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

style Of writing. Charles Miller.
81. four times convicted Of
burglary. forgery and grand Inr-
ceny. Was arrested At the point
Of q pistol on the 10Th floor Of
the New Washington hotel early
Sunday morning by Detectives
Charles }. Waechter and r. G.
Christensen. In the act Of Iooting
n room that had been planter
for. his benefit
Miller. paradins under Q flock Of
months. loosins the apartments u
and other wealthy out-of.
town visitors In seaffle's most pre-
tentious hostelries. the police ny.
securing many thousands Of dollars
In cash and Jew~iry.
Detailed to watch the Frye hoeo1
and the New Washington as the ~
suit Of dozens Of burglaries tfsro.
waechter and Christensen were ~
first unable TO find the identity q
the cunning thief. At length thy
obtained clue from "A stolen watch
that had been taken from the Frye
and pawned In Tacoma The sigma
ture on the pAwnbroker's kdser war
one of Miilers many aliases. and
written In hackhand scrawL
The hotel clerks Of the two ho<eln.
along with the clerk AZ the NoW
Richmond. were notified TO watch fnF
q man who signed the ledger with q
backhand twist. and when Mia reGk
istercd again Friday night ~ tn
New Washington as C. l.. Payne ~
was assigned to room 1919.
waechter and Christensen ''pInnt,
ed" two men In rooms 1909 and 1911.
and prepared to wait thru the niGhc-
Miller did not venture forth, how.
ever, and II was only after = ling
vigil that he was observed Il -
a. m. Sunday morning. cautiously
opening his door.
Miller. creeping quietly down ~
hallway with all the dramatic T.
stinct OF n movie actor. tried a
door Of local millionaire. but fln<|
ing Il locked, passed to room 1oof
one Of the plants" Finding a a
door unlocked. he entered ana F1l1e :
the bureau. taking SO In MARIE
money. while the occupant Of ~
room peered forth from his pillow,
watching him
The two detectives skirted u
stairway and approached. rsvolvos1
drawn and ready. They stood aeainek
the wall as Miller crept forth AnG
then leaped at him. pressing TIER
revolvers against his stomach.
Miller gasped. then. recovering III
composure. smiled and held out hi
wrists for the handouts. He va
taken to the city Jail and searched.
the police finding q wallet that ha1
been stolen from a prominent Port
land physician at the Frye hotel. ana
a quantity of Jewels. also stolen
property
Miller is one OF the most danger
Gus. and certainly tho slipper1ooe
man the local police have had to deal
with In a long time" detectives said
Monday. He never carried pass
keys and often worked In pa5amau.
80 that the police could never catch
him in the act of burglarizing rooms.
He never entered a room that wam
locked. either. Invariably. he would
have an ironclad abb when focn1
In the hallway"
Miller was convicted OF . felony h
1905 and served IA months IN 0an
Quentin penitentiary. He went baok
In 1906 for three years on bogQo
checks. and was given four years h
Folsom prison in 1910. for forgery.
He was arrested again in Los An.
geles in 1918 for burglary and grand
larceny.
Miller is suspected OF being the
thief who, within the last few
has committed dozens q
skillful burglaries in the New Rich
mond hotel and other prominent
hotels.
Miller's alleged operations At the
Frye hotel are said to have melted
him between $4,000 and $4,000 In cash
and jewels. At the New washin0L
ton he secured nearly $1,000 in val0L
ables. the police declare.
Detectives Waechter and Chrio
Jensen were commended Monday ~
Chief OF Police w. b. Severyns ana
Captain of Detectives Charles Ten-
nant for the skillful manner II
which Miller YVES trapped.
OF the loot that has been recov-
cred. involving about $4,000 In dta-
monds 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.