The Washington times., 1902-09-18
Made Him Restore the
Articles He Had
Taken.
HE WEPT FOR HIS RELEASE
She, Melted by His Tears, Permitted
Him to Depart and Then She Told
Her Husband, Who Informed the Po-
lice Too Late.

lice Too Late.
A bold sneakthief was thwarted In an
attempt to walk away with some of the
valuable belongings of Mrs. Whitman
Osgood, of 1902 Fourteenth Street
northwest, yesterday afternoon. and al
frightened off. The would-he robber
was young man. dressed moderately
we'll. and looked and acted as if he
was an amateur at the game Had Mrs.
Osgood not been a sympathetic person.
and had the young man not been the
possessor of an exceptionally smooth
tongue. he would have been lodged be-
hind the bars.
Shortly after noon yesterday Mrs. 0s-
good, who resides in the third apart
ment at Fourteenth and P Streets. heard
q noise in her bedroom. and knowing
that none of the family was in the
house. her suspicious were aroused. and
she went to see who was making the
noise. When she entered she saw the
young man pulling out the bureau draw
ers and filing his pockets with what he
found in them. He turned toward the
door as Mrs. 0sgood entered, and when
she inquired what right he had in her
room. he replied he did not know. The
coursgeous woman displayed a great
amornt of nerve, and grabbed the in
truder by the shoulders as he attempted
to brush by her and get out of the door,
She forced him % remain in the room
and shut the door.
He Made Restitution.
After locking the door she command
cd him to put everything he had taken
from the drawers back in them. The
young man was quick to obey and beg
ged her not to tell the police. He
emptied his pockets, and Mrs. Osgood
found he had not been in the room long,
rs he had only taken some car tickets
and change. If she had not discovered
him in time. he would in all probability
have taken the other yaluables in the
drawers. After Mrs. Osgood had seen
he had nothing more, she compelled him
to turn his pockets inside out, which he
did most willingly, begging all the
while that he be let off. as it was his
first ofense. He told hard luck story,
and proved to be quite a glib-tongued
individual, and succeeded in playing
upon the sympathies of Mrs. Osgood.
After making sure there was nothing
missing, Mrs. Osgood allowed the man
to go free. warming him thal he had
better stay away from the house in the
future.
Police Were Informed.
When her husband returned she told
him of what had happened, and he de-
cided to inform the police of the mat
ter. Bicycle Policeman Simpson. of the |
First precinct, was notified of the at
tempt to rob the house. He secured |
the details of the affair. and after gel-
ting as much Of description of the
would-be robber as Mrs. osgood could
give. he investigated the affair. but no
arrest has as yet been made.
A colored man about twenty-one |
years old, whose intentions are not |
the best in the world, is canvassing |
the western part of this city, and is |
either looking over the coalbins or the
pantries of the residents living in that |
vicinity. He made several visits to the |
various houses in which he thought he
could make a haul, but SO far as the |
police can ascertain he has not sue
seeded in lifting anything valuable yet. i
The man has picked out the territory |
lying between Seventeenth and Twenty
fifth Streets and F and NJ Streets north
west TO dc his work in, and consequently |
the police have received several com
plants about his unceremonious visits.
Tried Detectives House.
Yesterday morning he went to the
home of Detective Samuel Burrows, at
Twenty-fifth Street and Pennsylvania
Avenue northwest, and raped on the
back door. The big, sturdy detective
answered the knock and when the ne
gro saw him he was taken aback, and
staramered out. do Daisy johnson
work here1" He was informed that the
woman did not. and stated apologet
fcally that he had been told that she
was employed there in the capacity of
a cook. He left the house and disap
peared around corner. Had no one
answered the knock on the door the
negro doubtless would have entered and
helped himself to some of Mr.. Burrows
coal. which is stored in the cellar.
Finding he was confronted by man.
he used the old gag of inquiring for
some one whom he was quite positive
did not work there.
About i o'clcck in the afternoon the
same negro was discovered in a room
in one of TIE fats at 1872 G Street
but was frightened off before
he could secure any booty. He knocked
on the door and inquired for the John
son girl and. it was thought, went away.
but he did not. He fingered in the yard
until the door was closed. and then
went back and entered the house.
The police are investigating these at
tempted robberies, and hope to bring
the marauders TO justice before long.
They have the same trouble every year
iust about this time. when there is a
wintry chill in the atmosphere and the
thieves find it cheaper TO steal than
work.
Mr.. Young Gets Cane.
During his recent trip TO Europe