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Show I WNEENM . CAUGHT ST THEATER I j- William McCarty, a clever crook, Ml: came to crief Saturday nicht when Illf he attempted an old, but not lately jj used, short-change game on Miss Ann I Skinner, cashier at the Alhambra theatre. Due to Miss Skinner's qulck- wittedness, tho fellow is now in tho j1 city jail facing .several criminal II 1 charges. j '. McCarty approached the Alhambra j boxoffice. about 9:30 o'clock and pur- 11 ; chased a ticket for the motion picture ; show from Mrs. Peter Lammers, a I . sister of Ann Skinner, cashier of the I ' theatre, who was nearby. He tender- J; ed a $10 gold piece in payment for j the ticket and was given $9.90 In j , change. As he started to leave the ' window, ho asked: j "Are you sure I gave you $10? I . thought it was fifty cents." l He was advised that it was $10 11 and he then moved back out of the l line until the space before the ticket : window was clear again. Returning I . to the window and, producing $5.50 j in change, he said to Mrs. Lammers. II "Just give me the $10 gold piece, jj I did not need to change it," I Other people were waiting to pur- II chase tickets and as the man seemed "to be in a hurry, he was given the I $10 gold piece for the money he re- I turned. This, when counted, was found to bo short tho original $5 gold j (piece sho had given tho man, the 1 ' !?5.50 being in silver. I Miss Skinner, who had witnessed I fthe whole transaction, followed Mc- I (Carty Into the theatre. Approaching lm, she asked if he was the man who 'had. made the mistake at the window. He answered in the negative and then I added that tho man she was looking for had taken a seat a couple of rows ahead of him. "No, you are the man," the young lady insisted and, feoling that It was useless to further deny his identity, McCarty answered: ' "Well, I will got the money for you." He then arose and walking down tho aisle a short distance stopped stop-ped near a man and then returned to Miss Skinner. He gave her tho $5 gold piece and resumed his seat. A few minutes later, .Miss Skinner met Patrolman Dan Sullivan In the lobby of the theatre and related tho circumstances of the case to him. Recognizing them as similar to a case upon which the department had been working for several days, the officer reported to headquarters and was Joined at the theatre by Detective Alex Fife. When McCarty was leaving leav-ing the theatre, ho was pointed out to the two officers by Miss Skinner and placed under arrest. At the police station, it was found that the hat ho was wearing was one stolen from the Buchmlller & Flowers store while an attempt was being made by the thief to work the "short-change" game there Saturday morning. Several other merchants reported similar cases to the police. on |