Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-20
RECOVERY OF A VIII ZEE L
Stolen in This City and Disposed Of in
Trenton, N. ].
William Meeting, Alias Harry Hill,
Convicted of the Larceny
The Penalty.

William Meeting otherwise known as
Harry HILL was today convicted before
Judge Scott of the larceny of a bicycle val
ued at SO from Mr.. Rudolph Kaufman
| August . last and in default of the pay
ment of a fine of $40 was committed to jail
for sixty days. The bicycle was returned
to it's owner
| Mr. Kaufman, who was the first wit
ness in the case, Informed the court that
on the date above mentioned he loaned his
| wheel TO reporter in the employ OF Inc
Star.who left it in front of the Washington
Loan and Trust Company's building, while
he went inside and transacted the busl-
ness he had to attend to, Upon coming
out of the building five ten minutes
later he discovered that the wheel had
been stolen.
The matter was reported to the detective
bureau but the witness got no trace OF the
the defendant called at The Star office and
wanted Mr.. Kaufman to take out a pol
lev Of insurance on the lost wheel Inc
Young man said he had been very success
full in recovering lost wheels; that ne nao
returned at least eighteen or twenty stolen
BICYCLES to their proper owners, ana was
sure he could trace this wheel, although
he acknowledged having sold 1t TO a travel
ing man in Pennsylvania WHOM ne uluh
know.
Mr. Kauffmann suggested to the caller
that if he could trace a wheel under these
circumstances he was person thal tAe
detective bureau ought to be acquainted
with. He therefore sent out Tor an oIhcet'
and Policeman Bryce responded
Mr. Kaufman repeated the story told
by Meeting in the presence OF the oincer'
and Meeting said the conversation had oeeh
renorted correctly. Mr.. Kaufman posi-
lively identified the wheel shown in court
as his property. ..x,,,,
Detective M. r. Muller testified that alts[
tod ha
had n talk with him Meeting aomltted
| having the wheel in his possession peI
claimed TO have bought it from coioisu
man for $40. The deal was competed, ne
| aid on the outside of the barber shop at
No o,S 18th street southwest, kept by ms
uncle Mr.. Wassman. He claimed ne TOOK
| a receipt for the money from the man. put
the latter, after signing part OF ms mau,e
was unable to finish II ana the Sis
was completed by Meeting. .,,
Policeman Boyce was called TO the staIlu
as the last witness for the government
and he corroborated Mr.. Kaufman eVl-
dence as to his conversation "ilh -heeoii5
in every particular
In His Own Behalf
The defendant, in his own behalf, said he
1id not know the date on which he pur-
chased the wheel, but he knew he bought 1t
Of a coIored fellow. He met the latter on
the street and the proposition to sell was
made Twenty dollars was the amount
named by the rider of the wheel, ana the
defendant seeing, as he claimed, that the
bicvcle was a bargain at that price told the
coIored man to come to his uncles barber
Shon and he would complete the deal. Inc
man later reported at the place designated,
and after some dckering, agreed to accept
S1e which Meeting alleged was PAID MIN
In reply to questions from A. 'u Il oco Wr
kauffmann when he told the latter that ne
lived in Freeport, Pa, when the fact was
his home is in Trenton, n j.
The uncle of the defendant SAID When ms
nenhew spoke to him about purchasing
wheel from an unknown man ne tod him
he would better be sure the bicycle mad not
'e Charles w. PouIton of No. 2lS It'll street
southwest said he was a witness to the
transaction between Meeting and the col
ored man, but did not hear any OF the con-
VI Henry Pietre of No. 10 Morris avenue,
Trenton. n j., a brother-in-law of the de-
PENDANT. told the court that Meeting had
been recently in Trenton. and that he
brought Mr. Kauffmann's wheel with him.
He presented the wheel to the prisoners
father. telling him he had purchased it in
Washington
Asked to Withdraw Charges.
The prisoner having denied telling that
he had been the means of recovering eigh-
teen or twenty wheels. MIR. Kaufman
again took the stand and repeated the con-
yersation, adding that yesterday morning
two of the witnesses for the defense
Messrs Poulton and Wassman-called on
him and asked him to withdraw the charge
made against Meeting. He replied that he
had made no charge against the prisoner,
and consequently had none to withdraw
and that he then remarked that young
man who would buy bicycle from a
stranger on the street and take 1t to an
other state was either a knave a fool.
Mr.. Ashley NJ. Gould, who was acting for
Mr.. Mullowny. asked Meeting If he could
produce the receipt for the money said to
Meeting answered that he could not; that