Hotel thieves caught.
--Two hotel named respectively
Meriwether Quarles and
Chas Gentry, were caught at the
Linwood House on Wednesday night under the following circumstances.
For several days past the parties named have been putting up at the
Linwood under assumed names, as it turns out, Each night they would request the clerk to have them aroused the next morning in time for the 4 o'clock
Petersburg train.
Wednesday night, on retiring, they left the same direction with the clerk.
They occupied the same room with
Mr. John F. Smith and
James J. Coakley, they sleeping in bed, and the other gentlemen . Between twelve and ten o'clock
Mr. Coakley, who chanced to be awoke quietly which
Mr. Smith was keeping, and after apparently, taking something from under the pillow of the sleepless to his own bed.
Mr. Coakley quiet thinking the thief would next pay him a visit, but the light passed without much an occurrence.
Quarles and
Gentry being waked by the servants early in the morning, got up and began to dress, when
Mr. Coakley also arose, and rousing
Mr. Smith, told him what he had seen during the night, and asked him to examine his pocket back and see whether he had not been robbed.
On examination
Mr. Smith found that all his money, amounting to sixty two dollars, had been stolen
Mr. Coakley then roused the clerk of the hotel and insisted on having
Quarles and
Gentry searched, an operation which was about being carried into effect when
Quarles confessed that he had the money, and pulling it out of his pocket handed it to its owner.
He then offered the clerk of the hotel,
Mr. Wright, a roll of notes, amounting to a hundred and eighty odd dollars, if he would let him go, saying that he was very anxious to go to
Petersburg.
Officer Davis being sent for took both the parties into custody.
On the approach of the officer,
Gentry attempted to destroy a passport, on which it is presumed he intended to travel.
It was filled up with some other name.
The case was brought before the
Mayor yesterday morning, who sent the prisoners on to be tried before the Hustings Court.
These young men are both natives of
Richmond.
Some months ago they were tried and acquitted by the Hustings Court on the charge of stealing a roll of cotton cloth from the dry goods store of
T. D. Quarles.
Quarles has already been once in the penitentiary for grand larceny.
