Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-26
SERVANTS MANY THEFTs
Butler Robs His Employer Of Articles
Valued 81 Ga, 700.
The Property AlE8 Hecovered-Perpe.
traitor of the Crime Makes q
COnfessiOh TO Police.

James F. Rooney. stwenty eight years old.
native of Southshields, England, was
locked up last night by Detectives Weldon,
Hartigan and Boyd on charges Of robbins
his employer, Mr.. Charles A. Spaulding,
whose home is at No. 1903 Rhode Island
avenue. The prisoner was employed as
butler in the house. Although he had been
committing thefts for more than. q year, 1t
was not until last week that his dishonesty
was made known to his employer. Property
taken from the house by Rooney is valued
at about S. 700, and the detectives have re-
covered every piece of 1t. Detective Nc
Nance assisted the others in recovering the
property. and he also worked with them for
two days while they were looking for
Rooney. When placed under arrest last
night the butler admitted his guilt.
Il took the things" he said. and that is
all there is to it,
Are You going to take me up to the
house tonight?" he asked the officers. "Is
Mr.. Spaulding very angry at me?"
he was not taken to the house, but the
omeers could not answer the latter dues-
ton for him. After being interviewed at
police headquarters Rooney was taken to
the sixth precinct station and locked up
for the night.
Mr.. Spaulding, the victim of the butler
depredations. is a wealthy hotel owner. He
owns one theater in St Louis and is the
lessee OF another. Rooney has been in this
city number of years, and. during the past
four years he has been in Mr.. Spauiding' S
employ. Previous to this he worked in the
houses of some of the most prominent
residents of the northwest section. He was
an efheient butler. and his employer had
implicit confidence in him.
Rooney's Methods.
aFrom time to time he was given various
articles to pack away, and it was these that
Rooney disposed of. Pawn tickets for the
valuables were afterwafd found in his room.
Among the articles taken was a chatting
dish, worth $3.50, and two swords, worth
about $780, Pictures, embroidery, silver
ware. ornaments of every description, and
many articles which could not have been
replaced. were included in the list of stolen
property. Rooney was such a trusted SER
want that he had access to the whole house.
His thefts might have been much greater,
and he could have gone off with his plum
der, had he so desired
Although he had been carrying away the
property for more than year, it was not
until his sudden departure from the Spauld-
ing residence Friday that he was suspected
of wrong doing. That night there was a
dinner party at the house, and Rooney was
directed to have certain silverware on the
table. The articles specified were among
the missing ones, and, knowing he could
not produce them as directed, he disap-
peared about the time he was to look after
the dinner.
Saturday afternoon Mr. Spaulding called
on the police and reported the conduct of
the butler. Detectives went to the house
and in the room that Rooney had occupied
they found stack OF pawn tickets. When
the property had been recovered they start
ed out to look for the man who had stolen
it.
The Search Made.
The officers were out Saturday night and
all day yesterday searching for him. De-
tectives Helan and McNamee were in one
section making a search, while Detectives
Weldon, Boyd and Hartigan went in an
other direction. Rooney was traced from
one point to another. principally among
the saloons. At one place the officers were
told he. was great beer drinker, having
taken many twenty glasses of beer
during q single visit to saloon. Satur-
day night he registered at a hotel, max
ing no effort to conceal his identity. Last
night the officers watched for him, and
about midnight they succeeded in arresting
him.
The officers say they have 127 cases
against Rooney, but they have not decided
how many charges they will file in court.
Rooney will be larraigned in Judge Kim
balls court tomorrow. He was photo
GRABBED TODAY.