The sun., 1903-12-26
SHERLOCK HOLMES A WINNER.
KNEW THAT 4 THIEF WOULD RUN
IF PURSI ED, AND HE DID,
Ana the Amateur Sleutii Ran, TOO, and
Caught Up After Chase Through
Many Cars. to the Injury Of Many COrns
Caught At Last IN an Umbrella.

A thief picked James j. Pettigrew's
pocket on II Fifty-ninth street car last
night and Mr. Pettigrew detected him at it.
afterward about as interesting thief chase
a5 has been seen for a while.
Mr.. Pettigrew is the manager Of an apart
ment house at 81 West Fifty-eighth street.
He is also the leader Of an amateur dra-
matte organization connected with church
in The Bronx. He has written several
short "Old Sleuth" plays, and has closely
studied the methods of Sherlock Holmes
and other great detectives That fact,
a. Mr.. Pettigrew said last night, was the
thief's undoing.
With friend Mr. Pettigrew boarded
an eastbound car at Sixth avenue and
Fifty-ninth street. The car was unusually
crowded and they had to stand on the
rear platform. Also when Mr. Pettigrew
had paid the fare he was so badly crowded
against the tailboard that he couldn't get
his hand down TO his side and had to stay
with it upifted in sort OF Peace be with
you" style till Madison avenue was reached.
Then he and his friend transferred to an
other car.
Now all the time | stood on that plat =
form with my hand in the air, said Mr.. Pet
tigrew telling about it afterward, Il felt a
bury form pressing against me. / didn't
think anything strange about that, but in
getting of at Madison avenue l pushed
my thumb into my w8istcoat pocket. This
is something always do in leaving crowds.
"The pocket was empty. Gee! My
watch is gone said I. Every one in that
lnn l.a1c I IN ba ,oI,t
and meditated. My first first thought was
to apprehend tho thief. / decided to watch
countenances, at the same time saying to
myself: Human nature will betray itself.
My cue is to look for sneak
"Just then l beheld dark object sinking
around the end Of the car. 1t was man.
and he looked backward as they do, you
know. That he was guilty was quite evil
dent. thought again and decided that
should the man be guilty he would flee
if | gave chase
Mr., Pettigrew ran for the suspect and
the guilty one did take to his heels. He
ran to the south side of Fifty-ninth street
and jumped on an uptown car, followed
closely by the willy Pettigrew. The car
was crowded, but pursued and pursiicr
dashed through and the fugitive flung open
the front door. The car by this time had
crossed to the north side of Ffty-ninth
tiest and tho thief dashed around the
front of it and boarded a southbohnd car.
Pettlgrew was close second. Without
respect for corns or tender knees the two
rushed through to the front door. 1t
opened slowly, and in funbng with it the
crook was overaken by Pettigrew. But
the thief got the doors finally parted. and
wrested himself from the grasp of the anna
teur sleuth; They got to the street to-
gether. and similar performance took
place III Q westbound Fifty-ninth street car
In rushing through that the pursued
landed on the pet bunion Of a portly pas
senger who, though piled with Christmas
cheer and other things, emitted a great
roar.
stop thief" "Polce!" "Murder!" roared
the assaulted at the thief. An old man
in the street made swipe with an UNI
brella at the flying crook. 1t flew open at
the critical moment and proved the fugi-
tive's undoing. He ran head first into
it and got all tangled up, When he extricated
himself he was surrounded by Central
Office Detectives Bowling and Oppenheim
and three cops in uniform.
They st ood him on his feet and the watch
was found in pocket Of his coat. He was
recognized by the detectives as "Ducky"
Robinson an old offender.
"Give that grasshopper his junk" said
"Ducky," referring respectively to Mr..
Pettigrew and the timepiece, "he's the
luckiest thing I've dipped into fer long
enough"
"Ducky- was taken to Police Head
quarters. He was registered as julius
Robinson, 50 years old. of 15l Ludlow street.