The New York herald., 1878-11-03
CLEVER CRACKSMEN.
The Residence of Physician Ran
sacked by Burglars.
CONNOISSEURS IN SILVER
Traces Of the Marauders' Presence in
Every Part of the House.

That gang OF expert burglars ere operating in
Fifth avenue and Its vicinity has been demonstrated
lately by a series of bold robbsries in which tho
sracksmen have displayed cooness and sel-posses-
lion that mark them as adopts in lheir art Early
yesterday morning, or iatc on Friday night another
'obhsry was committed, which, tor holiness OF con-
sep.ion and coolnoss OF execution rivals any act Of
the kind that he's been perperated Tor long time.
Thcr visit 10 the premises first brought TO
attention by the cook OF DR.. Il. =. Fowler, OF
No. 38 West Fortieth street. whose residence suffered
by the intrusion. On coming down stairs yesterday
morning she found the furniture on the basement
floor disarranged, the doors open ana other con-
elusive evidences that the place had been thoroughly
ransacked Tho dining room ana the parlor are on
the lower floor, In the iatcr costly but
cumbrous bronzss and other articles OF virtu They
were lett undisturbed; not thing was out OF order.
II In the dining room that the intruders had
ercised their arts few battered pieces OF table
garniture there. They been twisted and ham
mcred to test their material and being found spurious
lett behind All real silver table service tho
valuable plate the ornamental vessels had been
ried of. Drawers were ransackcd, tables were up-
turned and Uttered about handles and other
fragments OF silver, which had beon wrcnched of us
though they had intorierod with the packing OF the
booty. Close to tho reception room is wardrobe,
which is a curiosity its way. large mirror faces
the ncomer aud seems to covor up solid surface OF
cemont and woodwork; but behind 1t is a cavlty-a
harrow cosst-which Dr. Fowler used as a receptacle
for his door In it had been hung several
valuable overcoats. but yesterday morning when il
opened they had all disappeared
WHAT WAS FOUND IN THE CELLAR.
An Alarm at once sounded and Patr rolman John
son appeared. The rooms were searched and the
yards about the house explored but the burglars had
long since got away. 1t after this that
OF tho domestics had occasion 10 60 to the celarj
Thore surprise was In store. The intruders
had evidently repaired thors alter having ransacked
The UPPER floors whether for dclberation or divi-
Ton OF the booty 1t Is hard 10 say. rwo enigma
lical traces they lett behind them. One was
from drawer IN tho dining room and which
was covered with the m arks Of bloody 1pgers What
there they were on the whto dalnusk as fresh as
though they had just been placed upon It, Tho other
blue stocking-a woman's stocking, worn out at tho
heels ana otherwise indicating long service What IL
used Tor, why II was left ice box beside the
bloody table cotn. no one but the nocturnal visitors
can explain.
POLICE INVESTIGATIONS.
reached the Central ONCE and Captain Williams in
10 iuves.igats. Il. Two OF his officers visited tne
house and made survey OF the premises.
The entire block Is surrounded by imposing resi-
dences, through which no access to tho could be
had us In the case OF the Lcecn robbery The burglars
on post and en,rcd from the 'front.' This was esab-
lshed when the domcstics were questioned. The
Careless
ness the burglar alarm attachment had been neglected
and was lett uufastened. On the projecting ledge OF
s.ono when forms the sill cot Of drs showed wnere
the intruders ieet had been placed, and
other daubs on the oalustraoe Of the
level TSr awhile ho naa aoors Msra
puzzled by stand IN front OF the window on which
some brittle ornamsn's were placed 9na which was
front Of tho shutters which had bcen closed, but
no. fastened ana a, nls was xona 10us.
place II. practical experiment, however.
showed that an entrance could be effected
without any dsarranPement and the theory tnat tho
burglars effected an entrance in that way is thus
made more tonaoe. Inside the house traces OF ther
prssen &c were everywhere visible. The open ward
robe, with Its ungarnished hooks; the bare walnut
shelves where The gi',srnE plate nad once stood
tested with the hammer-alI bore evidences OF the
intruders' hands.
THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE.
Down stairs In the basement the furniture had been
displaced and three bottles OF VINE were missing
from their receptacle, clearly Indicating that the
marauders, while making irec win the silver OF the
house. had had a merry making among themselves.
the cellar had seemingly been Their last place OF re-
sort There a candle found there which they
had lott behind. and 1t Is problem whether or not
the bloody STAINS upon the cloth discovered there in
oicate that the stolen wine draughts mad serious
effects. What TOOK them at all to Tue under ground
resort also seems doubtful The spider webs and
dingy morsels cinging 10 the vault holes show that
The not been disturbed Tor either ingress
egress ana tho openings In the rear are protected
But it was IN the uppor floors that the brazen, al.
most ioo-hsrdy bolduess OF the burglars had chody
manifested itself Not content with ransacking par
ors aS,iug room and kitcheh. they mad assembled TO
lhc nursery anu library anu even 10 the bed OF
Or. Fowler himself, on whose door the marks OF
hcir tools were found as we'll as on the entrances
the other apartments Evidently some noise had
alarmed them and caused them . descend below.
The burglars mode OF exit was disclosed by the
marks upon The basement door. 1t is probable that
believing Il TO DO fastened by some pecu lar lock- they
attempted TO cut out groove IN the doorpost to
force the bolt through aud aitsrward discovering
how easily tney could open IT, gave up their original
design Al all events there are traces the wood
work Of the use OF sharp instrument.
BURGLARs9
No clew to the burglars other than that supplied by
the Glue stocking has been dscovcred but QUO Of the
domcstics tells a story that may have some bearing
on u. Last sunday stout squat man, with sandy
beard, presented himself at the ioor, while DR..
inquiring for him, got into tho room and turned
an observant It's contents and on tne location OF
the dIning room. lilo was also socitous about the
time Dr. Fowler was usually away from home and,
having satisfied himself ON tnat point, hastily re-
tired. He ana a man OF tramp-ike appearance. who
has Infested the borhood OF late, will be sought
for by the police, and may reveal something OF I'M