The Daily Dispatch: December 20, 1865., [Electronic resource]

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A Boarding-House Thief.

--A youthful looking, sanctified fellow, sailing under the names of John Kennedy, alias Samuel Smith, was locked up in the lower station-house yesterday afternoon for stealing bed-clothing from the "National Hotel," on Broad street, between Ninth and Tenth. About four days since he came to the city, and sought new lodging- places each night. Monday night he presented himself at the "National," and paid for lodgings in advance. Yesterday morning he arose very early, and gathering up all the bed- clothing, put them into a new satchel; after which he left the hotel and went to the auction- house of Mr. George R. Bagby, with whom he left them for sale, obtaining a receipt for their deposit. The receipt was found in his pocket at the police headquarters.--Kennedy, alias Smith, says he is from Halifax county, Virginia, where he has a mother, the necessities of whom compelled him to adopt the method of stealing to supply her wants.--During the war, he states that he was a member of the Seventeenth Virginia regiment, and was captured on two or three occasions.--From his appearance, he might be taken for a minister of the gospel — smooth face, mild expression, and attired in a full suit of black, snowy white bosom and collar, with no necktie. Doubtless this garb was gotten up to facilitate him the more successfully in prosecuting his light-fingered profession.