Evening star., 1897-03-24
STORY OF MRS. BIsCHOFF"s sACQUE.
The Man Who Pawned 1t Acquitted
Of Theft.

me- AAA '" No H3NVMeo ~
Of Theft.
Alexander 8. Groves, alias Alexander H.
Gray, q respectable appearing and stylishly
attired young man, was placed on trial be-
fore Judge Bradley in Criminal Court No.
this afternoon. charged with the theft of a
500 sealskin sacQue from Mrs. Mary Bisch-
off the divorced wife of Professor John
w. Bischoff the well-known blind organ
fst, the 9th of this month. District Attor
ney Davis prosecuted the case, the de-
tendant being represented by Mr.. Thos. c.
Taylor
In stating the case to the jury. Mr.. Davis
said he expected to show that the defendant
was friend of Mrs. Bischoff that he took
the sacque and pawned it. and then left
the city for Norfolk. Va. where he was ar
rested upon bench warrant, after his in
dictment here.
Mr.. Taylor on behalf of the defendant
told the jury that there was no theft of the
sacque; that he had been authorized to
pawn It, and that he did not flee from the
city.
John Fowler. colored. employed by Mrs
Bischof at the time. testified that the de-
fendant lived at Mrs. Bischoffs house. and
that he came to the house S13 X street.
about noon on the day in question. He
went upstairs. and subsequently left with
large box. A large box. containing the
sacque. was identified the one he
the defendant take out Of the house. The
defendant, he said, told him to say nothing
to Mrs. Bischoff.
Isaac HartstaIl testified to the defendant
pawnirg the sacque with him for $40 March
8, giving his name as Gray and his resi-
dence SIT X street. number Detective
Barnes the next witness. testified does not
exist.
Mr.. Davis next called Mrs. Bischoff. who
stated that the defendant was boarder
il her fouse. She saw him first after the
9th of March when in the custody of the
Virginia officer. and since then at her
he use. The sacQue she valued at $500, and
she did net discover its loss until after he
left. Not knowing who had taken 1t, she
requested Detective Barnes to find it.
She stated that after the sacoue
found she swore out warrant against the
defendant at the request of the detective.
To Mr. Taylor Mrs. Bischoff admitted that
if left to herself She would not have sworn
out the warrant she admitted. toe. that
she had in January last authorized him
to pawn the sacque. an authority which
she never revoked
She insisted, however. that the 9TH of
this month he took the Sacque without her
permission. but she explained that after
the defendant returned the pawn ticket to
her and wrote that he would see he- in
a few days. she wrote letter t. District
Attorney Davis, stating that she mad acted
under a misrepresentation. and that she
wished to stop the prosecution of the de-
fendant. She also so told Detective Barnes.
Mrs. Bischoff stated TO Mr. Taylor that
the defendant has been living at her house
for the past three or four years, and has
been living there since his release on bail.
To Mr. Davis. upon her redirect examina-
ton, Mrs. BisChoff said ii was the 26th of
December and rot the 18th Of January
that she authorized him to pawn the
sacque.
Mr.. Taylor having objected to that line of
testimony. Mr.. Davis said: Il will be blunt
in the matter. This sacque was stolen by
the defendant and not until after the inter
view between him and Mrs Bischoff was
this alleged authority to pawn the sacIue
brought forward.
Mr.. Davis then endeavored to show by
Mrs. Bischoff that the coat was taken with
out her knowledge and against her consent.
the government and defendant, she stated
that she authorized him to pawn it Two
weeks before he took ii.
Mr.. Davis then announced that he rad
no further testimony to offer, when Mr..
Taylor asked Judge Bradley to instruct
the jury to acq:;it the defendant, a request
Mr. Davis did not opIoae.
4 do not think there is anything in this
case but detective replied Judge Bradley.
sharply. There IS nothing in it but the
desire of this detective to make a case.
He was told by the prosecuting witness
that she did not believe that the defendant
stole the coat, and that she cid not wish
him prosecuted. There is cthing in the
testimony to scstain a verdict of guilty.
and the jury will return a verdict of not
guilty.
That the jury did. when the defendant
was released from custody, Judge Bradley
explaining to Mr.. DAVIS that his Office was
not to blame in the matter. Mrs. .Bischoff
by the office, that the defendant stole the
garment