The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-20
IN PRISON AT ga.
Arrested for Larceny
Tuesday in the
Union Station.
HIS PITIFUL STORY IN COURT.
An Effort May Be Made
to Secure His
Freedom.
HIS PITlFUL STORY IN COURT.

worcester ponce ana especially CHlel
brennan are anxious to get some def
mite information in regard to the home
and relations of an old man GA years
old who was arrested in the Union sta
ton in this city last Tuesday afternoon
for the larceny of valise, an umbrella
and an overcoat, the property of Ed
ward McMullen of Boston.
The old man whose white hair gave
him very refined appearance as he
stood in the prisoners dock in the cen
trail district court Wednesday morning,
gave the name of William SHunt when
he was being booked at station l by
| Capt. David A. Matthews, and claimed
Mansfield as his home
According to the story told by MI. Nc
Mullen in the central district court at
the trial, he came to Worcester on the
train which gets into this city at g.
o'clock, and at the Union station he
stepped off the train a moment to pur-
chase a paper He left his overcoat,
umbrella and valise in the seat he oc-
cupied on the trip and when he re-
turned, he found them missing.
He jumped off the train again, and
notified officer William Condy of the
loss. The officer hunted around for a
time with officer Brady, and succeeded
later on in getting sight of an old man
walking across Washington square
with an umbrella and valise in his hand
and an overcoat thrown over his arm.
Both officers followed him into the
United States Hotel, and waited until
he had registered. He wrote William
S. Hunt, Mansfield" on the register,
and the officer saw the name of Edward
McMullen engraved on a silver tag on
the side of the valise, and both officers
Immediately placed him under arrest.
He seemed to be dazed at first but
when questioned by the officers, admit
ted taking the valise, umbrella and
overcoat, stating that he thought they
were his own.
When taken to station l, it was dis
covered on the police blotter that he
had been arrested the previous Satur-
day for drunkenness, and accordingly
he was booked for larceny with a
charge of drunkenness hanging from
Saturday.
When he appeared in the central dis
trict court before Judge Utley, he told
a pitiful tale of having taken the arti-
cles, thinking they were his own, and
never for a moment intended to take
anything that did not belong to him.
He also told the police that he ha3
rooms engaged at the Bay State house,
where ne intended to display some Of
his goods to prospective buyers, but
the stern course of justice refused TO
be turned out of it's course, and Hunt
was sentenced to the house CT correc-
ton for four months on the charge If
larceny, and four months on the charge
of drunkenness, making total of eight
months the old man will have to spend
in the county Jail, if his friends do not
come to his rescue.
He took his sentence hard, and when
led away he showed signs of emotion.
At the Bay State house, where a Spy
man looked up Hunts record, the reg
lister showed that he had been regis
tered at the house on Thursday, giving
his home as Springfield. He had been
drinking quite hard, he told the clerk,
and that evening was taken with sew
eral ailments, and for time was in bad
shape. A doctor vas called through
the kindness of the proprietor, Frank
e. Douglass, and in the morning he felt
considerably better. 1t was intended
that an application should be made by
the doctor to gain admission for the old
man into the city hospital, but he felt
well enough to take walk the follow
ing morning, and he left the hotel, stat
ing that he would return in a short
time.
The next heard from him at the hotel
was through an officer, who told the
clerk, John Kelleher, that Hunt had
been arrested and booked at station /
for drunkenness. This was on Satur-
day. and the clerk did not see him again
until he heard of his arrest for the lar
ceny Of the goods owned by Mr.. Nc
Mullen.
The hotel people still hold large
quantity CT his belongings, and every
thing he owns goes to show that he is
a man of eminent responsibility.
Sergt. Hill was told about the case
yesterday, and will endeavor to see if
he can find the folks of the old man,
and let them know of his predicament.
When arrested he worsya neat black
cutaway suit, and his gray hair and re-
fined looks won for him many sympath-
izers in the court room.
If his friends are located, an effo1t
will probably be made to get him gu.
of jail, as Mr.. McMullen has got his
property back and is satisfied. Soma
of the police and the people at the Bay
State hotel, who met him, are inclined
to think that he was suffering from the
effects Of long spree, and took the ar
ticles without really knowing what he
was doing.