The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-15
MY Be / SEATTLE CROOK.
SPECULATION As TO ALLEGED
MURDERER HELD IN SPOKANE.
Man Supposed - De Otto Matthes II
Either Herman Wenat or the
I've Men Are So Nearly Alike ~
70 Pussie the ORicers Of the Law.

Either Herman NenGt. the NOTORIOUS Se-
attic thief. has been leading dual exist
snce or he Is unfortunate in being the
double Of Otto Ma;thes. who Is charged
with the murder Of Hon. II. ". Wan, Al
Stanton. ILL.,. August &c, iSes-
A reward of $s.D1 was offered by the ciri-
gems OF Staunton for the arrest and con-
viction of Matthes. but he eluded the CHI
GERS and disappeared. The case dropped
Out Of sigh; save for the fact that sae orr
g.nal reward was raised from time to time
until 1t reached the figures previously men
toned
Recently Spokane has been suffering
from an invasion of thugs. The police
seemed powersess TO stop the iawlessnsss.
Arrests were made. and among the pris-
oners was q man who gave the name OF
Fred Wood. He was held for burglary
and was suspected of shooting ex-Alder-
man Davidson Woods remarkable re-
sembiance to the picture or Osto Ma.thes.
which was sent out by the Middle West
agency of TLers detective bureau, attract
ed the attention of the Spokane officers.
and they commenced an investigation
The prisoner empnaticaliy denied that ne
was otto Matthes. but persistently refus-
ed to reveal anything concerning ms past
life or his home. DR.. +. A. Hoxsey, for
merry of Staunton. said the prisoner was
Matthes. Naturally this was taken as an
indication of guilt. The authorities al
Staunton were communicated with. and
they were so much impressed with the re-
sembIance of Matlhes and the Spokane
prisoner that they decided so send an OFF,
Ger to Spokane for the purpose OF settling
the Identification. Within a few days he
will arrive and either explode 4 sensation
or drive the wedge that VIII start one OF
the most remarkable cases on record.
While things were going on smoothly
with the Spokane police, and they saw that
$z,6OG reward approaching nearer every day.
q fellow named Thomas Sheppard threw
bombshell into their camp by saying:
Il know your prisoner. / am one Of his
friends. He is not Matthes. neither is he
Fred Wood. His true name is Herman
Wendt, and he Is the son Of respectable
people living in Seattle
The Post-IntelIigencers correspondent at
Spokane rel4graphed a statement of the
case as 1t stood Tuesday night. 1t was ev-
ident that Herman Wenat was not known
In Spokane. In Seattle, however. it Is diff
ferent. He is one OF the mos. notorious
and persistent thieves that the police have
ever had to deal with. As Detective Mi
chaal Powers says. he viii steal horse
shoe nail IL nothing else is In sight. and
trouble almost constantly. especially in
this city, although he is not a stranger in
Tacoma or North Yakima, since 1891 He
has put many gray hairs in the heads of
his parents, who live near Columbia. He
is a habitual criminal. II there ever was
one.
His first bid for notoriety was in 1891,
when he scooped out a cave or hole in the
ground and commenced filing 1t with scrap
iron. pieces of coal, etc. which he picked
up around the city. He capped the climax
by smashing big waeer pipe with
sledge hammer. Detective Powers went af
ter him. and before arresting him had
grand chase under wharves and through
mud. Some time after this there was
works. on the Grant street bridge. Officer
John Corbett captured Wendt near the
scene, but the proof was not strong enough
to warrant trial. He was discharged.
81 inn ~
On the charge OF stealing an overcoat at
North Yakima. Detective Powers says that
according to his recollection Wendt was
convicted and served time on this case. The
Worlds fair proved a magnet too strong
for Wendt to resist, and he went to Chi
cage. On. his way back he stole BIZ
at Columbia. When the officers went af-
ter him he escaped. His brother brought
the bicycle to headquarters and gave II
up Wendt was finally captured, but the
Tacoma authorities did not come after
him. and he was released.
January q, 1856 Wendt was sentenced to
the penitentiary for one year on the charge
OF grand larceny. Detective Williams. who
worked up the case, discovered that he
had moved a good portion OF the Horse
shoe clothing house out to Columbia and
was distributing II around. After he got
by Detectives Powers and Corbett for
stealing sacks from Ike Bloomenthal. Not
long after this eighteen small stoves were
Stoieu from an ltalian Ia BiackcDapeI. Or
ficer John Corbett worked up the case. and
sent Wendt 20 jail AS the stoves
were not valuable. the charge was
made petit, larceny; A fellow named
MCGEE was implicated IN the theft, and he
served the same sentence as Wendt Six
weeks ago Wendt was arrested with two
overcoats in his possession. Owners were
not found for the property. so he escaped
prosecution.
The local detectives are inclined to be-
lleye that the prisoner at Spokane is Her.
man Wendt. but they do not believe not
withstanding the marked resemblance, that
Wsndt IL Matthes. Wendt Is decidedly
how-egged. so the Spokane officers ought
TO have no trouble In settling the identity
OF their prisoner as 10 whether he Is wendt
or not. Capt. Willard always said that
Judging by Wendt's legs. he was a born
porch climber" Thomas Sheppard was
the man who said that the Spokane prts-
oner was really Herman wandt If he is
the same Sheppard who was sentenced to
fourteen days in the county fail in this
city during February. 1897. for petit lar
eeny. he probably knows what he Is talk
in al