The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-09-29
ORKED AN ORD DoDGE.
John Mettler Out $42 in Cash and a Watch
-1hieves Escaped.

Thieves IGsCapeu.
BY working an old dodge thieves man
aged early last evening to steal $42 in
money and watch valued at SIS from
the confectionery and fruit store of John
Metter at No IA George street. Shortly
after 6 o'clock two men entered the
store, one few minutes before the
other. One Of the men was about fifty
years of age and about five feet six
inches in height, While the other was
about thirty-five years of age and six
feet in height. The older man entered
few moments before the other and
asked for some writing paper and en-
velopes. While he was being waited
upon the younger man entered and sat
down on a chair near the door. Just
before Mr.. Mettler, who was in charge
of the store had finished wrapping up
the stationery. the younger man grab
bed the chair on which he had been sit
ting and started on a run out of the
store The older man at once called to
Mr.. Mettler, saying, There goes a man
with your chair The shop keeper
looked up just in time to see the fell
low on the sidewalk with the chair. He
ran out the door after the thief, fol-
lowed by the man who was purchasing
paper. This fellow told Mettler that the
thief had run down towards State
street, and Mettler ran down that way
the older man with him. They could see
nothing of the thief and were returning
to the store when Jack Smith, familiarly
known to the residents of the Bowery
as Crazy Jack" who was standing
nearby, said: Look, John, that man
stole some money" Jack pointed across
the street and there was the same young
fellow who had run out of the store
with the chair running down towards
the Aldrich house.
Mettler gave chase but failed to
catch the fellow and lost track of him
after he had gone around the corner.
Some people passing on the street said
that he had run into the Aldrich house,
but he could not be found there and
those in the hotel said that they had
seen no one answering the thiefs de-
scription come in.
Returning to his store, Mettler found
that the money drawer had been pulled
out and s42 in money and watch
taken. Jack Smith said that he was
JUST passing Tie SURE 'WueE lie saw Tile
thief run behind the counter in the
candy store, grab something and run
out of the door,
1t is probable that the older man who
was buying the stationery and the
/, younger one who took the chair were
onfederates and that when the younger
one took the chair and ran out the door
he hid in some corner nearby Then
while the older man was leading Mettler
down the street to find the man who
stole the chair, the younger fellow
emerged from his hiding place and
snatched the money and watch from the
money drawer
The possibility of the two men being
confederates did not occur to Mettler
until after the affair was all over and
| the older man had by that time disap-
peared.
The money taken was in an old bill
book and the watch was a gold filled
case. The older man was poorly dressed
and wore a black derby hat and had
gray hair. Mr. Mettler did not notice
the younger man closely enough to get
a good description of him. The police
were notified and detectives were look
ing for the two men last night The
two have been hanging about the Bow
cry for about two weeks and have been
watched by the police during that time.
The older man entered Mettler's store
yesterday forenoon and bought cigar.