The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-10-09
A SHARP DODGE.
A New Place to Conceal Stolen
Property.

Q. n. Welshans, insurance agent, and Lord a
McPeake, steamboat agents, located on the
second floor, at the corner of Camp and
Gravier streets, was entered and burglarized
during the night The safe was opened in
the Office of Messrs. Lord q McPeak by the
burglar, or burglars, who forced the lock Of
the inner drawer, and stole therefrom one
gold open-faced watch, pistol, and some
thirty or forty dollars in gold, silver or cur
rency.
George Clark, the porter under the employ
of Messrs. Lord q McPeake, was Immediately
suspected, as the safe had been opened with
the original key, which Mr.. George Lord was
in the habit of putting in an envelope and
placing in pigeon-hole of his desk every
evening for some time previous in the pres
ence of Clark, and Clark was arrested. How
ever, it was noticed that although the safe
was properly closed and the key placed back
in the desk in the same envelope, it had been
put in a different pigeon-hole.
This circumstance instantly led Mr.. Lord
to believe that some one outside of the Office
had hand in the robbery. The clerk in the
employ of the firm on being informed of the
burglary, recollected seeing Alfred Ford, q
Camp and Gravier streets, going up stairs as
he was leaving the office at o'clock on the
evening of the robbery, and Ford was arrested
and charged with being an accessory.
The same morning. Mr.. Lord, in company
with several gentlemen, repaired to the room
formerly occupied by Ford, in the third story
of the building in which the burglary was
committed, and found a knob that had been
broken off the safe, and several keys taken
from Mr.. Welshanss Office, all of which were
concealed in washstand drawer.
The two accused were arraigned before
Judge Evans and remanded to the Parish
Prison.
A few DAYS ago the captain of the Parish
Prison, in accordance with the rule that re-
quires all prisoners to keep their persons clean,
ordered Ford with the rest of the prisoners
to strip and take bath. Ford was very
reluctant and protested, and the captain OF
the yard, with the intention of seeing that his
orders we're carried out, ordered and COM
PEELED Ford to disrobe in his presence.
When Ford had got down to his last under
garment, the reason Of his reluctance was
made manifest; for around his waist was piece
of tape, pendant from which was a string, to
which was attached gold watch. The cap
tain took possession of the watch, and handed
it over to Sheriff Pagan, who sent for Mr..
Lord, by whom the watch was identified as
his property. Ford stated to Sheriff Pagan
that Clark had given him the watch, and
that he knew nothing of the burglary.
The accused were arraigned for the trial
before Judge Evans yesterday. colored
man that Was in the Parish Prison with Ford,
testified that he was present when the watch
was found, and that Ford in a conversation
with him acknowledged having committed
the burglary. He (Ford) said that on the
evening of the occurrence, he went up stairs
about 7 o'clock, and remained there quiet I'M
| til Mr.. Lord left the Office at o'clock, and
that he saw him lock the door and put the
key under the mat in front of the door.
| He remained upstairs for about half an
hour, when he came down and unlocked the
door. He then went to the desk, and in
acknowledgement found the key of the safe
| in an envelope. He then opened the safe
and finding the under drawer locked, picked
up an old bayonet and punched the lock in,
and in it doing broke the knobs off the drawer,
He confessed also to having entered another
Office in the same building by climbing over
the transom, but found nothing.
Other testimony was offered, which exoner.
at ed Clark and clearly showed the guilt o.
Ford, consequently Judge Evans discharged
Clark and remanded Ford to the Parish
Prison, to appear before the Superior
Criminal Court.