:
right to take him out at WILL When Dep
uty Smith had finished his testimony he
placed all of the stolen property on the
ward and identified it, and in reply to a
question said it was worth about s6O.
MIR. and Mrs. Burnett.
Mrs. Maggie Burnett wife of Richard
Burnett, testified that Arlington and Hen
derson tried to sell her a gold pen last
Monday.
Richard Burnett was the next witness.
He stated that he had requested Deputy
Webster to write a note for him, and told
him to get a pen from a box on the table.
Webster went to the wrong box and got
French's pen. Mr.. Marbury asked him II
he had had any conversation with anybody
about the robbery. He replied that the
men had tried to sell his wife a pen. He
denied telling Deputy Webster anything
about the stolen goods.
Gamblers Testimony.
Cah.ller was then called. and stated that
Tuesday morning Arlington and Hender-
IN ho foi1 fn vic RI
in the Jail they paid him a visit, and Ar
rington gave him the pen. and asked him
to take charge of a package for him. Ar
ringtcn but the package in the pocket Of
Gamblers overcoat, which was hanging on
the wall. About 1 o'clock the same day
Sheriff Palmer called for him, and they
went to the Long bridge, where he put the
package away for safekeeping. He ad-
mitted being away from the jail until Mon
day morning. He described Webster's visit
to the jail. and said that Burnett had re-
Quested him to excuse himself and leave
the rom while Webster was there which
he did. Upon his return Burnett told him
that Webster had gone through his effects.
Later in the day Deputy Webster and Off,
Ger Ferguson appeared at the Jail. but he
refused to admit them to his cell until
City Sergt. Smith had given them permis-
sion to enter. Gambler stated that AIRING
ton had brought the stolen goods to the
Jail Gambler admitted that the stolen ar
ticles found were the ones that had been
brought to the jail by Arlington
Arlington and Henderson were called on
for statements. but had nothing to say.
They were held to await the action of the
grand jury.
Jail Management.
The recent developments in the conduct
OF affairs at the jail are still the subject of
much unfavorable comment. and the mat
ter is being quietly investigated by the
authorities. and startling results are looked
for.
Chief Webster was very indignant that
his men should have been denied admission
to the jail, and said: "If l had been there
I would have taken an ak and broken the
door In II l could have gotten in In no other
way. Common law Is based on common
sense. 1t Is not the man. but the paper he
hosds. With that warrant the officers could
60 anywhere after q prisoner.
ut would be q pretty come to pass IL
some one had to be looked up and con-
suited whenever an arrest or q search was
to be made. I don't think much would be
accomplished In the way of arrests II that
warrant was no good for the purpose, the
book had better be torn up"
There was q conference at the county
court house yesterday between Judge Chi
chester, City Sergeant Smith, Sheriff
Palmer. Deputy Smith and Commonwealth's
Attorney Marbury In regard to the AFFAIR
but the result was not given out for pub
NCatfou