The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-01-10
BIG CROOK ARRESTED.
Detective Wall Landed Penuyweight
Thief for Robbery. in Chicago.

IN OnlCHGO.
Western hotel and pennyweight
thief, we'll known in the larger cities,
was arrested in a house in the Tender
loin district yesterday by Detective
Wall and is held at the police station
on charges of grand larceny and forg-
cry. The prisoner is John Wilson, alias
James J. Watson, and is badly wanted
in Chicago.
Wilson admits that on Dec. he
forged the name of a millionaire cat
tie dealer of Sioux City, Ia, who was
in Chicago, and got away with $500
worth of diamonds and other jewelry.
The prisoner, who is only 81 years Of
age, claims he disposed of his plumber
in New York. and none of the goods
were found on him at police headquar-
tiers. He had nothing contraband
when searched by Wall and the detec-
tive realized that he was dealing with
a shrewd individual and not a novice
who would carry evidence of his guilt
in his pocket.
Supt. Reilly received a telegram from
Chief of Police O'Neil asking for the
arrest of Wilson and Detective Wall
was put to work on the case at once.
An accurate description of the missing
man was given in the telegram and
Wall recalled having seen stranger
answering the description in the Ten
derloin district. An hour later Wilson
was located and under arrest. be at
first denied his identity, but made no
resistance and accompanied the officer
to headquarters. Later he admitted his
guilt and stated that a reward OF sl0o
had been offered for his apprehension.
A second Telegram from Cme1
O'Neil announced that requisition pa
pers had been forwarded and that De-
tective Thrown is on his way to Sa-
Vannah for Wilson. The prisoner said
that his victim was Edward c. Hovey,
a millionaire cattle man who was at
tending a carnival in Chicago during
the holidays. Hovey had some Valua-
BILE diamonds and jewelry which on the
day of the robbery he left with the
hotel clerk, and took a receipt for his
property which he valued at $500. He
left the hotel after supper to take a
walk around the city. He had arrived
during the afternoon and was spotted
by Wilson early in the game. The
crook saw him turn his valuables over
to the clerk and watched where he put
the receipt He knew that a short
while later the night clerk would go
on duty, and that if he could get pos
session of the receipt it would be an
easy matter to palm himself off as
Hovey, inasmuch as the cattle man
had not been seen by the man on night
duty. Wilson followed his victim and
with the adroitness for which he is
noted, managed to pick his pocket and
get the receipt for the valuables. Back
to the hotel he hurried and asked for
the jewelry, producing the receipt that
had been given Hovey by the day
clerk. Wilson signed the name of
Hovey on the hotel book and surren-
dered the receipt. He left at once. and
not until the return of Hovey several
hours later was it discovered that Il
robbery had been committed
The robbery was at once reported to
the police, and the work was recog-
nized as that of Wilson, who had been
seen around the hotel lobby. 1t was
learned that the crook had gone to
New York, and officers went there in
search for him at an expense of 5000.
Neither the stolen jewelry or Wilson
could be found. although the Chicago
police did not give up the search. They
learned that the fugitive had left New
York for the South, and suspected
that he had come to Savannah.
Wilson takes his arrest as a matter
of course and does not appear at all
worried. The local detectives are of the
opinion that he has a fence somewhere
in the South, but the prisoner is too
smooth to take them in his confidence.