Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-07
THIEF AND FORGER
A CLEVER ATTEMPT TO GET 4
LADY's pOcKET-BOOK.
The COOK COULDN'T BIZ WORKED.
Had She Honored Forged Order
the Purse of Her Mistress Would
Have Been Gone-Thc Police mt
Work.
Work.

One of the boldest attempts to steal,
and at the same time one OF the cleverest
involving a scheme entirely new to the
police of this city. was made on north
Eighth street yesterday afternoon.
A young married woman. whose hus-
band is out OF the city for a few days,
paid a neghborly call at a residence in
She had a short time previously sent her
nurse out with her little boy, years old,
and the baby, not yet a year old.
She had been gone probably half an
hour, when the door-bell rang. 1t was
answered by the cook. Standing on the
porch was young man whom the cook
had never seen before. He appeared to
be excited, and warm with running.
FORGED NOTE.
He produced note which he let the
cook see but would not let her take IN
her hand. The young negress says ii
was addressed to her and was signed
by her mistress. IL stated that she and
her little boy had been run over by
car on Broad street and badly hurt, and
that they were then at dry-goods store,
ed the servant to give TO the young man
the pocket-bOok of her mistress, which
she was told was in bureau drawer in
The upstairs sitting-room, and also to
send a certain large chair.
The servant was in doubt. She told the
man she did not like 20 trust him with
the pocket-book. He insisted, and urged
her to hurry, as her mistress and the lit
tie boy were badly hurt and the money
was wanted quickly.
The woman still demurred. and offered
to send some money of her own, but this
was refused. She then asked the advice
of an iceman who was a door or two
away The latter bluntly told her not to
send it, The man thereupon went away
taking the note with him.
In a few minutes the lady returned,
and was told the story. She was uneasy
| for a time, fearing something had hap
pened TO the two children with the nurse
| but in about an hour they were back also
! safe and sound
HOUSE TWICE ENTERED.
| The fact that the house has been en-
| tered by thieves twice recently had made
the lady nervous, and this attempt to
| get her pocket-book so frightened her
that she reported the matter to the police
| Inc COOK was dDle 10 give larry Cledl
| description of the man to Detective Hal
| and the latter says he thinks he knows
| the would-be thief.
| A few nights ago some one entered the
| residence of the lady referred to AND
stole some eatables from the pantry anC
| large chair from the porch. on Monda.
night, between 10 and IL o'clock, not hal
an hour after her husband had gone L
catch his train, she heard some one II
Il room adjoining hers. on the SECOND
floor She and the nurse raised noise
| The man hurried from the room, dowr
the steps. and through the front door
The neighDOrhood Is much excited owe
| the occurrence Of yesterday The lady 1
almost Frustrated. She thinks the hous
Is being watched by thieves, because o
the fact that the man must have seer
her leave the house without her pocket
book. 1t was in the bureau drawer, a
the note stated.
There was a belief, more or less gene
raj that the second-story thieves whicl
| have recently caused so much eXcitemen
| by their depredations i'm Barton Heights
had transferred the scene Of their opera
| tons to Eighth street.
Suspicious Characters Arrested.
| civ hai ma