The Record, Sodus, Wayne County, New York, Friday, July 17, 1903 page 1.

                                              Mrs. Hotel Robbed the Hotel

     Mrs. Hattie Shepard Hotel was sentenced to the county jail at Lyons for thirty days Saturday night by Justice of the Peace W. J. Toor, after she had kept the village exerted for three days.

     The previous Thursday Mrs. Hotel called at the home of Mrs. Sarah Cole for a drink of water.  While there she stole a watch which hung on the wall.  After she had left the house, Mrs. Cole discovered that the watch was missing.  She began to search for Mrs. Hotel, and found her on Main Street.  Mrs. Cole accused the woman of theft, but she stoutly denied the charge.  Mrs. Cole tried to search her to find the missing property, but she was unsuccessful.

      Mrs. Hotel then started southward, and hid the watch in the grass near the Omans house.  In the meantime Mrs. Cole had sent word to Justice Toor of the occurrence.

      Mrs. Hotel returned to Mrs. Cole’s later in the day to repeat that she knew nothing about the stolen watch.  Judge Toor arrived later and accused Mrs. Hotel of theft.  He was convinced that she was guilty, and threatened her arrest if she did not return the watch. She finally consented to accompany Henry Cole to the spot where the watch was hidden.  On the way to this spot she frequently denied that she had taken the time piece.  It did not take her long, however, to locate it, after she reached the Omans house.

     That night Mrs. Hotel applied for admission to the Snider House as a guest.  She was given a room.  The next morning several skirts, petticoats, shirt waists, etc. were found to be missing.  Mrs. Hotel did not carry a bundle away with her, but she held in suspicion as pieces of ribbon and wall paper which corresponded with articles of that description on the wardrobe, were found in her room.  Complaint was made to Judge Toor.  A warrant was sworn out Saturday morning for her arrest and given to Deputy Sheriff John Bean.  This was his first case, and he acted like an old hand in the detective business.  That afternoon he found Mrs. Hotel at Sodus Point, in a flour sack which she carried under her arm were the clothes.  He brought her to the village where she pleaded guilty and was given the sentence mentioned in the opening paragraph.

     Since she was arrested it has been learned that other people had been robbed by her in the past, but no complaints were made.

     Mrs. Hotel wrapped the stolen articles at the Snider House around her before she left the room.  It left her so “padded” that she was unable to wear her corset.  The valuable article was left behind.  Sheriff Miles can have the same for the asking.

The following Friday:

    The Record, Sodus, Wayne County, New York, Friday July 24, 1903, page 4 .

     Mrs. Hattie Shepard Hotel, who was sentenced to thirty days in the county jail, has fallen in love with Sheriff Miles, but yet wants her liberty.  She spends a portion of her time writing letters asking that she be released.  She promises to be good hereafter.