The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-07-05
SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1879.
LOCAL AFFAIRS.

burglary ut fissksbnrg-The BurnInr t,o,
Drunk Ia the store. went 90 sleep and
On Friday night Of last week, the s,or,
house Of Henry 5. Fitch, at Finksburp Sta.
uon, TINS county, WIS entered and n lot OF
goods stolen. On going TO the store next
morning about O'clock Mr.. Fitch discoveries
a man lying on the floor asleep. He tied Id
hands aud feet together, put a bag over III
head and kept him in n warehouse until The
way train came, when he brought bis prisoner
TO TINS city: The prisoner gave his name as
John w. Wesley. Mr.. Fitch made oath bn
tore justice q. W. Crapster, charging Wesley
with the burglary, and Wesley was committed
to jail. Before he went to Jail he confessed
to having committed the deed charged against
him.
The same afternoon he was visited in iaiI
and related the following concerning his ex.
ploits OF the night before He said that he
len Chicago on Monday previous, and went
TO Fort Wayne, Ind. There he met Jersey
ma, boy about fourteen years old; Joe Nc.
SnD1ins, a tall freshman, with blue shirt,
black pants and low cut shoes; Jack, or "Bal.
timore Bill, the Blacksmith, - who sometimes
has woman with him; Jack, with smooth
lace, black hair, . feet Sinches high; and Jim.
or Jersey, the Crook, feet inches high
smooth face, black hair. Withthese he went
TO Pittsburg on Wednesday. On Thursday
morning they got on freight train and went
to Lewistown, where they were made get OF
the train. They walked then TO Miflin, Pa.
and got on stock car aud went to Harris.
burg, thence to Bolton Depot, Baltimore, ar.
irving, at the latter place between and o
o'clock Friday morning. After getting some
water at the Round House, they went 10
Boundary avenue, up Pennsylvania avenue
on out IN the country, through Pikesyille,
Owings Mills to Fnksburg Station, on The
Western Maryland Railroad, arriving about 4
o'clock IN the afternoon. They stayed in the
neighborhood, and about 1 1 o. clock nj NIGHT
Wesley went over to the store Of Mr.. Fitch,
the other live remaining at bridge near by.
Wesley tried TO cut open with razor a shut.
ter ON the south side, first story. and after
failing in this, he conceived the idea OF effect.
ing an entrance through second story win.
dow. lie got some beaches and tobacco
box and put them against the store to stand
on. Then getting one OF the boards from the
railroad platform he priced an iron bar III,
and got in the window. He went down
through trap door TO the second floor aud
got at the liqlar. After taking a drink of
whiskey and one Of wine, he filled five or six
quart and pint bottles with whiskey and wine
Going up stairs he let them out the window,
by means Of strings, down to his companions,
who had come to the store by this tune. Go
ing down stairs again he took more whiskey
and then treated his pals TO part ofhis spoils,
giving each OF them one or two red handker.
chiefs, and to four Of them a straw hat each.
and TO Jersey, the Crook a low.crown
SLOUGH hat. lie took more whiskey and then
looked around for money. breaking omen n
desk he got pocket book with two SIS and
one ~ bulls II, This was found in one of
his poeketsnext morning. Then he took two
handkerehiels, lot OF cheese, bacon, ginger
cakes and crackers aud tied them up, pre-.
paraiory TO leaving. by this time he became
very drunk, and he didn't know what hap
pened' The next morning a hole was burned
in the floor where he Law. his hat and coat
was burned and his right arm at the elbow
was also severely burned He said he used a
coal oil lamp TO light himself about the store,
and the probabilities are that he must have
fallen down with the lamp aud gone to sleep.
Inc store narrowly escaped burning down,
and had that happened, Wesley would have
undoubtedly burned up with il. His com.
panions did not enter the store, and did not
mate any endeayor, that Wesley knows of, TO
get him out. They are equally guilty, how.
ever, Tor they accepted the spoils
Wesley says he is plumber by trade. In
the Spring OF 1876 he worked for Mr.. Fitch,
tending TO cows for him. He says he intend.
ed going home last Saturday, had he not got
caught, aud claims that he is not genuine
tramp. lie was out of work, and becoming
desperate he struck out on regular tramp,
but got tired Of il and concluded 10 quit. His
companions, he said, on their way 10 Balti.
more showed him several places they had
''gone through" One Of them was Ut Union.
town, on the Pennsylvania Central Railroad
They had robbed clothing ard other stores,
they told him, aud sold the goods they did
not need through the country. Wesley also
stated that he thinks his companions design.
ed going To Blue Ridge Summit to strike a
couple Of stores in that neighborhood