Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-05-29
STOLEN PROPERTY FOUND
Loot of All Kinds Unearthed at
Home of N. w. Williams.
Former EmpIoyc of strong Tbentre in
Jail Following the LOSS Of Many
Articles Belonging TO Theatrf-
cal Companies.

What is thought to be quite an extern
sive stealing game has been reported to
the authorities and q result Nelson
w. Williams formerly an employee of
The Strong theatre is resting behind the
bars Of Chittenden county jail, where he
was placed on warrant Issued by the
States attorney He was arrested Satur-
day afternoon on charge of grand
larceny
For the past year, while Williams has
been engaged as sort of man Of all
work about the theatre. property has
been reported as missing, not only by
tho management and employees but by
some of the companies appearing there
\ quiet hunt has been conducted and
some time ago suspicion was directed
toward Williams but no conclusive evil
dence could he obtained. Several men
were set to watching him, however, and
with the line of evidence gained the Of
fciHls Saturday felt no hesltancy In Is
suing a warrant for his arrest and also
a search warrant to enable Deputy
Sheriff Todd and others to conduct
hunt over the mans home.
williams had received strict instruc-
lions to keep away from the stage and
from the rear Of the stage, yet on the
night Of the appearance of Quincy
Adams Sawyer he reached the door Of
q dressing room and knocked for ad-
mission The man who was inside
thought the knock was at the door of
the dressing room next to him and did
not answer Again the knock came and
when no reply was made, Williams care
fully entered when asked what was
wanted, he replied that he was looking
for the manager. The actor suspected
something wrong and told Williams he
would accompany him to the manager
When the manager was located, 1t de-
veloped that he was not the man VII
liams was looking for and although
everyone connected with the theatre
was visited, Williams had no errand
with any of them. it was then that the
man was turned over to Manager j. j.
! Whalen. whose investigations led to his
arrest.
| Saturday afternoon Deputy Sheriff Todd
and Mr. Whalen visited Williams's home
on Walnut street and there unearthed a
miscellaneous array Of goods which would
stock department store. one or the
! first things discovered was a satin gown
which belonged to one of the girls In the
Bohemian Girl" 1t was supposed to have
| been worn In the wedding scene but be-
cause the gown was missing one girl re-
manned in her dressing room during that
| time. Meanwhile Williams was happily
trudging home with the goods, and every
! body from manager to usher was turning
the theatre upside down in search for 1t.
Williams entered the house about the
time the gown was being examined and
said that he found It down under the
stage and didn't think anybody wanted
lit"
The search continued and pretty soon
enough instruments to equip an orchestra
were discovered There were a cornet, a
clarinet, violin, cymbals, drum, foot
heater, and other things. Then there
was pretty nearly Il complete outfit such
as masicians use, even to the cabinet,
where persons disappear. There was the
para phernalia whereby healthy people are
made to float in midair by simply wav-
ing ones arms over them, and other delu-
sions toonumerous tomention. There were
six pairs of shoes of different kinds and
sizes, four horse whips, more gowns and
coaks, IL umbrellas, patent leather
pumps, which are thought to he the prop
erty of the Jack Lynn company, Roman
sandals, which a vaudeville team report
| ed missing, a quantity OF Sl4NeGWdTe
which was marked NJ. Dorm, a mould
which Is used for making the glass balls
which the crack shots use in exhibitions,
, u photographs OF stage celebrities which
were used for advertising purposes and
the stealing OF which the management
has long been attempting to stop, ticket
box, valued at quiet an amount, which
was the property of the theatre, four
putty knives, a number Of wrenches, and
other things such as revolvers, Irish point
lace curtains, six suit cases. drawers fun
like that purchased for the theatre,
punch and judy show etc, etc. Some of
this was taken to the Jail with Williams,
but many OF the trunks and boxes, which
were filled to their utmost ca pacity, were
| left untouched.
| Williams has been at times sort Of
vaudeville man and will be remembered
! by some AZ the magnate who financed the
! trip of show troop to Milton, where It
was stranded few years ago. 1t Is evil
dent that II things worked smoothly an
other sort of venture was to be started
as he had among his possessions litho-
graphs, which are claimed by the man
| agement of The Strong. and many other
articles which he could use in the show
| business. While some of the miscellane-
Gus array OF goods may have been pur-
chased by Williams, It IL thought by the
| prosecuting attorney and others that the
real owners of most of the property will
| be found elsewhere.