The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-26
CAUSES
ARREST OF
SUSPECT
Aided by Boy Detective
Who Shadows Supposed
Thief From House.

A woman's wit and a sehoolboy's
nerve. which brought about the arrest
of Oscar otschick, may clear up a
score or more robberles of apartment,
houses which nave been the work of a
key man. The woman is Mrs. Anna
Reilly, of 81 Pennsylvania avenue who
with Frederick Scherr, 10 years old, of
"a Parkhurst street, discovered Otschick
apparently trying to enter the home of
Robert c. Clark, of Sc Pennsylvania
avenue, by means of false keys.
Young Scherr followed Otschick from
the house until he met a policeman.
Patrolman o'Rourke, of the Third Pre-
cinet station, came along in the nick
of time. as Otschick was about TO board
a train at the South street station for
New York.
In the First Criminal Court this
morning Otschick was held in $500
bonds to await the action of h Grand
Jury on a charge of attempting to enter
the house of Robert C. Clark, at Sc
Pennsylvania avenu The police are
grateful now to the woma and the
boy for bringing about the apprehen-
sion of the man.
Mrs. Reilly was walking in Pennsyl-
vania avenue, neal her home. Saturday
afternoon, when she IA a man trying
to open the front door of the house of
Clark at Sc Pennsylvania The
man stayed so long at the door that
the woman became suspicious, knowing
that sneak-thieves were active in that
part of the city. She called the atten-
- II c,I1~r h1y m tho paopfg
operations. and both watched him for a
few minutes. Otschick saw that he was
being watched, and instead of continu-
ing his attempt to enter the house, he
began to stagger, as though to create
the impression with the boy and the
woman that he was drunk and had got
ten into the wrong house.
However, the trick failed to work, and
Otschick saw that he would have to make
himself scarce. He went down Pennsyl-
vania avenue until he came to South
street. Mrs. Reilly advised the boy to
watch the man, and the boy, for the first
time in his life. got a chance to play de-
tective. He Swallowed the mar all the
way, and kept him in sight, hoping to meet
a policeman. Otschick, however, had got
ten to the South street station, with his
pursuer a short distance away. When the
/ ulltI SAM IOllNtlllaAl 1AphA nv IL R1NN'N
ed the circumstances to him, and the police
man took the man to the Third Precinct
Station. There he was searched, and in
his possession were found some Skeleton
keys and a small knife used by mani
curists. 1t is a combination nail knife ant
file. The police say 1t can be used t.
spring a lock. Captain Christie turned the
man over to the detective bureau, and De
tective Sergeant Fohs was placed on th'
case.
Otschick. who claimed he lived in New
York. said that he was a ~janitor Of
to Newark looking for work. He eoul'
not explain to the satisfaction of TIT
police what he was doing at the house a
&c Pennsylvania avenue.
The police are satisfied that the man Is
the one who has been entering apartment
houses in that vicinity for some time past
and that he is responsible for more thar
a dozen robberies in which the key was
used to gain entrance to the fats.
When the man attempted to get into
the Clark home, the window shade were
drawn down. as Mr.. Clark was having
the front rooms of the house papered and
painted. and 1t Is thought that this fooled
were away at the time. However, Mr..
Clark was at home when the man was
tinkering with the lock. He said he heard
a clicking noise, as though a member of
the family were trying to open the door.
Suddenly it stopped, and, not seeing any
one enter. he went to The window and
observed a man walking out of the yard.
He, with Mrs. Reilly and the Scherr boy.
identified Otschick as the fellow who had
been tampering with the lock on the door.
Detective Sergeant Fohs will go to New
York city tomorrow to get Otschicks
record