New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-10
WHO WORKED ALONE
CAPTAIN MCLUsKY CAPTURES A CLEVER
BURGLAR.
cArrcgr AFTER PERSISTENT WATCHING BY TWO
CENTRAL OFFICE MEN-CLEw TO HIS WORK
GIVEN BY "RIG BILL" MASON.

CENTRAL OFFICE MEN-CLEW TO HIS WORK
GIVEN BY orig BILL" MASON.
man who said he was William f. Travis. thir-
ty-two years old. address refused was arraigaed
IN the Contre-st police court yesterday morning.
and was remandel back TO Police Headquarters
until Tuesday the request of DetectVe-Sersean's
Kerr and Fogariy. who arraigned him In court
If the story police tell Of their prisoner Is cor
rect they have in custody one Of tho cleverest OF
house burglars.
Travis was arrested on Saturday morning at the
Grand Central Station. just after he had aIigh'ed
from a train from Hartford, Conn. where 1t is
alleged, he committed series Of burglarics re-
Gently When the police here arrested big BIZ
Mason now committed TO prison in Philadelphia
and awaiting trial on the charge OF murder ne
told Captain McCusky that he owed his mis-
fortunes to association with thieves In his leisure
hours He told McClusky that there was only one
real smart thief. d man whom he knew we'll but
who never associated with thieves, always work
Ing alone This mysterious person, Mason as
serted had never been arrested, and fairly rolled
IN wealth.
The Captain lost time in trying to find out
who this strange individual was. On looking
through some Of the memoranda found among
"Big Bits" effects he came across several adj
dresses one of these was In Schermerhorn-st.'
Brooklyn This house diligently watched night
and day by Detectives Kerr and Fogarty. The &C.
cupant of the house who proved TO be the prison.
err Travis. appeared at his home at intervals only.
He was supposed by his neighbors TO be COM
mercal traveller and lived there with his wife and
her mother The detectives followed him on sew
eral occasions to this borough. and found that he
called upon his mother and sister, who live
in a respectable neighborhood above West Fifty
ninth-st. There seemed 10 be nothing amiss with
the mans conduct during the period OF his visits
10 this locality. One day he was followed TO Jer-
sey City. He repaired TO the best residence quar-
ter of that town and looked the houses there.
IT sraid haf ~
discover them. and were compelled to desist in
their shadowing in Jersey City.
Last Tuesday the detectives followed him from
his home In Brooklyn TO the Grand Central sta
ton. They him buy ticket for New-Haven,
Conn. and followed him there. They dogged MS
footsteps in New Haven as long as they dared, ana
then repaired 10 the railway station to await m, ms
return. but were forced 10 take the train Tor TINS
city because the policeman In ;he New-Haven sta
ton thought they were suspicious characters on
returning to this city the detectives waited III the
Grand Central Station from Tuesday until Satur-
from War Har,ford They arrested him at once and
took from him a brace Of pistols and some small
was coniscated The prisoner ready TO resist
by force. but he could not get at either 4 the two
weli-oiled hair-trlgger reVoNers he had IN his MP
The package contained quantity Of silverware
one half-dozen napkin rings two watches ana "a
police learned from the Chief Of Police Of that city
found trunkfu of siiyerwsre and other properly
of doubtful value. They also found crucibles for
melting gold and silver, and scales for weighing
the metals. His wife professed not TO know the
true character of her husband and her mother
s 1 hG ing Some of h Booty
found in the house in this borough occupied by his
mother and sister.
The prisoner is man Of repulsivc appearance
but of fine physique. His chest and biceps meas
urements are the largest ever taken under the Der.
tillon system OF measurements at the Central
ONCE. His strength his principal means of
getting into the houses he robbed. for his only
tools a small jimmy, wedge and a candle.
He told Captain McClusky that he had never been
arrested before. and would have shot himself II
he could have done TO avoid arrest. His plan.
he said inspect thoroughly In the daytime
the property he proposed TO enter. and then TO
break into II at night. He said that he had never
stolen anything in Nsw-York City. having always
worked in the suburbs ond smaller cities and the
police are inclined 10 believe him. The silverware
stolen in Hartford bore The name OF sumner