The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-16
ARREST OF HEWLETT.
He Confcsscs to Having Committed
Robbery in Washington.

Speaking Of the arrest Of Charles Hew-
lett. formerly of Richmond. on the charge
OF rGobinS automatic telephones, the
Washington Post says:
An ingenious method Of rob1ing auto
matte telephone pay stations was discov-
cred yesterday, when Charles Hewlett, an
employee of the Chesapeake and Potomac
Telephone Company, was arrested in the
act of looting the cash repository attach
ed to a Telephone in the S Nth-Street Sta
ton. Hewlett was taken in custody by
Detective Hewlett about 1880 O'Clock in the
morning, ten minutes after Hewlett, ar
rived in Washington from his home,
in Richmond. He was taken TO police
headquarters and searched Tn opera
ton resulted in the recovery of between
Sc and IS in marked coin from the pockets
OF the prisoner He quickly realized that
he had fallen into a clever trap, and
confessed to having robbed the Pennsyl-
yapia Station telephone on two different
occasions, besides attempting to rob the
telephone box in the Baltimore and Ohio
Station.
Public pay stations Of the Chesapeake
and Potomac Telephone Company have
been Systematically robbed of their con-
tents for three or four months. The
Ihefis We're first noted last February, but
II was not certain that any systematic
plan had been followed. Early message
sent over a line from any pay station is
recorded in the central office, and this
process of calculation makes it possible
for the company to know just what
money should be due from each automatic
pay telephone. In many instances the
pay station accounts have not balanced.
and 1t was also noted that certain pay
Telephones We're generally short, While
others were always or generally accurate
in the matter of returns. The leakage
was kept secret by officials of the COM
pany for three months While they We're
quietly using every resource 10 get at
the bottom of the mystery
Further on the Post says:
Hewlett then broke down. He said he
had a wife and seven children at ms
home. No 206 Beividere Street, Richmond.
Va. and that his wife is now ILL., He
confessed to robbing the SiNth-Street De
pot telephone box yesterday morning and
once previously, last Friday. He admit
ted that he tried to loot the instrument
in rae Ri! M y, and Oaio Station. ne
was told that the telephones in the
Shoreham Ebbitt and Raleigh, besides
other hotes in this city. had been sim
ilarly robbed. but denied that he had
touched any of them. He was also in
formed that thefts had been committed
In &aIt more r1iladf>rn a ami Ricn-
mond. but denied knowledge of those
robheries also.
Hewlett has done a great deal OF
travelling. and is said to be Philadei-
phian Some time last year he Went
South, and finally returned to Richmond:
About the first of the year he secured
employment with the telephone COM
pany. presenting good recommends tons.
"Officials of the treasurer's office of the
company spent some time last night going
over old accounts and preparing state
ment in regard to the exact amount be-
lieved TO be stolen. ( is roughly est!-
mated that the company has been robbed
OF between S150 and SEQ during the past
two months. Hewlett confesses only to
having stolen about SIS on two occasions.
1t is believed that other persons have
been rofsbing. the 'piaones. and little sur
prise would be feltsif a systematic. WELL
defined conspiracy We're unearthed. The
telephone company will place the entire
matter before Its attorney this morning.
Every effort will be made to locate the
ether thefts. Hewlett is being held at
the First Precinct Station -