“Stole From Lines”

[The masthead of the page reads "THE POST EXPRESS: WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, OCTOBER 20, 1897"; Newspapers.com files it under the later title. The story runs down the column, is interrupted by a boxed quotation from the mayor ("… to the City."), and continues below it. The other papers followed the case: The Rochester Herald, 21 Oct 1897, p. 6 ("A Clothesline Thief Arrested", image 1332886260); the Democrat and Chronicle, 21 Oct 1897, p. 9 (image 135286818); The Times-Union, 22 Oct 1897, p. 6 ("Stole Goods of Which He Could Make No Possible Use. His Thefts and Strange Manner of Living Cause His Brother to Think Him Insane.", image 1274795603); The Post Express, 22 Oct 1897, p. 6 ("BECKER'S EXTENSIVE THIEVING", image 1334706664); The Rochester Herald, 23 Oct 1897, p. 7 ("Clothesline Thief in Court", image 1332886342); and The Times-Union, 3 Nov 1897, p. 9 (image 1278278986), where the charge lists "Clothing from Rudolph Hegenauer, value of $10, on October 20th". The Democrat and Chronicle of 25 Jul 1898 gives Rudolph's address as "No. 5 Hensler place".]

STOLE FROM LINES

William Becker Caught With Clothes Under His Arm

Mounted Policeman Watched All Night and Finally Captured the Man—Supposed to be Guilty of Long Continued Robberies on West Side.

After watching all night, Policemen Scholl and Goodyear, of the mounted squad, arrested William Becker, 28 years old, on the charge of stealing clothes from the line of Rudolph Hegnauer, 7 Hensler place, at 5.45 o'clock this morning. Becker saw the policemen as he was walking from the yard with the clothes under his arm and ran down a side street. The officers caught him at the Sill stove factory, 219 Oak street, where he works.

The persons living in the vicinity of Hensler place have been complaining for the last month of the loss of clothes taken from the lines in the course of the night. These two officers were detailed to watch out for the thief and were rewarded by never a sight of him until this morning.

Becker lives on a street just off Lyell avenue and over the city line in the town of Gates. It used to be called "Basket street." When he was captured he offered at first to settle. Then he told the policemen that he had not stolen the clothes which they discovered with him tied up in a bundle, but had picked them up on the sidewalk as he was going to work.

When he was arraigned in the Police court this morning he pleaded not guilty. The case was set down for October 22d.

After Becker was piled into the prisoners' "pen," he said he wanted to see Policeman Scholl.

"How much will it cost me to get out of this?" he asked the policeman.

He added a moment afterward that he had never done "anything like this before and never would again."

The policemen are inclined to doubt this. They swore out a search warrant this morning. They will go through the man's house in Gates and see if they can find some of the things which irate residents of the western part of the city have reported missing.

Among the persons who have lost clothes are a woman named Cook, who lives on Hensler place, and Mrs. Edward Immel, 16 Immel place. It is expected that they will make charges against Becker so that instead of facing one accusation he will have to answer maybe half a dozen.

The police do not know what Becker does with the clothes. He has no family.