The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-05-19
A BATTLE WITH BURGLARS.
They Fire Six Shots and Are Beaten
R.nRt.

l
ut Last.
Never in the history OF Cincinnati have
the burglars taken so complete posses
sion Of the city as at the present time.
Not night passes but what dozens OF
houses are burglarizod and valuables
made way with, and the impudence and
boldness OF the marauders Is positively
alarming. The case which we chronicle
to-day has hardly a parallel in thieying
boldness and murderous intent on the
part of men who have always been
represented to be ready and willing to
lrun at the least alarm. In this case IL
would seem that the determination was
to kill II balkeo in their nefarious plans.
At an early hour this morning, prob
ably few minutes past O'Clock, the
residence of Mr.. w. 5. Widdiield, at
mo. 1913 Richmond street, was attacked
by mob OF four burglars. Mr.. Widdi-
field is one of the firm Of Clark, Hoyey u
Co., hardware dealers at No. 53 West
Pearl street. The house where the az
tack was made is a tbree-story brick,
istanding perhaps seven feet from the
pavement, With stone steps leading to
the front door.
The second-story front room Mr.. and
Mrs. Widditieid occupy as sleeping
room. in which there are TWO windows
overlooking Richmond street. The third
window (west) is in the room of their
little girl, where she lay. At the time
mentioned, just as day dawned, Mrs.
Widdiheld awakened, and happened TO
: turn her eyes towards the middle WIN
ldoW. She WAS horrihed to see a mans
/, form on the window-sill, with one leg
already in the room. The husband lay
asleep.
The lady screamed, "Oh, there's a
, manw and Immediately jumped from
ner bed to the floor and dashed to the
window. The burglar Withdrew from
the sill and his head disappeared below.
She returned to her husbands side, who
, by this time had been aroused. AS she
! turned from the window, with her eyes
.. still riveted on the sill, the head again
= appeared. Toe owner OF the head Ut
tered a coarse and brutal oath addressed
,, to the lady, and made an attempt to get
In again.
: AT this Mr.. Widdifeld, who was now
thoroughly aroused, fastened to the
east window and looking out he saw a
man standing at the side entrance gate
as il on watch; the others being on the
front steps. A voice from that locality
said apparently to the sentinel 'shoot
" the of -" AT this moment the
report Of pistol rang out on the air,
= the bullet striking few inches below
d the sill of the middle window at which
. Mrs. Widditield was standing. Another
V and another report was heard from the
Q party ON the sidewalk before Mr.. Wlddi-
field used his pistol, which he had taken
from beneath his pillow as he arose from
his bed.
At this he fired at the burglar at the
] side gate, who was seen to drop. Three
more bullets were sent after them as the
companions of the wounded man rushed
Ito his side, but none OF them took effect.
The battle was ended, during which the
burglars fired six shots and Mr.. Widdi-
| field four. Three marks oftbe shots are
visible from the street, two in the house
> attacked just below the middle and east
windows, and one ON line with the
others iu the house west OF Widditelps.
On the steps are traces OF some sub
stance supposed to be chloroform, aud
lgrease spots from sperm candle, also
| dirty finger marks on either side Of the
massive door, made while the burglars
were practicing their gymnastics,
lclimbing on each others shoulders to
ireach the window sill, mode OF enter-
ing houses, which at the present time
seems TO be very. popular with thieves.
During all this fusilade, which arous. d
the whole square, no policeman cane.
and the wounded man, supported g.
d tween his pals, left the scene, going Ell ,
~ midway between Freeman and BayL i.
ler, where they crossed to the other side,
: kept on to Baymiller, north on Baymilier
J. to the alley running east and west be.
o tween Richmond and Court. Half way
; 10 Linn street they came to the rear en-
trance of Mr. }. II. Stewards residence,
I No. 469 Court street. through whose
\ premises they passed, leaving The stain
. | OF blood on the brick pavement; going
out Mr.. Stewards front gate, they crossed
i the street diagonally to the house of Mr.
! Moore, No. AGA Court street.
ri Getting to the rear of Moore's yard,
their retreat further north on direct
line was stopped by brick wall. Turn
ladder they scaled the fence leading
from Moore's to the back yard of Mr.. S.
i W. Jennings, No. 49, where the wounded
man was abandoned by his companions, s,
/, who, being frightened at the commotion
In Jennings house, departed over the
back fence and made their escape
through the yard Of the intermediate
School.
Mr.. Fry and Mr.. Rucker, boarders at
Jennings', occupied back room, up
!. stairs, beneath the windows Of which
they say tho wounded thief was lying
on the pavement Of the yard. They
asked him, from their positions in the
window, what the row was, and he re-
J piled, ",m shot, and those men have
gone for doctor" Mr.. Jennings made
the fellows position as comfortable as
possible by placing pillow beneath his
head, and he lay there until Officer
. reubig arrived and had him conveyed
to the Hospital In an express wagon.
He gives his name as Morris Ward,
, aged nineteen, and q native OF New Or
tIaona Ho aava ha haa hpau in thfa aitw
: but two days. He was wounded in the
} groin, the ball passing through the
: scrotum into his LEFT thigh, from which
III was extracted this morning. It lay
! close to the under surface. 1t 10 not
necessarily dangerous, and the doctor
J says be will recover. He Is a slightly
! built man, dark hair and blue eyes,
and rather prepossessing in appearance.
He refuses TO talk mucn.