The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16
Trinity Church Robbed.

Irln1Uy CnurCn OF NEW 1Ork WIZ |
robbed by daring burglar. The COM
munion service, used during Sunday
service, is valued at over 500, 900, and
many of it's pieces we're sent to the
church by crowned heads in Europe. |
This is evidently what the thief was |
after.
On the south side of the chancel are |
two vestry rooms, each having n large |
window. Each window is protected by
three light sashes. The windows are
about three feet above the ground, and
the snow reached up nearly to the sills.
To open the sashes was easy. The
windows swing on pivots, which enter
small apertures on each side of the wood
work. They are opened and closed by
| means of cords fastened TO the upper
part of their edges, and running to
small iron pulleys fastened inside, a
short distance above the upper sill, and
the window is closed the cord is pulled
down and tied to small catch between
the sill and the floor.
The burglar scaled the picket fence in
Rector street, about sixty feet west of
Broadway. He had previously placed
large stone on the top of the inside
|
so once on the fence he could step down
without getting caught on the sharp
edges of the pickets. He landed near
the tomb of Alexander Hamilton, and
took semi-circuitous route in n north
westerly direction toward the chancel.
The distance was about 250 feet. With
an eight-inch dagger he pried open the
weak sashes, and then went to work at
the window of the middle vestry room.
, Turning his back toward the heavy
wood work, he forced the windows
, slightly-inward, making smaller aper-
ture. The cords elasticity assisted him.
, He then cut the cord and entered.
, Drawing a dark lantern from beneath
q his coat, he took rapid survey of the
, room.
: Inside were half dozen desks
with drawers, all of which were locked
, The walls are nearly covered with mar.
: BILE tablets, commemorative of the great
| men of the country. Under the window
q opening into the rear of these rooms
q stood box used to hold the loose eartl
I when vaults are opened for interments
and by standing ON this box it was easy
, to force the window open. Once inside
: the burglar had his own way. Desks
Y were turned upside down, their drawers
q forced open, and doors broken off, while
. their contents; consisting of books ant
I letters; were scattered over the floor
The burglar examined almost every
I thing, even to the letters from the
English royal family and many of the
t nobility. He secured the contents O
t the contribution boxes, which DIR
: Ogilby says probably contained fifty tC
sixty dollars. He then retraced hi'
. steps, going south of the Hamilton
tomb, and escaped into Rector street
over the fence at the point where he ha(
= entered.
The footprints in the snow north o
: the tomb were regular and of large size
while those south of the tomb were
j irregular and had trail, indicating
n that the burglar had been frightened
i and ran toward the street. Among th
h stuff scattered on the floor the dagge
was found, as was also q very larg
# pocket knife, open and ready for instan
# use. Sexton August, who general.
d sleeps in this room, was absent at tn
it time. Since the robbery of st. Paul
a Church, four years ago, the churc
!. plate has been kept in the bank vault.
h Among the communion plate wer
n several pieces from the Prince of Vale
and Prince Arthur. When these royf
70 youths were in this country they attend
20 20 ed divine worship at this church, an
IL were each presented with elegant golt
~ ~ bound Bibles. In return, they eac
; 7o sent to the church some silver plat,
~ ~ Among the papers, which the burglar
-, scattered over the floor, are letters frol
,c the most distinguished Episcopi
- Bishops and ministers in this countl
10 and in England. They were highl
~ priZed