Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-28
GOOD DETECTIVE WORK
4 COLORED MAN WITH RECoRn
FOR CATCHING CRIMINALS.
4 Watch Thief Promptly Hunted
Down-BreaLing Up n Police
Court Practice.

Washington has on its detective force 4
coi"rrd man. one of the few mon in this
country Of that race who hold a similar
position. and who has succeeded during tho
eight years he has been a member Of the
force in achieving almost a national REM
tation- This man is Henry Lacy and he
has been frequently referred to as one, II
the Few colored men Of the country who
have displayed extraordinary ability in the
detection OF criminals. He was horn IN
this city and is in his nfty-fourth year lie
awaited himself of the school advantages
by which he was surrounded but At the
age OF twelve secured employment in a
Photograph gallery and for a considerable
period followed that vocation. A few wears
later, through the influence of friends n.,
was appointed to a position in the folding
room OF the United States Senate. ana
later was given a clcrkship in the itN ;nSt
office For while he served as deputy
united states marshal at the Police Court,
and for year two was one of th,. IN
spectors in the health department During
the latter part Of 1892 Mr.. Lacy was aI-
pointed a member Of the metropolitan
police force and detailed for special work
at headquarters. Having succeeded in
capturing certain criminals who were bad
ly wanted by the authorities he was re-
Warded by promotion to the detective force.
During the time that Lieut.. Hnllinbergcr.
now of the fourth precinct. was in charge
of the detective bureau he said ~ Detee-
tive Lacy. When he fails there is not
much use of any one else going any fur
Their. And the jewelers. Weekly. the
organ of those engaged in that business in
the United States. had this to say Of him:
The quick work of Detective Henry Lacy
of Washington in locating n jpwelry thief
in New York. where he was arrested and
the greater part OF the plumber recovered.
is in sharp contrast with the efforts of Off
GERS in other cities to run down despera "a
window smashers, who recently have been
plying their work with audacity. The fail
ure to detect one thief frequently inspires
others to adopt his methods. and an arrest
and conviction, when followed by a stern
sentence. has an effect directly the oppo-
site. Not only the jewellers in Washington.
but the trade at large. owe a debt OF graf
itude to Detective Lacy for his clever
work.
Lncy's Good Work.
The robbery above referred to was that
of the store of Dominick ReckenbaclIer on
G street northwest. The robbery was COM
mitted in broad daylight by William alias
Blood" Jones. a notorious sneak thief.
who was convicted and sent TO the Albany
penitentiary for the crime. While the pro-
prietor of the store was in room al
joining the store for a few moments Jones
went back of the counter and picked up
tray containing nineteen gold watches. val
ued in all at nearly 500. The larceny was
reported to the detective bureau a little
later. and Detective Lacy was assigned 10
the case. Suspicion pointed strongly to
white man who had been in the store that
morning and made a deposit on a watch.
but after talk with Mr.. Reckenhackcr
the detective told that gentleman that the
work was that of q colored man. With no
more than a suspicion to work upon. Mr..
Lacy started out to find Blood" Jones.
who was he felt certain the man who had
committed the crime. Inquiry by the de-
tective developed that Jones had left the
city very hurriedly that day. and suruiS-
Inc ha. h. had IN NAK Arr
Lacy took the first train for that city. The
officer was but two hours behind his man,
and upon reaching New York at once went
to the express office, to which point he felt
sure the goods had been shipped. and
waited for Jones to call for the valuable
package. After remaining in the office the
entire day, not relaxing his vigil long
enough to get anything either to eat
drink Detective Lacy was overjoycd 10
see a man walk into the place ana ask for
the package of goods that of right be-
longed to Mr. Reckenbacker. The man was
a once taken into custody, and he proved
to be a man named P0indeXter. known in
Washington as Jones pal
Outwitted by His Pal.
Poindexter told the detective that tie
robbery was committed by Jones. and that
after the deed was done the latter has
tened to Baltimore, to which city the for
mer had gone earlier In the day. In Bal
timore Jones turned his booty over To Poin-
dexter who expressed the watches to him
self in New York and with Jones started
for that city. At Philadelphia they stopped
long enough to pawn one Of the watches
for so. with which to pay travelling eN-
penses. When the two rogucs reached thu
New York shore on the Jersey ferry. Pom
dexter gave his comrade the slip in tho
crowd. Jones had never been in New
York before. and was at loss what to do.
He finally returned to Jersey city, pawned
his coat for 81 and returned home. where
day or two later he arrested by
Lacy. The watches. except the one
pawned in Philadelphia, were recovered
by the detective in New York soon after
the arrest of PoindeXter.
4 Quick Piece of Work.
One of the quickest piece. Of work Of the
kid he ever performed was the arrest OF
a man who was once forgiven of the crime
OF forgery. once convicted. once parioned
by President Cleveland. for the sake Of his
father wife and child, but WAS again got
into the clutches of the law because Of a
repetition of the offcnsc. This was a col
orcd man who, as occasion suited him. bore
the name of James II. Henderson Basil
jackson and Alcck Windlcy. The crime
was reported to the detective bureau n
o'clock in the morning. turned over 70 De-
tccIlve Lacy ct g. and at = O'Clock the ac-
cuscd man was prisoner.
In the Police Court.
1t was due to Detective Lacy that
Police Court, much to the disgust of the
late Judge Miller. was broken up. \ young
white man was on tiial at the particular
time referred to. on the charge Of selling
LIQUOR to minors There had been a pre-
vious trial before a jury. which had failed
to agree. ard a second trial WIGS in prog
ress. certain witness, who was wanted
by the government. was reported on the
summons which had been returned into
court as Not found In the meantime
Prosecuting Attorney James l.. Pugh. jr.,
received information that the witness had
been tempered with, AID was hiding him
self. Mr.. Pugh requested Detective Lacy.
who was in court. to find the missing wit
ness Detective Lacy started on his mis-
sion at once. and in about three-quar1ers
OF an hour returned to the court room with
a prisoner The captive, however WAS
not the missing witness. Instead, il IVES
youth about seventeen years of age. The
detective informed the court that when he
reached the place Of business of the man
wanted by tho government, he found the
young man he had arrested In front of tho
door awaiting the arrival of the man he had
goLc after. While the detective was talk
ing TO the proprietor of the store, the prll-