New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-11-01
OPERATIONS OF SAFE BLOWER,
EXTENSIVE ST. LOUIS STREET BURGLARY
PLUMBER OF RocHEREAU & G
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS STOLEN
A SATURDAY NIGHTS TRANSAc TONS


| as in former times, and quite rs scientific
| ally. Saturday night, after the extensive
stores of Messrs. A. Rochereau 4 Co, large
| importers and well known commission mer1
| chants, Nos l6 and Is st. Louis street, were
closed as usual, burglars took possessioni
| and operated on the safes at leisure, carryi
! ing off an amount of wealth to an extent AS
vet unknown. The burglars who UNDER
took the job must have posted themselves
in many minor details. consuming several
weeks. The Bulletin's report is so correct
that we copy Il portion of it.
Superintendent Badger and his aid MAJ
lone. took a minute survey of the scene, and
| they were not slow in concluding that the
| lob was the work Of Pierre Berlin and his
mob the same man who was so easily rel
leased on a writ of habeas corpus by Judge
Cooley. There was nothing in particular to
prove the conclusion, but the police went to-
work on that line. Malone had lost run of
Bertin since the great release, and was
obliged 10 trace him up as from beginning
| This was not easy. yet he, with speciaE
| officers Smith and Pecora, kept moving alg
Sunday night, viewing Pierre's old lOcal1
tiles, but they found nothing agreeable
| Toward morning Malone struck a vein, ant?
ascertaned that Capedevillc, another we'll
known burglar, lived on Orleans, near John1
son street. They posted oft to the house,
and noticed a furniture cart at the door,
loading up. Entering, they found no one
fol Loft u
the intention of following the cart; they
kept their eyes on it, and noticed a woman
not far behind Arriving at No. 442 White,
near Euterpe street, the cart backed up to
| the door This was signal for the officers
to enter, and it is well they did, for on the
| hard floor was stretched Pierre Bertin. coat
| off. pistol at his side, he evidently trying
| to get some rest. With their reyOlvers
| pointed at him. he could only surrender. 1t
| did not take much time to search him, and
| the search proved a valuable one, for on his
| person were found between five and six
thousand dollars worth Of valuable papers
stolen from Rochereau & Co., which have
since been fully identified, also a bundle OF
| the stoleE goods. Bertin was then taken to
| prison. IN the same house, ;t the time the
officers found Mr.. Fuller. an attorney. He
| stated that he had called there in conse-
| quence of receiving Il note from one of the
| men.
This was good progress, but not sufficient
The woman who followed the furniture Is
intimate with Jean Capdeville, and they
naturally believed that he was not far off.
Men were posted for him, and in less than
half an hour he was prisoner, also, as he
attempted to enter No. 442 This is highly
creditable to the police engaged, and proves
that the detective department is improving
Colonel Badger and bis officers neither ate
nor slept until they had accomplished what
is related above. 1t is now possible that
they will be able to recover nearly all the
stolen goods before week passes.
Caesar Hunt, a tinker or blacksmith, was
arrested for having made burglars tools
He admitted that he had made brick
chisel for Capdcville and other thieves
1t isone of the oldest established French
houses in the city, and in addition to its
own immense business transactions, inyolv-
ing great capital and the daily handling of
large sums of money, the eminent character
borne by the firm for integrity and high
business qualities, led to their establish
ment being made the depository of the cash
iewelry and valuable papers of many of
their friends and customers particularly
those among the older residents of the lower
part of the city. The vaults of Messrs.
ROchereau a. Co. thus contained thousands
Of dollars worth of diamonds. other pre-
cious stones and .jewclry. gold, heirlooms
beyond price III the esteem III which they
We're held, besides currency and papers Of
incalcuahle worth to their owners, besides
what of the property of the firms own was
stored there, there being over forty tin
boxes belonging 10 different parties. i'll
Guided Such mine as this promised Il
rich harvest, and was well worth long and
studious prospecting, careful planning,
great risks and daring, skillful workman
ship. which were brought to bear.
Arriving at the scene of operations YES
terday morning. our reporter found present
Colonel Badger, our excellent and energetic
Superintendent Of Police. accompanied by
that tried and true old veteran, Sergeant
Malone, and Special Smith, engaged in
making a profes lional survey of the prem
ises, pricking up their ideas here and there,
and putting this and that together in that
quiet. reserved, hut watchful. busy manner
which gives SO much more promise of ultimate
success i'll the weaving Of their web of proof
than does ostentatious hustle, inconsderate
chatter ard noisy inquiry. Joining them
we will follow the burglars from the begin
ming to the completion of their stupendous
job.
The place chosen by the thieves to make
their entrance, and its distance from tho
scene OF intended operations, is not the
least OF the evidences which go to prove
that it wae no stranger, but a master home
workman, to whom is due at least the i'll
ception OF the plan, and sketching out of
the mode of procedure. Adjoining the es-
tablishment of Nessrs. Rochereau & Co.,
the side toward the river, is the large
cordial and syrup Dianutactory and store of
G. w. Dunbar & Sons. Nos l2 and IA St
Louis street. The first front door of Mr..
Dunbar's place toward the lcvec) opens on
a staircase which leads to offices above the
store, and which is cut off from the store by
q partition. This door WAS secured by an
old-fashioned French lock of great strength
and intricatt workmanship, the key being
kept at night at the tobacco manutactory of
Delpit, opposite. This door WAS unlocked
by key made for the purpose, and which,
in consequence of an accident, was left be-
hind 1t is of iron, and bears plain marks
of having recently been heated i'll q fire,
and freshly filed.
After entering, the burglars evidently at |
tempted to lock the door from the inside, |
and finding the key worked badly they used
so much strength that the key broke III the
lock after the bolt had been shot out but, |
without entering its receptacle, thus rem |
dering it impossible for them to close the |
door tightly. Fearing to attract attention |
by the open door, half inch brace bit was !
bored diagonally though the edge of the !
h..jf of thest taaor that was secured, and left
there in such q manner as to prevent the
door swinging ODeu or being pushed open