The Curious Treasures of a Local Thief
Police clear out a sprawling collection of stolen property, ranging from hydraulic equipment to jeweler's tools, found at the home of a man named Albert Lombard.
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The police are commencing to wonder when they will stop finding goods that Albert, alias Elbert, Lombard had concealed in and about his house. Detective Gil Philbrick brought in another wagon load of miscellaneous articles, the greater part of which were concealed in the woods. A No. 3 hydraulic ram, stolen from the front porch of O. Haugen's house in the East Park addition, was among the lot. Considerable curiosity was manifest over a pair of nickel-plated barge oar locks and a case of jewelers' tools. The latter, however, are said to have been given to Lombard by his father. The partial list of goods recovered includes a good-sized grindstone, a basket of crockery, two large coils of wire, a bath suit, a toilet case, a hall mirror and hat rack, ordinary saws, groceries, and a large kitchen stove.
“The police are commencing to wonder when they will stop finding goods that Albert, alias Elbert, Lombard had concealed in and about his house.”
The 'curiosity shop' of stolen goods recovered by police echoes modern concerns about property crime in rapidly growing urban centers. It provides a fascinating look at the household items that were considered high-value targets in 1890s Seattle, from kitchen stoves to hydraulic equipment.
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