Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-08-23
IN THE POLICE COURT.
Spectators Thought There Was q
 Clothing Sale on This Morn,ns

The city court room looked this morning as if 1t had been transforIned into clothing store. The reporters table and the steam radiator were used as counters, on which were piled nigh stacks of mems suits. ladies' tailor gowns, skirts, waists and other articles of clothing. Seated in wit nesses' chairs were proprietors of a clothing store and clerks and in the prisoners dock sat one Robert Lewis, colored youth, who in days gone by has been considered fashion plate by the younger element of inc colored set. Robert always was a natty dresser and it was his fondnesa for fine clothes of the latest design that got him into trouble. It was while employed as a porter at the Guarantee Credit Clothing Go that Lewis. who was married about year ago, found an opportunity of satisfy ing his desires for smart clothes. He had worked on and off for Jacob Mug zy, one of the proprietors of the store, for four years in taking care of his horses and when he was married he was promoted to be porter at the store. He was a trusted empIoye and MT Muzzy had not the least sus- picion that he would do anything crooked. But, alasi for misplaced confidence. Robert was probably not working very long in the store when he stole the first suit. It was so easv that he took another and another un- til he had a sufficient supply to start store. Soon he began to sell suits to some of his friends at greatly re- duced prices. All was sailing smooth. ly and there were no i'll winds to dis turb the voyage. The first time that MT Muzzy, proprietor, knew that some of the goods were mysteriously disappearing was in January, 1903. when an inventory was taken and if was discovered that $2OOO worth of goods were unaccounted for For a month or two after that he kept close watch, but no more thefts were committed then. He had concluded that the thief or thieves had finished their work, but when he took the in- ventory last January he again found that $1 500 or $2,000 worth of cloth ing was missing. This time he was determined to find out the guilty per- sons, but it is doubtful if he would have been successful if one of the clerks had not discovered one day three months ago pair of trousers 1lASAOCA unOCIuCdlA d CdCO. I1O lU~ formed the proprietor, who told him to leave them there and keep close watch over them. The proprietor went out of the store, leaving the boy and Lewis there When he re- turned Lewis and the trousers were missing. Lewis returned about an hour later and the proprietor accused 0him of the theft and told his brother to call an officer. As he did so Lew is made rush for the door and es- capped. The police have been on his tracks ever since and traced him through Bridgeport, Stratford, Derby and finally to Ansonia. Detective Kennaugh went to Ansonia yesterday
 and found Lewis and his wife living there. On searching the premises he found the following articles of cloth ing, which were later identified by MT Muzzy of the Guarantee Clothing Go as having been stolen from the store: Mans suit, $15; pair of boys pants, $1.75; mans suit, SIP; overcoat, SIP; coat and vest, $1: mans suit. $0; overcoat, SIP; mans suit ,$14; boys pants, $1.75; mans suit, $14: IA pairs of pants, $2S; mans suit, $14; 5 vests, $5; mans suit, $14; 2 petticoats, $14; petticoat, $1250; petticoat, $750;
 lady's suit, $24; lady's suit, $22; waist, $1.50; skirt, ST; suit, $20; skirt $9;
 coat, SIS; skirt, $6; coat, SIS; coat. SIS; overcoat, $9; overcoat, $1B; pair
 of pants, $4; pair of pants, $S.50; to- tai, $420.
 These were the goods which wers found in Lewis's home in Ansonia yes. terday. 1t does not include. those which Lewis took and disposed Of nt small price. Mir Possner, the sec- ond-hand. clothing dealer, testified about Lewis selling him suit of clothes, and Walter Frazer said he also bought suit from Lewis. Detec- ! tive Kennaugh told about finding Lewis yesterday and said that he ad- mitted to him that he stole them from the Guarantee Credit Clothing Go. He had been committing the thefts ever since he went to work in the store No evidence was introduced by the defense.
 Attorney Freeman, the boys guar dian, made plea for light sentence, but Judge Peasley bound Lewis over to the next term of the superior court under bonds of $1 1,5O0.
 Joseph Mellon was fined $1O and costs and placed on probation for thir- 1 ty days for assaulting his nephew, 1 Thomas Mellon, on last Sunday night. l ------s------------