Thief steals Ben Franklin's colonial hat

BOSTON -- A Ben Franklin impersonator, who is used to giving history lessons, taught a thief a lesson in the law.

Ben Franklin, played by semi-retired actor Richard White, was in front of the Old South Church bestowing his wit and wisdom on tourists when a young bystander grabbed the hat on his head and took off.

“This wise-guy comes along and gone with the hat, and I need the hat, it’s part of my forte,” White said.

White took off after the robber. He stayed in character, yelling ‘Halt!” as he chased the man.

“So I hollered at him and said ‘You better stop.’ And he did stop. I said that’s my hat and give it back now,” White said.

An undercover police officer nearby was able to help White stop the 20-year-old thief in his tracks.

Police said the would-be hat robber told them that he bought the hat from Ben Franklin for $25, but that he grabbed it off his head when Ben didn’t hand it over.

He was summoned to appear in court to tell his story before a judge.

(Copyright (c) 2009 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)