The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-18
IT WAS A WOMAN
WHO ROBBED FREIGHT CABS AT
BIRMINGHAM, ALA.

Queer Little Old Man In . Gray Suit Of
Clothes been LoiterinE About and ID
Tracked to the House of Eliza Spears,
Who Alone Is Found In the House
Afterward the Little Old Man Gets
Drunk Before Taking ON HIS Rig and
is Discovered as None Other than Eliza,
herself
New York, Nov. IA special from
Birmingham, Alabama, to the Herald,
says: A few nights ago Southern
railway freight car was broken into and
hundreds of dollars worth lof valuable
merchandise was taken therfrom. The
robbery, coming on the heels Of the
burglary OF several stores and private
residences, seemed to confirm the sus-
picions Of the police tf1at band or ex-
pert and daring criminals were abroad.
All efforts to trace them heretofore mad
been fruitless. n
WHAT puzzled the police most was the
report, several times neceived, that IN
the neignborhood Of the roDoeries and
on the nights on which they occurred
a queer little man. in an old gray suit
of clothes and a black slouch hat, had
been seen looiterng around.
WHO is this stranger? the police ask
ed each other, "and where did he go?"
But no one could discover any clew
to his identity, and diligently as rhe
searched they seemed unable to find out
what became Of the apparition. On Two
occasions they thought that they had
traced him to tlnehouse Of Eliza Spears.
on the outskirts Of the city. When they
entered the only person within the four
walls was Eliza herself. She knew her
visitors well, for her reputation was any
thing but good; she had been tired for
receiving stolen goods, but acquitted for
lack OF evidence.
Eliza gave ne police carte blanche to
examine her house from basement TO
roof. Sure enough, she was the sole oc-
cupant, and the minfons Of the law re-
tired, more puzzled than ever, as to what
had become Of the queer. little man in
the slouch hat and shabby coat
The detectives got on 10 the little
mans trail again for he car robbery.
1t led them once more 10 the house OF
the Spears woman. They couldn't be
mistaken again, they said to themselves.
They knocked on the door. There was
no answer. This was suspicious. 1t was
early morning, and Eliza should be at
home. Then they broke in. Everything
was still except for the sound OF ster-
toroIs breathing from sleeping room,
the door of which was ajar.
Tiptoeing into the chamber, what was
there astonishment to see, lying, face
downward, across the bed, with an en-
PITY whisky bottle alongside, but the very
mysterious stranger whom they had
90 long sought The slouch hat had fall
len on the floor, disclosing the strangers
bare head. It had thick shock OF hair,
altogether unlike a mans.
wake I'D llerer said the sergeant,
shaking the sleeper. You're the man
We want"
The sleeper turned over and disclosed
the face of Eliza Spears
what. You, Ehza?" chorused her
captor.
Yes" she leered. $50 you've got me
at last II II ndl1l oecu LOT Iutn u
have given you a long chase for many
a year to come"
The mystery was solved. Eliza, thanks
to her potations. had neglected to take
her usual precautions on arriving home
from the car robbery. she had not re-
moved her mans coat and let down over
her trousers the skirt which was closely
tucked around her waist. The police
did this for her, however, and then she
stood before them just as a woman, with
a afrd wizened face. bronzed by expo
sure and lined by dissipation. In mans
clothes the deception as to her sex was
rema rkable. The heavy down on her
upper lip materially assisted her in her
make up" She is forty years of age
and about five feet four inches tall.