The San Francisco call., 1898-04-29
LEES CRABS
 SOME MORE
 GREATNESS The Chief Duly Cred ited With the Cap-
 ture of Wid Der. How the Local Shirley Dare Justly Earned
 His Reputation. An Episode That Is Causinu Large Chunks of Mirth
 at the City Hall. WHY THE POLICE LAUGH. On tho Prison Register Appear. the e Veterans Name as the Default-
 ing Treasurer's Captor
An Episode That Is Causinu Large Chunks of Mirth
 at the City Hall.
WHY THE POLICE LAUGH.
On tho Prison Register Appear. the Veteran's Name as the Default-
 ing Treasurer's Captor

Citizens of San Francisco will long remember Wednesday, April 20, A. D. 1888. Several events occurred that day to make 1t memorable in the annals of the city by the Golden Gate. There was the departure of the First Infan- try for the seat of war, thrilling spec tacle of Chief Lees at the head of a battalion of police, and the announce ment that Treasurer Widber had blown in" hundred and odd thousand dollars of the city's cash in a vain at tempt to cultivate a wine appetite and a string of horses that could run.
 What man, woman or child who stood on Van Ness avenue or Market street that day but feels a thrill even now at the recollection. Riding at the head Of the police escort, and the first fig ure to greet the expectant eye, came the Chief. Ct may be noticed that he Is not charged with commanding the battalion; Lieutenant Birdsall per formed that duty, and most credita- bly.) Mounted on a magnificent charger he was an inspiring sight, al- belt he may at times have ridden a trifie lopsided, due to a tender regard for the ingrowing saddle. The western sun glinting on his gold laced uniform made the Chief a thing of striking beauty and reminded the beholders of a Chinese joss. The reason Chief Lees doesn't put more gold braid on that un- form is because there is no room for 1t. This is source of considerable worry to him and at present he is con- sidering two plans by which the diff culty may be obviated. One is to have a larger coat built, and the other is to decorate his boots. There are draw backs to both; larger coat would give him the appearance of a junkshop, while he would have to discard stir rupS If the footgear were to be seen. and that would be uncomfortable, to say the least.
 It was close on to 4:30 o'clock and already the news of Widber's de- falcation had become public. Even the throngs that watched the procession had paused in their cheering long enough to discuss the startling inteIli- gence, but the Chief rode in blissful ignorance
 It was at the foot of Market street, just as the police battalion had drawn up in line, that the Chief heard the news. One of his trusted men in the Upper office" broke through the line and whispered the information to his superior. Instantly the veterans en- tire manner changed. An expression of relief overspread his features, and low ering himself away from the deck of his charger with a rrateful sigh, he threw himself into a convenient buggy (there was no hack near) and dashed off to the City Hall to obtain the de- tails and set the ponderous machinery of his department in motion to effect the capture of the lefaulter.
 Not much detective work was neces- sary, which was bad, for the case did not promise to add greatly to the Chiefs luSter as the capturer of crim- inals. All he was called on to do was to ascertain the place of Widber's con- cealment, and that was easy. From Chief Deputy de la Montanya Lees learned that Harry Morse, his old rival. and a man of ability, was already at work, and so all that was necessary was to discover the direction Morse's men were heading. It was soon found that Captain Callundan had telegraph ed to Constable Palmer of Walnut Creek asking him to find out if Widber was at his ranch. Receiving an affirm ative reply, Callundan started on the 4 o'clock train (half an hour before Lees heard of the defalcation) to arrest the culprit, first wiring Palmer to take good care that Widber did not get away.
 When his sleuths had brought in all this information, Chief Lees detailed Detectives Wren and Cody to make the capture. Callundan arrived at Wid- ber'S ranch about fifteen minutes after Palmer had placed the Treasurer un- der arrest and the two started for Wal nut Creek with their prisoner. On the way they encountered Wren and Cody who were then going out to make the arrest, and the latter, upon learning that their man was already In the tolls, joined Callundan and Palmer and re- turned with them to the city At the ferry the party was met by Chief Lees, who took Widber and his own officers in carriage and drove them to the City Hall.
 After being conducted to the office of Chief Lees, where he confessed his guilt to Mayor Phelan, Auditor Brod- er1ck, and half a dozen others Widber was locked up in mysterious room G.. across the hall from Lees office. a de- tective or two being placed in the room With him to see that he held no commit nication with outsiders. Why this was done, instead of placing Widber in a cell in the prison, as any other pris- oner would have been Lees alone can explain. Widber had confessed, there was nothing more the police could learn from him, but the Chief saw fit to held him in communicado for the time being, and the Chiefs will is law or even mightier than the law some times.
 Later in the day Lees. Phelan and Frederick filed information against Wibder with the Grand Jury, and the latter's indictment quickly followed. Then Lees summoned Detective Wren and Man Friday Colby and the three ] conducted Widber to the City Prison, where he was formally booked on a charge of felony embezzlement. When the desk sergeant asked for the names of the arresting officers the Nero of the Police Department promptly replied: Chief Lees and Detective Wren" Poor Cody was turned down, while his fovored comrade shared with the Chief the glory of capture with which they had nothing whatever to do.
 But of such is built the record of tho Chief as thief -taker. After a time, when all others have forgotten the story of the marching troops, the daz- zling chief and the flight and capture of the defaulting Treasurer, Lees will make casual mention of How I | y,in hao