The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-12
Detectives Raid Old Bill
COl0mdn'S Cache
UNDER A WALL IN HARLEM.
Rich Treasure Repays Months
OF Swallowing.

Bagful or Jewels Belonging TO Daughter
in-Lsw OF Bishop Potter's VIE was
Taken From once OF CIark Estate.
at Cooperstown, Last July Cole man
Was Once Arrest ed hut Let 60 for
Lack Of ENIdence-Then Pinkcrtons
Got on His Tran--sarcastic Note
Len for Hun In Lieu or Plunder-Ue
seemed 10 Get Wise When the city
scuths We're Called In 10 Nab Him.
The Clark jewels, property Of Mrs Am
brose Clark. daughter-ln-law OF Bishop
: Potter's wife. which We're stolen on July
! from the safety vaults Of the Clark estate.
i at Cooperstown. y. Y. have been found.
. William Coleman, probably the thief. is
under arrest again. caught almost with the
/ goods on him
The treasure has been lying for no one
knows exactly how long under the abut-
ment Of brick wall In Harlem. Thousands
I have passed every day for weeks within
few feet OF $4,000 in treasure and never
guessed IT, The Pinkertons did the job
Of recovering it after long, shadowng
hunt which forms one Of the dime novel
I episodes in the history Of the detective
( agency.
/ The jewels were taken from the Office at
/ the entrance Of the Clark estate, at Coopers-
! town. the summer residence Of Bishop
| Potter and Mrs Potter With its furni-
/ ture and vault this Office looks like bank.
/ When Mrs Ambrose Clark Mrs Potter'4
daughter-in-aw began her summer visit a.
/ Cooperstown last year she had all her jewels
I placed in the vault.
/ The clerks we're in the habit Of leaving
/ the vault unlocked during the day. 1t
was their custom TO 20 70 lunch in "a body
! locking the outside door and simply clos
/ ing the vault door without locking 1t. on
! duly they did this once too often While
| they we're away, some one entered hy
! side door. took out four boxes Of valuable
papers and the leather bag containing Mrs.
Clarks jewels, carried them to the base
rnent. and there vestigatd flc iptt
the papers, after prying the boxes open,
but he ripped up the leather sack and took
/ away the jewels.
/ The Potters did not trust the local police
! They put the Pnkerton agency on the case
! The experienced detecti,es saw at once
| that it was u bank sneak job and that
| the man who did il was an expert That
noon hour Of the country banker rs the
! sneak
Already they suspected old gri2zled
7 Bill Coleman. the light fingered neat step
! ping sleek little man, who has turned
sensational bank tricks all over the country.
! They were not surprised then when from
500 photographs Of professional thieves
sent up to Cooperstown ON rush order
that Of William Coleman was picked hy
the clerks a. resembling loafer who had
been seen hanging around the estate.
They found BIZ in New York ard
Swallowed him for while TO see il they
could find the jewels There was nothing
about his actions ~ warrant any sus-
pcon. but on July % they arrested hin
In I24th street
He was identified an right a. the loafer
who had been seen about Cooper-town
There was no other evidence however.
and the Grand Jury refused 20 ndict He
was released on Nov H.
STILL there was no reasonable doubt
IN the minds Of the Pinkcrton mon thnt
Bill Coleman turned the trick IT was ono
OF his characteristic Jobs From the mo-
ment he left the jail At Cooperstown. sui-
inp silently A. is his custom. two Pinker-
ton shadows followed him
Farly in December he moved to 81 West
I5tth street 4 new get Of detectives fol-
lowed him For purposes Of observation
the Pinkerion4 hired d room at ij3d street
and Eighth avenue This was their head
quarters ia their silent campaign against
the little. smooth. easy stepping man who
was never out Of their sight except when
lac WAS in his room. They watched in thi.
manner for three weeks and still nothing
happened
II was during holiday week Tint he changed
his tactic. little He began 10 20 to va.
can't lots and infreaueuted places in H,r
o,n ON these exnedition- he ,yould stou
from time 10 time and look about az though
+, saq II he wore being followed Tho