The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-02
MRS. C. T. YERKES ROBBED.
WOULD NOT PROSECUTE THE THIEF
VINO STOLE HER CARD CASE.

NE IL Consequently Let Gs by Capt. Chapusan'a
Feice-ue Toek the Card Case IRON mer Car
rinEe IN Rrout OF the waldorf. ThisEiuE It
was Her Purse-Ceachnnn DriveaArter H,m.
A thief snatched Mrs. Charles T. Yerkes's
Eold-mounted card case from her carriage in
front of the Waldorf yesterday morning and led
a lively chase through Thirty-third street and
down Broadway to Thirty-second street before
he was captured and arrested. He evidently
thought that the card case was a purse. Ii
looked much like one. The thief escaped punish
ment through the disinclination Of Mrs. YerkeS
TO press a complaint against him and the some
what singular complaisance OF Capt. ChRpman's
police, who are now so vigorous in their search
for violators Of excise regulations.
1t was between 1880 and IL o'clock when
Mrs. Serkes's carriage was drawn up on the
south side OF Thirty.third street. opposite the
women's entrance OF the Waldorf. that the
coachman, Richard Grant. noticed q young fel.
low with a cast in his eye sauntering back and
forth along the sidewalk adjoining the car
riages. There were many private carriages
standing on the same side OF the street. as is the
custom for them while their owners are in the
hotel, while tho hotel carriages stand at the
north curb. Mrs. Yerkes had gone into the
hotel, where she was to lunch with some
friends, and her footman stood with others
about the entrance. The street was quiet, but
there were the usual number OF people in the
neiehborhood Of the hotel.
Suddenly the youth who had attracted Grants
attention thrust his hand into the carriage, the
door window OF which was down. and. grabbing
the card case. darted westward. Tho Yerkcs
horses were pacing Fifth avenue. Quick as
thought and without a word. Grant wheeled
them around so sharply that their stamping at
tracted the attention OF the other coachmen
near by, and gave them intimation that some
thing was wrong. for drivers do not take the
chance Of giving their teams a tumble on the
asphalt ordinarily. Grant drove fast after the
fugitive, and. when he had gone half way
through the block, began to shout Stop thief!'
The coachman thought, as we'll as the thief, that
1t was Mrs. Yerkes's pocketbook which had been
taken, as he believed she had left 1t in the car
riage.
The horses had got to within fifty feet or less
of the thief when he passed an excavation where
a new building is TO 60 up on the south side Of
Thirty-third street, near Broadway. Joseph w.
Cody. the contractor who is doing the work
there. saw the fugitive running along the walk
and the coachman pointing 10 him while shout.
ing that he was a thief.
II have no quarter for a crook OF any
kind" Mr.. Cody said yesterday afternoon,
80 I called to Joh1 Oswell, foreman for
c. T. Wills, the builder here. TO come
with ne and catch the scoundrel. Just
then. as the fellow reached the hydrant just
this side OF the Broadway corner. he threw
down the pocketbook. ! sent oswell to pick it
up while / rushed after the thief. following him
around into Broadway. where he lodged in and
out among, the cabs standing along Greeley
Square Park there. l caught him by the neck
a little more than half waydown the block.
hat do you want Z he said.
Never mind. III tell you when I hand you
over TO the officer on post al the corner l
"Onicer McCabe anne up from the corner of
Thirty-second street and turned the man over
f 70 n,d im nne farsisS when end the q s S5o%d tu tina, mad mad
Broadway were right with us. Oswell came up
Immediately with the pocketbook. which he
dered the thiefs arrest, telling what he had
done. The coachman said he would so and get
Mrs. ierkes and come over 10 the station house.
This afternoon ] found on inquiry, Mr..
Cody added disgustedly. that the man had been
released at the station house"
Sergeant Tins released the prisoner because
the eoachman had brought back %ord that un-
cute, and he also refused 20 make a charge
against the prisoner. Capt. Chapman was pres
Captain and his detectives and such policemen
as were in the station house looked him careful:
and said that he lived at 81 Dominick street.
Some Of The policemen knew him among them
said that he had told the truth as to his identity
and that he came OF respectable family. The
prisoner denied that he had stolen the card case,
and said. as he had said TO Policeman McCabe,
that he was chasing the thief.
hellehcr. who is stationed at Fifteenth street
and Broadway. IN front OF Tiffany's. identified
Moncrief as a man he had seen in company with
two known carriage thieves named Lake and
Sullivan. both OF whom have served time in
prison. irving apparently to rob the carriages
which stood in front OF the Jewelry store one
afternoon three weeks ago. kellcher tried TO
catch them in the act, and. not succeeding. told
them to clear out. He had known Moncrief for
merly as q neighbor, and was surprised to sec
him with the other two. as Moncriefs reputa-
ton had been good. He warned him against his
companions.
Moncrief said yesterday that he was out Of
work and was on his way down Fifth avenue
from Central Park when diverted BY the thief
chase which had resulted in his arrest.
Sergeant Tins. in releasing Moncrief and cX-
cusing Mrs. Serkes and the coachman from
making a complaint against him. did what the
Magistrate then sitting In Sorkville Court
would not do for Mrs. James Abercrombie Bur
den last winter when a thief knocked her down
in Fifth avenue and snatched her purse. Mrs.
Burden did not want to prosecute, but the Mag
istrate Obliged her TO do so and TO appear as a
witness, much 10 her annoyance, in the greasy
old courtroom.
Sergeant Tins said that as the stolen property
was not found on the person of the prisoner be
could not be held. unless one OF the persons con-
cerned made complaint against him. and that
nobody could be forced to make a complaint.