The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-01-22
6 FRS. STOLEN
TROUSERS IN
SHIPPED GRIP
DISCOVERED THAT HALF A
DOZEN GARMENTS HAD BEEN
SENT OVER TO MOBILE BY MAN
NOW HELD HERE FOR THEFT.

1t was fortunate that Deputy Sher-
if Abbott, recovering a baggage
check, used the card board to have
returned from Mobile a grip which
had been checked to that point by a
white man who gave his name as
Charles G. Smith, when he was ar
rested in connection with the theft
of ring from J. E. Clements, the
jeweler, on East Wright street The
grip was returned yesterday after
noon and inside of an hour after it
reached here, half a dozen pairs of
new trousers which the grip contain
ed had been identified by three
clothing merchants of this city as
their property, and as clothing which
had been stolen from their respective
stores. Additional charges OF lar
ceny were placed Jointly against the
three white men who were caught
when they are alleged to have tried
the trick of getting away with a ring
from the jeweler named.
On the night the three were arrest
ed at the instance of Mr.. Clements for
the ring theft, they were escorted I'M
der guard to the county Jail and there
searched. In the effects taken from
the one who said his name was Chas.
G. Smith, a baggage check for Mobile
was found. This was not thought TO
be a suspicious object in itself. After
taking everything from them, Smith
asked if he could not have one Of two
handkerchiefs which had been taken
from him, and his tobacco. He was
allowed to take both articles. In pick
ing up a handkerchief, it was seen
that he had deftly covered the baggag
check and had appropriated that also.
The act was witnessed and reported to
the jailer. The latter had locked up
the men by that time, but on again
searching Smith, 1t was found that
the check was in his pocket. Taking
1t from him, the number was secured
and inquiries were made-of the bag
gage master when such a check was
issued, the number Being telephoned
to the baggage masters office 1t was
stated that it had been issued only
a few hours previous. The deputy
then called up Chief of Police Giblin
at Mobile, and gave him the check
number, asking that the grip be re-
turned here to the sheriff's office.
This was done by the Mobile chief,
the grip arriving yesterday at $3.50
o'clock at the county Jail. 1t was
opened and the new clothing made
the officers suspicious. Deputy Alb
bott went out and soon had three
clothing merchants to identity the
clotbing, each of them saying that
three or four men had entered the
store at the time the clothing had
been stolen, and one or more of them
had secreted the stolen articles under
his coat and had walked out. Get
ting the goods, they are supposed to
have met by appointment at some
point and had shipped the goods
Revolver Was Identified.
AS told at the time in these col
unms, the officers, in searching for
the ring which was thought to have
been thrown away by Smith when he
ran, the revolver was found under
car. This was a new weapon. A
clerk in the Avery hardware store,
reading an account of the arrest and
the finding of the revolver in The
Journal. called at the county Jail and
identified the gun, saying that it had
been secretly slipped into the pockets
of one of three men who had called
to examine some guns, the weapon
having been missed after the strang-
ers had withdrawn from the store.
Because the weapon had been taken
unlawfully from the store; a charge
of larceny has also been made against
them by the clerk, acting for the hard
ware company, and they will be prose
cuted for this act also. Charged
with stealing the ring, the half a
dozen pairs of trousers and the re-
yolvers, they will have hard time
fighting their way to liberty when the
cases come up for trial.