The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-05-16
ROB HOTELS OF 100000
ARREST OF AsTOR EMPLOYE DIS
CLOSES SYSTEMATIC LOOTING.
Dingy Room in Tenement House Con-
tanned Stolen Silverware and 9th
er Articles Worth $25, 900.

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NEW YORK.-The existence of {
criminal organization, which in two
years has stolen from Fifth avenue
and Broadway hotels more thar
100000 in silverware, wines, cigars
and other articles was revealed
through the arrangement of two for
eigners in the West Side court yes
terday. Luigi Mighetti, who says
he is a musician, and Buno Simeral
do, pantryman in the Aston hotel
were the prisoners. The latter is ac-
cused of grand larceny, the former OF
having received stolen goods. Plum
der to the value of s25, 900 was
found in his room.
At the request of Detective Brier-
ton Magistrate Kernochan held the
two men in S., 900 bail each for ex-
animation today Brierton intimated
that further arrests would be made.
The prisoners are believed to be
members of a band which has agents
in every one of the big hotels. In the
opinion of the police, however, Mi
ghetti is the chief of the band and
the man higher up" in all negotia-
lions for the sale of the pilfered
wares.
Apparently, Detective Brierton
said, all except little Of the loot was
sold back to the hotels from which
it had been stolen. Thus the AstOr
hotel, the treasurer of which, Eu-
gene Miller, is complainant against
Mighetti and his companion, is said
to have paid out thousands of dollars
to recover property stolen by the
thieves. The Waldorf-Astor, the
Plaza, Delmonico's, Rector's and the
st. Regis are big losers in the same
way.
Detectives Are Employed.
Several months ago the heads Of
the Hotel Mems Association consid-
cred ways and means to stop the
wholesale thieving which all of them
had begun to notice. They engaged
private detective agencies, and kept
careful watch on their comings and
goings of all their employees. Until
they communicated with George S.
Dougherty, deputy police commits
sioner, a short time ago, however,
they had been unable to get the
slightest inkling of how the silver
plate and wines were taken away.
Mr.. Dougherty assigned Detective
Brierton, who was then attached to
a Flatbush precinct, to the case. He
concentrated his efforts in the Astor
hotel, and with Mr.. Miller's assist
ance investigated every employee in
the establishment until his suspi-
cions centered on Simeraldo. Finally
Simeraldo was trailed to the West
Twenty-ninth street house, in which
it is charged Mighetti received and
paid for the stolen goods Then
CHi6L hdSlol1dCC -hCAuOO ISSuSu -
warrant for Mighetti's arrest and a
search warrant for the premises.
Armed with these orders Brierton
waited outside the employees en-
trance to the Astor until o'clock
yesterday morning, when Simeraldo
emerged. The detective bumped in
to the pantryman. With a cry of pail
Brierton sprang away from Simeral-
do, for the prongs of a fork hidden
under the latter's coat had pens-
trated his ribs. Then he seized the
pantryman and took him into Mr.
Miller's private office A search of
the captive, the police said, brought
to light ninety-five pieces of silver
ware, ranging from spoons to plates.
Simeraldo was taken to police head
quarters and Brierton went to No
211 West Twenty-ninth street after
Mighetti.
Mighetti occupied a bed room in
the rear of a tenement house, yet his
dingy dwelling, the police said, was
a treasure house containing every
conceivable variety of silver that is
used in hotels, cigars, the average
price of which was % cents, and
wines which would delight an cpl
cure
The silver concealed beneath the
mattress of his bed-about 500
pieces of twas thought to be worth
5000, and the 400 boxes of cigars
stacked up in a corner probably
would be estimated as having cost
not less than $4,000.