The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-12-18
Nab FORCER
IN SEATTLE
Hotel raid
Raffles Arrested
A # er RObbing
Room in Hotel
Washington


style Of writing. Charles Miller,
3s. four times convicted Of
burglary. forgery and grand isr-
eeny. was arrested at the point
Of a pistol on the 10Th floor Of
the New Washington hotel early
Sunday morning by Detectives
Charles J. Waechfer and r. G.
Christensen, In the art of 1oofing
n room that had been planter
for. his benefit.
Miller. paradins under q flock Of
aliases. operated In Seattle for two
months. iooting the Apartments Of
and other wealthy out-of-
town visitors In seattie's most pre-
tentious hostelries. the police snys
securing many thousands Of dollars
In cash and jeweiry.
Detailed TO watch the Frye hoeoo
and the New Washington as the ~
suit of dozens OF burRiaries thsroy
waechter and Christensen were ~
first unable TO find the Identity ~
the cunning thief. At length tlzey
obtained clue from a stolen watch
that had been taken from the Fryo
and pawned in Tacoma The sigma
ture on the pawnbroker's lrdser was
one of Miilers many aliases. and
written In q backhand scrnwL
The hotel clerks Of the two hotele.
along with the clerk AZ the New
Richmond. were notified 70 watch far
a man who signed the ledger with =
twist. and when AEiTler reg
istered again Friday night 1t the
New Washington as c. L. Payno ~
was assigned to room 1919.
Waechter and Christensen plant
Cd two men in rooms 1909 and 1911.
and prepared 10 wait thru the night.
Miller did not venture forth. how
ever. and Il was only after . long
vigil that he was observed at ~
a. m. Sunday morning. cautiously
opening his door.
Miller. creeping quietly down tho
hallway with all the dram1tio ~
stinct OF n movie actor. tried III
door Of a local millionaire. but md
ing II locked. passed to room 1oof
one OF the plants" Finding q e.
door unlocked. he entered and r1flo
the bureau. taking $40 In mark&I
money. while the occupant Of III
room peered forth from his pillow
watching him
The two detectives skirted tho
stairway and approached. revolvor~
drawn and ready. They stood asatnst
the wall as Miller crept forth an1
then leaped at him. pressing their
revolvers against his stomach.
Miller gasped. then. recovering M
smiled and held out hie
wrists for the handouts He wa
taken to the city Jail and searched.
the police finding q wallet that had
been stolen from a prominent Port
land physician at the Frye hotel. and
a quantity of Jewels. also stoIen
Miller is one OF the most danger
Gus. and certainly the slipper1ogt
man the local police have had to deal
with In a long time" detectives said
Monday. He never carried pas4
keys and often worked in pajamas.
so that the police could never catch
him in the act OF burgiarizing rooms
He never entered a room that wa
locked. either. Invariably. he would
have an ironclad alibi when found
In the hallway"
Miller was convicted OF felony II
1905 and served IA months IN Gan
Quentin pcnitentiary. He went back
In 1906 for three years on bogua
checks. and was given four yeara II
Folsom prison in 1910. for forgery.
He was arrested again in Los An
geies In 1918 for burglary and grand
larceny.
Miller is suspected Of being the
thief who. within the last fsw
has committed dozens of
skillful burglaries In the New Rich
mond hotel and other prominent
hotels.
Miller's alleged operations At tho
Frye hotel are said to have netted
him between $4,000 and $4,000 in cash
and jewels. At the New washinoA
ton he secured nearly 81 900 in vale
ables. the police declare.
Detectives Waechter and Chrfn.
Jensen were commended Monday ~
Chief Of Police w. b. Severyns ana
Captain of Detectives Charles Ten
nant for the skillfui manner II
which Miller was trapped.
or the loot that has been recov-
cred, involving about $1,000 in dia-
nonds and cash, claimants for the
stolen articles have been located,
police declare.
Miller was being held in the city
Jail Monday under an open charge,
to the filing of burglary
charges against him by Prosecuting
Attorney Malcolm Douglas.