The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-15
COULD NOT DODGE
VIM. IL. TillOtson Set Machinery
of Law i'm Motion.
He Imposed on the Topeka
Y. M. C. A.
A DETECTIVE SYSTEM.
Efficacy Proved When Young
Man Appeared in Springfield.
Sheriff WiIkersOn Lands His
Prisoner in County Jail.
A DETECTIVE SYSTEM.

William K. Tfllotson, the young man
who was brought to Topeka today
from Springfield, ILL.,. by Sheriff Will
kerson to stand trial for stealing from
his roommate a few days ago. fur
nishes another example of confidence
betrayed and of ingratitude to those
who are trying to help when in
trouble.
Tillotson is but twenty-five years Of
age. He is refined looking and nicely
dressed. He Is a rather small man
but has an attractive look about his
dark eyes. He worked his way into
the friendship Of several Topeka peo-
pie upon the recommendation that he
was civil engineer and carried refer
ences from several of the leading civil
engineers of the country. According
to his story he had just suffered from
the reduction of the engineering force
Of the Wabash road and was merely
seeking an opening until the spring
world should again claim his profess
sional services.
He stopped at one of the leading
Topeka hotels and made satisfactory
arrangements with the proprietor Of
the hotel SO that he managed to stay
there for several days without paying
for his room and board. One day he
was seen carrying his belongings from
the hotel by rear exit and was ap-
pretended by officers in the lobby Of
the Central Y. M. g. A. just as he was
arranging for room.
He gave the officials a plausible ex-
cuse and one which elicited the SYM
pathy of Charles Fenstermacher, as
sistant secretary of the association
partm ent. The case was easily dis
missed.
Mr.. Fenstermacher Immediately set
about trying to secure the young man
position and finally found an opening
for him in the office of the Internation-
al Harvester company. He did not take
this position and offered an excuse
which seemed at the time entirely 1ogi-
cal
Then the Y. M. C. A. authorities took
his case to several of the heads of de-
partments in the Santa Fe offices and
among others J. M. Meade, engineer of
the eastern grand division. Since leav-
ing his hotel in such a mysterious man
working for his board at the Hotel
Brunswick, although he wasn't. After
trip through the Santa Fe offices he
returned to the Y. M. c. A. where he
impaired the Information that he
would go to work for Mr. Meade on the
following Monday.
With the excuse Of having this posi-
ton in view, Tillotson arranged with
Mr. Fenstermacher for Q room and
board in the lunch room of the z. M.
going to work. It happened that F.
A. Crawford who occupied one of the
rooms at the association was looking
for a room at this time and he was in
friendship sprang up between the two,
with the result that they roomed to-
gether.
In this way matters continued until
a week ago Sunday when Tillotson said
that he was not wanted by Mr.. Meade
for several days. Monday he came back
and said that he had secured position
with the Topeka Southwestern and
Tuesday he dressed in his working
clothes and after hurrying through
breakfast and rushing in to dinner, and
again leaving he returned in the af-
ternoon.
When he returned late In the after
noon he went to his room. Crawford
who works in the gymnasium an hour
before supper every night also came
in and the two chatted while Craw-
ford dressed for gymnasium work. A
wallet in Crawford's coat pocket
which contained $23 was transferred
to another of Crawford's pockets at q
time when he did not think Ttllotson
was looking Tillotson took the
money and little after supper left
the building. He was not seen again
in Topeka Crawford reported his
loss to the officials Of the association
and within half an hour after Ttllot-
son left mon were on hds trail. In
addition to the personal loss of Craw-
ford the Y M. C. A. lost about ten
dollars in board and room rent.
At this time the services Of the
rarely used M. c. A. detective
agency was called into play. A series
of letters giving an entire history OF
the case were mailed to every Y. NJ.
c. A. secretary in the country. And
in addition to this Chier r. w. Eaton
notified the chiefs OF police OF three
hundred cities. His case was reported
also to the American Detective agency
and TiIiotson was caught within a
week at Springfield, Ill, in the lobby
of the Y. M. c. A. as he was making
ready to work his way into the good
graces Of the officials at that place.
On account of the excellent sys-
tenn employed by Y. M. G. A. secre-
taries for their protection, confidential
letters of this character are mailed
by every association which has been
caught in this manner. 1t is almost
impossible for the same trick to be
worked on two different associations
especially when the same references
are used.
Tillotson Is now in the county jail
where he will be bound over TOT trial
at the next term OF court. AT the
time of his trial he will ind that the
association which was ready to help
him engage in legitimate work will be
his most vigorous prosecutor A let
ter which he left for Crawford with
his signature subscribed teiiing MIN
to keep quiet and the money would
be returned in a week. or otnerWlse
it would be lost is CONSIDERED SUM-
cient to convict him.