The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-12-24
CRIME IN WASHINGTON.
SOME GREAT TALES OF THE DE-
TECTIVES.
Negro Caught by CIock-A Thief
Who Stole Red-Hot stove.

An arrest was made under very
laughable circumstances in Washing
ton several years ago, when the strik-
ing of an old-fashioned oud-toned
clock was the means of the capture of
a thief An old colored woman living
at East Washington complained to the
officer on whose beat she resided that
some time during the morning her
house had been robbed of a valuable
old clock. The negress wept bitterly
over the loss, declaring that the aged
time-pece was a family heirloom and
was all that she had left to remind her
of 1.-THE good old days before de wah ="
Inquiry developed the fact that the
only visitor she had had during the
morning was negro peddler, who had
purchased from her some old clothing.
But" declared the fearful "aunty"
''he couldn't have took de clock, Mis-
tab officer, for he wasn't alone in dat
house more den a minute"
The officer thought differently, how
ever, and soon located the peddler few
blocks up the street, engaged in pur-
chase. The policeman approached the
peddler and said:
Look here, uncle what did you do
with that clock you stole this morn
ing?"
Clock" exclaimed the gray-haired
old scamp. go away, boss: | never
stole clock or anything else; deed, I
didn't"
The officer was about to put another
question to the peddler when there
came to his ears the sound of sweet
toned bell-"ding, ding, ding, ding
The officer smiled. while the ped
dler's face assumed as ashen a color as
a negroes countenance can. The police
man pulled out his watch, and, after
glancing at it, remarked;
Uncle, that clock you have under
the rags in your cart is ten minutes
fast. When we get to the police sta
ton you can set it by the clock in the
sergeant's room"
The old man broke down when the
| much-wanted clock was pulled out
from the bottom of the wagon, where
1t had laid under a lot of old rags,
It's a warning from de good Lawd,"
cried the negro. II amt a-going to
steal no more" And neither did he for
| ola ulliSsoo 1t W as uOllt III jam
A number of years ago one of Wash
| ington's sleuth- hounds captured a mo-
| torious thief in a way that would have
| done credit to Sherlock Holmes The
detective who made the arrest was one
of the cleverest and most fearless thief
takers ever in Washington, and he still
| resides in the Capital city. On one of
the fashionable residence streets of the
city a woman who had become reduced
in circumstances kept a boarding
house, One day she was surprised and
gratified when she answered her door
bell to see an old friend, a lady whom
she had known in years gone by, when
she was more fortunately situated. 1t !
is needless to say that the good board
ing-house keeper at once made her WIS.,
itor at home and assigned her the best
room in the house. A few days went
by, and the woman of the house missed |
several hundred dollars in gold, which |
she had, by strict economy, managed to
save She looked high and low for the |
missing money, but, unable to find 1t. !
finally reported her loss to the police |
department.
The subject OF this story was as
signed to the case. He called at the |
residence and closely questioned all the |
inmates He inquired particularly as
to the woman who had recently come |
to visit the boarding house keeper, and
of course, the good woman at once re-
scented any reflection upon her friends
good name
Are you quite sure" asked the de-
tective, that there have been no stran-
gers in the house Of late"
quite sure" replied the woman
but, come to think of It, believe my
friends SON has called upon her on
several occasions, OF course, you can
not suspect him"
The detective asked for description
of the man and after thinking for a
moment, he took his leave with the re-
mark that he would return later. when
the young man was in the house; that
he would ring the bell and ask for him
but he was not to be recognized by the
lady of the house, who was merely to
say that a gentleman desires to see the
young man. The next day the detec-
tive drove up to the house in cab
rang the bell, and when the door was
opened he inquired if Mr.. Blank was In
why, yes" was the answer, che is
calling on his mother"
Kindly tell the gentleman that I
should like to see him." said the sup
posed stranger.
The young man came tripping down
the stairs, wondering who could know I,
that he was In the city. He went care
lessly into the parlor. The detective
greeted him cordially, and told him
hat he knew him very well by reputa-
ton. Then, in an undertone, he COM ,
to the man that he had been
recommended to call upon him by a .
mutual friend in New York, mentioning
he name of a clever and notorious :,
hief, The man was startled for a mo- :
nent, but the reassuring tone of the de- :,
ective disarmed him. ,
What can l do for your" he asked.
well" said the detective, 81 have a | :.
zig job on hand, and it is one that I :,
'annot work alone and have been told .
" our mutual friend that you can as
list me-"
m your man, my cove" said the q
,oung man. but | am just now in a ,
little trouble myself, and | will have =
o work very quietly"