The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-09
SHOOTING THE WRON0 PERSON
chief OF Police Dodd. while In Pursuit Of Bur.
glars. nrIngs Down "a hoy.

As ono of its Inhabitants remarked ycstcr-
day afternoon, Planncld. n. j.. is becoming a
notorious town. Its latest sensation il the bur-
gary OF several hundred dollars worth OF
goods from the house Of Mr.. r. Z. Dumont, ut
the corner Of Sixth street and Crescent avenue.
and the shooting Of an innocent person by the
Chief OF Police. who mistook his victim for one
Of the burglars. On Sunday evening Mr.. Du-
mont and his family. consisting only OF his wife
and her sister, went to church. leaving their
house. which is isolated from its neighbors, un-
occupied. As the doors and windows wero
carefully locked and fastened. and as there had
been no burglurious attempts in Plainird for
several months. they felt no unoasincss at leav-
ing the house unprotected
They went to church at half past seven
o'clock; on their return. ut nine o'clock. they
found tho house in sad state OF confusion.
Tho kitchen door and window we're both open.
closets bureaus. and wardrobcs had been ram
sacked. and their contents either removed or
left living on the floors. 1t was evident that the
house had been entered by burglars. who had
made clean sweep OF everything valuable and
easiy carried away
MIR. Dumont at once informed Chief Of Police
Dodd of his loss. and telegraphcd to the police
OF Elizabeth and other cities on the limo of the
Central Railroad Of New Jersey to look out for
the thieves and the stolen property. Chief Dodd
with one officer. stat oned himself near the rail-
road station to watch for suspicious characters
who might take passage for New York on tho
milk train th,-,- passes Plainneld at 10 o'clock
The train came along. stopped. and was Just
starting again AZ Chief Dodd saw two young
men. who had been lurking in the shadow Of
the cars. jump aboard. He sprang on to the car
after them. and was about to inquire who they
were and what their business was. they
lcapcd from the opposite side Of the car and
ran. The Chief also Jumped from the train and
They paid no attention to his orders to halt,
and, finding that they were gaining on him. he
called out that IL they did not stop he would
shoot; A they still paid no attention TO his or
ders. he fired wild shot thinking 10 brighten
them to surrender. They only ran the faster.
and the Chief fired again, this time bringing
down one Of the fugitves. The other escaped.
and has not since been seen. The wounded
man was taken to the Jail and laid upon a bed
surgeon. and the pistol ball was extracted from
his right thigh, where II was deeply imbedded
in the flesh He was a boy about le years Of
His story was that he lived in Elizabeth where
he worked in the Singer sewing machine
factory; On Saturday morning he had been in
himself. to 20 of on lark. They had stolen
rides ON coal and freight trains as far as High
and were on their return to Elizabeth. where
| they expected To 20 to work on Monday morn
| ing They were stealing "A ride on the milk
train. and got Of at each station and hid In the
| shadows TO escape the obsnrvaton OF the con.
ductor and brakemen. When ChIef Dod,i
| they thought he was the conductor who would
| have them arrested As they ran they heard
| him threaten to shoot. but had no idea that he
| would do so. They had been reading much OF
| the pcrnicious literature OF the day. and. had
| their first trip been "A success. intended max ing
others that should be moro extended.
Chief Dodd went to Elizabeth yesterday morn
| ins. and there the boys story was confirmed
| The boys brother and sister. on learning Of his
Whereabouts and condition, went 10 Plaintcd
| and took him home with them. His wound is
| not dangerous. Meantime nothing has been
| seen or heard Of the burglars or Of the prop.
| erty taken from Mr.. Dumonts house.