The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-21
REAL JEKYLL AND HYDE.
Stzelecki Was a Literary Man by Day and
Burglar by Nisht-Boston's Educated
Crook RObs Fifty Flats,

Boston, March oO.-A DIR. Jekyll and
Mr.. Hyde episode I'm real life has come
to light through the capture of Charles
s. Stzelecki. a protege of Edward Ever
EFT Hale. ID. d., who has wealthy rela-
tives In New York. The prisoner Is a
refined and intelligent young man, and
for year has been leading dual life
here to the complete mystification OF
the police. While writing book reviews
and editorials for the Commonwealth.
DIR. Hale's paper, he has committed
burglaries in about tffty flats and resi-
dences In the fashionable Back Bay.
He was caught last night just as he was
leaving the pawnshOp of Louis Elm
stein. II Pleasant street. where he went
to dispose of stolen silverware. Later
at the station house he confessed all.
The amount of plumber reaches well
into the thousands. He has done 1t all
In two months. He came from abroad
when mere boy. was educated In New
York. where he attended college, and
came from there to this city year ago.
1t was not long before he wandered into
the office of Dr. Hale. at : Hamilton
Place, in search Of work. Or. Hale took
fancy to him AT once, and set him tn
work in the Office He gradually
worked along into higher positions and
was soon given some books to review.
He did the work WELL and several of
his reviews have appeared in the Com
monwealth's columns with his sigma
ture attached.
STZELECKI CONFESSES.
He remained there until about three
months ago, when DR.. Hale secured
him another position. because he could
not increase his salary. as requested.
He remained there about six weeks. and
has had no regular work since, although
he continued to write for the Commons
wealth. For the last two months the
Back Bay has been systematically
worked by an unknown burglar and
the police could not discover the slight
, est clue until ten days ago, when they
found some Of the plunder in a pawn
shop. They camped there for ten days
| and last night StZelecki came in with a
package and was arrested. He cOolly
suggested that the officers must have
made a mistake, but at the station
house confessed the whole business
They found a chisel in his trousers leg
and some skeleton keys in his pocket
What are these for?" they asked
| "Well. l suppose / may as well tell the
| whole TRUTH am a burglar You have
caught me at last. l used the chisel tC
| get into the houses. l started to stea
| because ! was out of work. | could not
do anything else. l do not know what
caused me to do It, but | thought OF
rObbing houses. and / got this chise
| and set to work.
How many houses have | robbed
Oh, guess about twenty-five or so.
cannot remember the exact number
pawned a good deal of the stuff. The
rest of 1t is at my house. The first
house / broke into was on Batavia
street. That was two months ago.
forced the door open with the chisel
for | was satisfied that no one was
inside. took IA lot of silverware and 9
| few other things and got out without
being caught. ] saw it was easy work
| so l kept It up
He had two rooms which he kept
| locked. and when the officers went there
! they discovered several thousand dol.
lars worth Of jewelry and silverware
They also secured considerable more or
pawn tickets found on his person.