The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-18
ON A LEDGE HIGH IN AIR,
BEFORE CROWD, OFFICER
MAKES A DARING CHASE
Detective Holtz Bravely Pursues
Much-Wanted Man Over
Dangerous Path.
BELIEVE CATCH IS GOOD
Police Think Part of Gang of
Smooth Ch ago Crooks Are
Now in the Tolls.
TWO MAKE AN ESCAPE
Arrest Is Made Through an Acct
dent While Officers Are Search
ing for Forger.
BELIEVE CATCH IS GOOD
TWO MAKE AN ESCAPE

=
Gripping tightly against the bricks and
crawling along a narrow ledge measured
crawling along a narrow ledge measured by
tective William Holtz yesterday evening
pursued James Wilson, a much-wanted man.
Wilson had made his escape from a window
IN his room in the Denison Hotel. and. fear
ing that their bird might fly beyond reach,
Detective Holtz, without moments hesita-
tion. followed closely in the dangerous path.
The chase lasted for fifty feet. and hun
dred people. struck dumb with awe at the
daring of the two men, and ignorant OF
what IL all meant, stood on Pennsylvania
street beneath and watched the detective
slowly gain on Wilson. Wilson was caught
he entered a room the end Of the
building by Detective Bray. Holtzs partner,
who had secured pass key from the office
below.
Wilson and Fanny Hestor and Alice Van
Dusen. of Chicago. now locked up CT
charge of grand larceny and lettering.
Early yesterday afternoon Wilson and two
other men entered Hermanns art store on
Pennsylvania street. opposite the Denison
Hotel and at that time there were but two
clerks in the store. Two Of the men engaged
the.clerk in a conversation, while the third
$50 out of the money drawer. The loss was
discovered shortly after the men left the
store and the detectives were notified and
given descriptions of the men. Detectives
Splan and Lancaster were detailed on the
case and at about 5 o'clock they went to
Hermann's store to secure accurate de-
scrtptions of the men wanted. In the
meantime Detectives Holtz and Bray were
at the Denison Hotel in search of a man
who they believed stopping there, and
who was wanted on a charge or Forgery.
On the register OF the hotel they saw their
much-whnted forgers name and he was
Quartered in Room 131.
They had the telephone girl call up Room
131 and ask IL their man was In and
woman answered the telephone. The oper-
ator at the hotel heard the woman ask II
the man desired TO speak and heard him In
turn answer that she should say he was not
in at that time. HOltZ and Bray then went
TO Room 131 and knocking on the door de-
manded admittance.
CRAwLS THROUGH WINDOW.
On threat that If the door was not
opened 1t would be broken down the door
was opened by a woman who demanded to
know what wanted. The detectives
said they were looking for certain man
and wanted to know If he in that room.
When they entered the room they heard
window open and a noise similar to that
made by person climbing out the window
could plainly be heard through the door.
Detective Bray a window facing
Pennsylvania street and peered out just
in time the crouching form of man
crawling along on the window ledge enter
the next room by the window. A moment
later the man again sought the window
ledge and he made his way TO the next
room. The detectives ran TO the rooms
along the hall and discovered that the man
was entering the rooms and bolting all the
doors on the inside so that an entrance
with the pass keys of the hotel would be
INN ~ mi
on the ledge and for forty or fifty feet he
kept close behind the daring fugitive
the meantime Detective Bray had called
bellboy and sent him to the office for the
pass keys TO the doors on the third floor.
When the keys were brought up Bray ran
TO the last room in the hallway and opened
the door just as Wilson climbed in the win
dow. and after fierce scuftie he placed the
man under arrest Two men were with
the detectives TO identify the man when
he was caught, but they failed TO do so.
stating that he was ., not S,o the man wanted
caster. from across the street I'm the en-
trance to Hermann's store, had been wit
nesses to the exciting race along the mar
row window ledge and they arrived in the
hall of the hotel just as the two men said
Wilson was not the man wanted Tor Tor
gerry. From the description secured at
Hermann's art store they recognized Will
son as one OF the three men wanted there
for grand larceny and he was later identl-
fed by the clerks at Hermann's as one of
the trio. Ii then developed that the two
women had been associated with the three
men since their arrival here in the city,
several days ago, and they were placed un-
der arrest along with Wilson. While the
detectives were chasing Wilson down the
hall OF the hotel, the other two men who
were with him in Hermann's STORE made
their escape they having been in the same
room with Wilson and the women at the
time the detectives made their entrance.
MEN GET AWAY.
The Van Dusen woman stopped at the
English Hotel night before last, registering 9
as the wife of William Stout, who was one
OF the three men, The third mans name
Is Harry Borton. and he. with Wilson, was
stopping at the Denison Hotel with the
woman who gave her name at the police
station as Fannie Hestor. The two women
had about 500 between them. but they re-
fused to tell where they got the money. All
three arrests were placed in the sweat
box last night but they would tell nothing
of their lives except the fact that the
women had come TO indianapolis from Chi
caeO- Wilson refused TO tell where his home
was and merely said he was an insurance
solicitor The detectives believe Wilson to
be an aII-round sneak thief, while the
women are suspected OF being shOplifterS.
The trunks and grips of the three were Sc
cured from the hotel but an examina ton of
the contents failed TO reveal any property
that could be marked as stolen. but sew
eral sacks such are used by professional
shoplifters were found among the effects
A search made for Burton and Short
hut they could not be located last night.
Attorney Newton Harding was engaged 10
defend the suspects and they will be given
a hearing in the Police Court this morn
ing.