The Portland daily press., 1899-12-20
lie Is Said TO Have Stolen Several
CyercCatS and Wheels.
Was Arrested at a He
brew Ball.
Is Thought to Have Been Re.
Gently Released From Prison.

On Monday evening at ball and en-
tsrtstnment given by several well-known
Hebrews. Officer Skiilings made one of
the most clever captures that has &C.
CURED In Police circles for o long time.
There was good attendance at this
affair. and before IL had been concluded
ths officer had placed q young man who
gives his name as Alfred b. Stewart,
aud who has an alias Of Francis j.
Chass, undsr arrest on tae charge of lar
oeny. !.
For the last four or Eve weeks many
complaints have been lodged with the
officials at the police station that over
coats have been stolen. these complaints
tavo been carefully Investigated by the
entire forse and the efforts OF the officers
seem to have been rewarded, for there
ars reasons to balieve that the man gull.
ty OF these thefts has been captured. 1t
Is also believed that the man L. the one
who has been stealing bicycles In differ
ent ctions Of the city.
The prisoner spent all day Tuesday in
a cell at the poles station and during
the day officers okillinss, Hanson and
Greeley made a special tour Of several OF
the pawn shops of the city. In these
shops they found five good overcoats,
four bicycles, and an alarm clock, and q
pair of shears, articles which Stewart Is
alleged to have stolen. All OF chess arti-
Giles were taken 20 the station after the
proprietors OF the pawn Shops had iden-
titled Stewart as the man who had called
UPON them during the last few days and
sold these articles for prices far below
their value.
Then as SION as the articles were taken
to the station. Deputy Marshals Firth and
Chenery began search for the rigbtful
owners In this they In part succeeded.
This work was rendered rather an easy
matter for upon some Of the coast aud
ths bicycles were marked the names of
the owners. A name on one of the over
coats was that of MIR. Charles Cook,
member of the firm Of Cook, Everett *
Penpel. This WAS u valuable coat and
MIR. Cook, who was asked to 60 to the
station, Immediately identified 1t as his.
IN this way a coat was also identified as
t1e property of Oscar NJ. Nelson. and
another ovsrcoat as that of A. A. Mit,h-
ell The other two, which are black over
coats, are as yet unclaimed. but the po-
lies have no doubt that today owners
will also lie found for these garm ents.
These coats are worth from $50 to $50
apiece, and they were disposed of at the
pawn shops for from 81 to 60 api co.
The bioy cles are valued ut about $50
each. One of the wheels has been identi-
Had hat nd fhA
other one as belonging to Matthew Z.
Quinn. The two other wheels are IN.
claimed One of these wheels Is an
envoy" and the other wheel Is an
"Elmo re.''
The alarm clock and pair of shears ID
undoubtedly the property of Charles
Custis. proprietor Of a tailoring shop on
Middle street. as Mr.. Custis states that
his shop was entered Monday noon and
that these articles were taken from 1t.
The police are of the opinion that with
in the next few days more property will
also be recovered which was doubtless
taken by Stewart, They have NO doubt
that Stewart Is the man who, during the
last few weeks, has been attending balls,
banquets and entertainments and that
at these places he has taken the opportu-
nifty to turn hts trick.
Stev<rt says that he comes from New
York and that he has been boarding In
this city at a house on Free street for
the last three weeks. He says that he Ia
20 years of age and that he has been In
this city for the purpose of securing en-
ploymsnt. 1t may be further stated that
covered, were stolen since Stewart came
to town. Stewart owns up to the charge
OF having stolen one or two of the
wheels. but says nothing about the over
coats.
He Is said by the police authorities to