Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-03
THIEF RETURNS SPO|LS
Keeps Cash But Sends Back
Valuable Papers.
M. ANDRES PROPERTY
SINGULAR OUTCOME OF EPISODE
AT ELECTRIC Road DEPOT.
French Landscape Gardener Had His
Pocket Picked-Some One
"Jostled" Him.

The messenger in the office of the city
postmaster, Thaddeus Brooks, began his
work today by placing a very common
place, square envelope on the desk of the
assistant postmaster, Mr.. ]. Madison Da-
Wis. Like all the other letters in the post
masters morning mail. this particular one
had been opened. When Mr.. Davis drew
out it's contents, with his mind fixed on
some question of local mail delivery, he
spread before him two strange, foreign doc
uments-a letter of credit issued by the
Credit Lyonnais of Paris in favor of Rene
Andre for 5000 francs and sight draft
on a Spanish bank, executed in Cienfuegos,
Cuba, in favor of ''R. Eduard Andre" for
5000 francs
Mr.. Davis turned the envelope over to re-
read the address. There were only the
monogram of Chase's Theater and the sin
gle word POSTMASTER written in a hand
manifestly disguised and spelled Post
Master
Brooks he called, what do you think
all this is?
The messenger suggested there might be
some connection between the contents of
the letter and a theft he had seen reported
in the morning papers. Then Mr.. Davis
sought out a morning paper, read how NJ.
Andres pocket had been picked at the sta
ton of the Washington, Alexandria and
Mount Vernon electric railway, and con-
Cluded that the thief had chosen this sin
gular means of returning spoil which ne
could not use.
Story of the Pocket Picking.
Communication was at once established
with police headquarters and the story re-
vealed of the pocket picking was about
as follows:
considerable disturbance was created
at the Washington station of the electric
road yesterday afternoon by the excited
attempts of foreign gentleman to eX-
plain something which seemed to be of the
greatest importance. The crowd was inter
ested and sympathetic. but no one could
understand until a Washingtonian who
knew the foreigner drew near. Then il
was learned that the center of all the ex.
element was Frenchman. M. Rene Ed
uard Andre, who had come to America tC
study American parks and landscape gar.
denipg, and that his pocket had been picked
All his money and available securities, ex
planned M. Andre, had been placed in 6
wallet-six $50 bills, letter of credit ant
a draft on Spanish bank-and the wallet
had been stolen at the station Someone
| had jostled against him and the next min
ute the wallet was gone
The journey to Mount Vernon was al
once abandoned, and M. Andre and hi.
| friends went to police headouarters to re-
| port the theft. There the troubled French
| man was told payment would be stopped
! on both the draft and the letter Of credit
| but that little chance existed of recoverinf
/ the S120 in greenbacks
| He was asked to describe the man who
pushed against him, but could do so only
| in general terms. NJ Andre was greatly
! disturbed even when assured that the two
| negotiable instruments could not be cashet
| by the thief The papers, he said, would
| nave to be renewed which would reuur,
| some time. and he would be sadly embar
| raised in the meantime by a lack of ready
money. He was assured before he lief
| headquarters, however that the police
/ would do everything possible to save hin
/ further trouble and to apprehend the thief
With that understanding he went back t.