The New York herald., 1879-07-10
DESPERATE CRACKSMEN.

MR. BRYANT's THRILLING ADVENTURE WITH
TWO BURGLARS IN HIS RESIDENCE AT HAIR
LEM--wHAr MIGHT HAVE BEEN REPETI-
TIoN OF THE HULL Casa STRUGGLE FOR
LIFE.
The attack upon Mr.. George W. Bryant in his own
house on Tuesday morning is one Of those cases
which, with little difference in the minor circum-
stances. might have terminated in much the same
manner did the tres; of Chastino. Cox in the
residence of Mrs. Jane De Forrest Hull. HERALD
reporter yesterday Mr.. Bryant at his office. No.
204l Third avenue. and accompanied him to his resi-
dence. No. 1l3 East 1l1th street. First visit was
made to the cellar. where the police had found
number of boards or planks stained with
the blood of the wounded fugitive The
house stands upon the north side Of the
street, and in the northwestern corner is
water closet the level of the yard,
which is lower than that of the basement floor and
yet higher than that of the cellar. There is only
door to this closet. and it opens into the yard dag
onally from Mr. Bryant's house and toward the
northwest lies vacant plot of ground which is
separated from his yard by only other. that
belonging to q heighbor. The fence which
bounds the of this plot bounds the of the
house yards on 111th or 112th street. The burglars
got upon the fence which is totally unguarded at
the top and crawled walked along it for
upon Mr.. Bryant's grass plot. They then entered
the water closet. The wall which separates the
lower part of this apartment from the cellar is COM
posed of joists lath and plaster. One OF the bur-
glars had jimmy, and with this he quietly dug
away the plaster. while the other watched for pos
sible Interruptions After the plaster had been re-
moved from sufficient area the laths were cut,
leaving rectangular hole barely big enough to ad-
dcpredators spped through the wall into the cellar
They mounted to the basement entered the dining
aud laid hands upon the silverware which they
found upon the buffet. piling 1t on the table and
turning UP the table cover that it could have
been used means OF carrying 1t away.
They then went up to the first floor and pred open
the door the front parlor and tho hail. after
first trying the opening from the back parlor.
Nothing disturbed in either of these rooms ex.
cepting the cover OF the piano, which they rolled
back. They next climbed the stairs which led to
the second story Fortunately for Mr.. Bryant the
hall carpets had been taken up so that the least
noise made upon the floor audible. The bur-
glars pried open the door opening from front bed
room upon the second hall. and not succeeding IN
forcing the sliding between that the bed
room which Mr.. Bryant slept they had returned to
the hail. All the rooms through which they had passed
had been locked by Mr. Bryant before going to bed.
About four O'Clock in the morning he awoke, and
leaning his elbow in bed, listening tor some
undefnable noise which he thought he had heard
when his eyes rested upon the door opening into
the hall. 1t was slowly. very slowly opening. HIS
first thought was that he Lad not locked it before
retiring, and that the wind, blowing through the
adjoining bathroom was the cause of the move
ment.
A DESPERATE STRUGGLE
An instant's reflection, however, impelled him to
spring from his bed, and just he laid his hand on
the knob OF the door 1t swung open and he was
confronted by a couple burglars, one of whom
standing behind the other in the hall. The
former, he Mr.. Bryant, sat
on ss sd as to sne
ing TO leave when Mr.. Bryant seized him by the
collar and pushed him back against the hall wall.
Then. for the first time. he discovered that tho bur-
glar armed with piece of iron ale struck ut
me fercely." said Mr. Bryant. "and only escaped
deadly blow by seizins his wrist with my right
hand. The end of the iron hit me on the side of
the head, grazing my cheek and nose. Then he
changed it to his left hand and struck at again.
caught hold of the iron this time and the sharp
end OF it dug into my hand. My attention was all
this time divided between him aud the man who had
made his escape and whose return feared. thinking
that he would come to the assistance of his COM
panion. My antagonist moved back two steps down
the stairway. dragging me after him. then had to
let HIM go or he would have taken me with him head
first, or perhaps he would have thrown me over his
head. stepped back into my room, picked up my
pistol and returned to the hall as qui ky as
possible. Looking down the side of the stairs
hand arm resting on the basement banisters
and fired. The burglar uttered concentrated oh!
and rushed down to the back parlor windows.
pecting that he would try to escape through the
yard Sure enough. there he stood. in the angle
made by the stoop and the wall. the water
closet door. by this time tho neighbors were ut
their windows. attracted by the noise. The man
groaning Justify and CALCULATED several times oh!
am shot! I'm shot! could very easily have
killed him then, but the ladies next door entreated
me not to shoot again. Yielding to them, turned
MY ueau W duuress rePiy W VhAsS 1oyiors WHcu
the fellow. seizing the opportunity sprang
through the half open water closet door
Every body then thought he secure
and Mr.. Brown and Mr. Fountain, two
neighbors. went into the yard. requested them to
open the door of the water closet. They hesitated.
aud Mrs Brown forbade her husband doing so on
penalty of fainting away If he did. When had got
down stairs and opened the door the bird had fown
then saw for the first time that there was u hole
in the wall. Both of the burglars had gone back
through the cellar and out the basement door. 1t
was too late to overtake either of them and when
reached the front of the house OF the neighbors
shouting, There they goL There they go!
One OF them ran toward Lexington avenue and the
other toward Third"
The police have found a piece of paper In which
the jimmy had been wrapped and upon which the
name 81. Il. Funk and the number "141'' are
written. Mr.. j. II. Funk is dry goods merchant
doing business on Broadway. Pairolnan Bernard
c. Thompson. of the Twelfth precinct. who has been
given special charge Of the by Captai has
learned of q notorious character living in Harlem
who is laid up with a wound in the arm and he
poets that this is the burglar who shot by Mr..
bryant. The only property missing is two silver