The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-04
IDENTIFICATION OF Hill
The Police Confident They Have
Made an Important Capture.
They Claim He Answers in Many
Ways the Description of the Bank
Thief William COiemnn-Somc of
His Alleged Misdeeds-A Pinkerton
Detective Coming to Interview Him

The police are now convinced that the
man arrested on Thursday by Policeman
Simpson because of alleged suspicious
actions in the United States Internal Rev.
enue Office, 7O7 G Street northwest and
who gave his name as Henry E. Hill, is
William, alias Billy" Coleman, noted
professional bank sneak thief.
Information concerning Coleman, in the
shape of a photograph. description, and
record. arrived from Chief McCluskey, OF
New York, yesterday. and now the police
claim to be certain that Coleman and the
man under arrest are one md the same
person. Coleman is well known to the
New York detectives.
The picture of Coleman, who is also
known as William Frost, which was re-
ceived yesterday, was taken in New York
on October H. 1899. The picture is an
excellent likeness of Hill, and the meas
urements given on the back Of the picture
tally in almost every particular with those
Of Hill. Scars similar to those described
on Coleman are found on Hill.
Hill was informed that he had been iden-
titled. He said that 1t would be useless
the police had already formed an opinion.
He declined to explain why he carried
large alpaca bag which was found on him
when searched.
According to the record. BILLY" Cole
man, the alleged bank thief. has at vari-
Gus times been convicted OF five charges
of grand larceny and served an aggregate
of twenty-nine years in penitentiaries.
The amounts involved in the larceny
charges, it is said. amounted to many
thousands of dollars. Coleman also enjoys
the distinction Of having escaped from
Sing Sing after serving two years of
twelye-year sentence.
Coleman's record shows that he was first
arrested In Poughkeepsie, N Y, in Octo-
Der. 1869, when but twenty-three years
old. He was tried and convicted for a
sneak job and sentenced to serve twelve
years in Sing Sing. On August II, 1871.
Coleman, or Walter Williams, as he was
then known. escaped from Sing Sing In a
tugboat. Coleman was not long at liberty.
as in 1872 he was caught In Pittsburg and
sentenced TO serve three years in the
Western Pennsylvania Penitentiary. He
was then charged with sneaking $4,000
worth of bonds from a Pittsburg bank. In
1877, or two years after his release from
the Western Pennsylvania Penitentiary,
Coleman was convicted OF a sneak job"
perpetrated at a Lockport, n. Y, savings
bank and sentenced to serve four years at
Auburn Penitentiary
Under the name Of George Watson, Cole
man was arrested with Johnny Price,
| charged with stealing 1900 in cash from
a safe in an express office in Augusta, Ga.
in 1884. He was convicted and served
seven years in state prison for the Of
Tense. Johnny Price was arrested in Wash
| ington about two years ago, charged with
the larceny of $500 and was sentenced
| to serve three years IN the penitentiary
| at Columbus, Ohio. Price is now sery-
ing his sentence.
According to the record of Coleman he
was last sentenced in July, 1893. On that
| occasion he was convicted with Billy
| MaheT, also a noted bank sneak thief of
! the larceny OF $500 worth of postage
! stamps from postoffice safe in New
| Hampshire. For the offence Coleman serv-
| ed three years in the state prison of New
Hampshire. 1t is said that Coleman also
served a term in the Kingston, Ontario,
Penitentiary.
If Coleman and the man known here as
| Hill are the same, as the police claim, an
| in portant capture has been effected. The
| police say that had not Harrison Nes-
| bitt, tie deputy collector in the Internal
Revenue Office. discovered Hill and fright
| ened him off a bold robbery, entailng a
| loss of thousands Of dollars to the Govern
ment. would probably have resulted. The
| police say further that had Hill escaped
he would have been heard from later.
| 1t has not yet been decided when Hill
will be arraigned in court. 1t also has
not been decided what charge will be filed.
| against him. AS the matter now stands
| it is doubtful If the prisoner can be con-
victed OF any crime in this city, for as
| far as is known he has committed no
offence. There appears to be no law COW
ering his entrance to the revenue Office
in daylight and through an open door. and
as he was frightened of before he even
| got his hands on anything that could
haze been stolen no theft has been COM
| mitted. The police are of the opinion that
Hill or Coleman is wanted elsewhere, and
it is their intention to hold the prisoner
until the police of other cities can be
heard from.
A despatch from Philadelphia last night
| received at Police Headquarters announced
that Seymour Butler, Pinkerton detec-
tive. will come TO Washington this morn
ing to identify Hill.