The record-union., 1899-11-03
WHEEL AND rRENcHlAN.
story Of - Versatile Frenohman
and . Stolen Bicycle.

ana Sto103 01cycAes
A bright, intelligent and presentable
young Frenchman, about 2S years OF
age, appeared In the city a few days
ago and represented to several citi-
zens that he was John D. Sabatte, late
a member of the Tenth Pennsylvania
Volunteers, who saw service in the
Philippines. He told a plausible story
and impressed a good many people
favorably.
He said that he was soldier in
France. but espousing the cause OF
Dreyfus life was made miserable for
him by his companions and he ran
away and came to the United States,
enlisted, fought in Cuba, reinlisted and
went to the Philippines with the Penn
sylvanians. That his father, because
of his desertion, died of grief; that GER
tain of his relatives came from France
to look him up, but as he would not
return they sailed for France in June,
1898. on the Bourgoyne and were lost
at sea when that vessel was run down.
He represented that on his return
from the Philippines he was in the hos
pital in San Francisco five weeks, had
no money on discharge and applying for
work was sent by some committee or
other to Sacramento, being told work
had been secured for him on the rail-
road bridge over the American. This
he found to be untrue, and he was
therefore stranded here. 1t may be
added that certain committees in San
Francisco have sent men here on just
such wild goose chases and without
having places secured for them.
Sabatte said he wanted work, not
money, but a chance to earn it. He
could not show his discharge papers, a
thing the honorably discharged SOL
der always clings to and usually keeps
with him. But in lieu he exhibited a
picture in a San Francisco paper,
which he said was his, and below which
was his story of service and adventure,
as above related substantially.
At one hotel he represented that he
was employed in a large mercantile
house here. In other places he told
other stories; at one that he had
worked some days on the bridge and
would have wages due him on Satur-
day
He fell in with some society young
men, and being a singer, was intro
Church, where he sang once or twice.
To one lady he represented that he was
a reporter on this paper, and he made
the same representation to a merchant
on K street.
Tuesday afternoon he was found in
the hallway Of the Record Union"
Office and ordered out Tuesday night
between 10 and II he re-entered the
hallway-he says, to rest-and stole a
high grade bicycle belonging to one Of
the staff. He went direct with it to
the saloon of Angelo Flores, Second and
L streets, and borrowed $3.50 on it.,
saying he had wages coming on Sat-
urday from the bridge contractors, and
would then redeem it. He spent a small
part of that money at the bar. The
same day he received a dollar from a
sympathetic citizen and probably
other sums.
Flores suspected the wheel was stolen
and notified the police at about the
same time that it's owner reported it's
loss. Officer Maley and Sergeant
Dolan, before hearing of the loss of
the wheel. heard Of Flores statement
and told him to hold on to the wheel.
Shortly after receiving news of the
theft Maley took the wheel and de-
livered It to its owner.
Wednesday and yesterday the police
were on the lookout for Sabatte, and
late in the afternoon Officers Maley
and Mike Fisher arrested him as he was
leaving jewelry store where he was
trying to borrow money on some pre-
tence.
At the station house he was identified
by Flores, broke down, confessed the
theft, with tears protesting that he was
desperate. But he had none of the
money he had received, and should
reasonably have had about him, or a
major portion Of it.
Assuming that he has been a SOL
dier-and he wore Philippine service
badge-a disposition to let him off
lightly was manifest. But his conflict
ing stories and false representations
weakened the sympathy aroused for
him as soldier He will have to-day
to answer to a charge of petty larceny.
There is a proposition to give him
time to write and prove his story true,
as the belief is entertained that he is
either a weak and unfortunate soldier
who fought for the flag, or else is the
cleverest of fakirs-certainly he is an
accomplished story teller.
-o~
HYrAE ME- gnrrErv