The Red Cloud chief., 1902-10-31
HE WAS A HINklE
to Ten Ycars-Got Deeper M lie

Went
Charles T. Hinkle. a colorcd convict.
celebrated the first of last July by
stealing a suit of clothes belonging to
Deputy Warden Jones of the Nebraska
p~enitentiary and disappearing. He had
been In less than a year. under n three
year sentences for burglary from Doug
las county. No more was heard from
him. although a diligcnt search was
made. until n message arrived from
California last week. stating that the
FELLOW had been caught repeating his
old crimes In Sacramento, Cal. pleaded
guilty to the charge and received IA If
teen year sentence there. An Oman
paper gives the following account OF
IL:
Charles I. Hinkle. Cuban war veter-
an, colored church deacon. burglar and
escaped prisoner, probably wishes now
that he had served out the three years
sentence in the Nebraska penitentiary,
which was given him q little over a
year age in Omaha, after an extraor-
binary career of crime.
Sunday Chief OF Police Donahue re-
ceived word from John Sullivan, chief
OF police of Sacramento. Cal, that Hin
kle. OF whom nothing had been heard
since his escape from the Nebraska
~penitentiary. had Just been sentenced
to a term of fifteen years In prison
there on a burglary charge.
Hinkle's career in Omaha reads like
a fairy tale. He came to Omaha soon
after the end OF his enlistment In the
regular army. He had served through
the Spanish-American "a and bore
the credentials to show that he had
received I'm honorary discharge. He
soon ingratiated himself with the bet
ter element of colCred society n In a
short time had come to be looked on az
q leader. He was well educated and
agreeable II hi, excellent
gave him a footliold everywhere.
Coincident with Hinklc's coming to
Omaha a series OF burglaries COM
menccd and oon gave the police de-
parimcnt considerable worry. Clue af-
ter clue was run down without result
and finally. after all the city detectives
had taken a try at ferreting the mys-
terry. they were forced to give up and
bide their time until the robber should
accidentally give aOme hint Of his
identity.
In the meantime Hinkle had been
prospecting. IIe Ind established him
self and his wife ut 937 North Twenty
fifth street. He was "a regular attend
ant at church affairs and services. n
when he was proposed az a candidate
for a %deaconship the idea was taken up
with a hurrah and the place given him
without dissent. A celebration Of the
event was prepared. to be held at
Hinkle's home. and invitations were is
sued in general to all h members OF
the church.
IL was about this time when the new
deacon's downfall came. About 2
o'clock on the morning OF August IL,
1901, Officer Farris discovered a man
attempting to gain entrance to the
drug store of J. +. Gish. 1923 Curing
street. Farris started after the man,
who escaped. In his hurry, however,
he lost his hat, and inside this was
Hinkle's address. The following day
a search was made of his house while
he was absent, and there was q mass or
plumber that had been stolen from a
number of places IN the city was found.
That night. while Hinkle was serving
ice cream and cake to the host OF
friends who had come to help celebrate
his election as deacon, the officers
swooped down on him. In the midst
of the festivities the patrol wagon
backed up to his residence and he was
unceremoniously carted away to jail.
His guests were loud in their protesta-
tions of his innocence. The police were
soundly berated and Hinkle looked
upon as a martyr.
But their tune changed when II was
discovered that the silverware that had
graced the tables at the celebration
had beer stolen from Omaha houses,
among them those OF John G. Gown
and w. NJ. McHugh. The lace curtains
on his windows were also the property
OF Mr.. MciIugh. The carpets on the
floor. the Haviland and Limiges china,
the oil paintings that covered the wall.
and, in fact, almost everything In his
house, were later recognized as among
the articles reported to the police US
%jstolen.