The New York herald., 1879-07-13
CHURCH ROBBERS CAPTURED


THEIR coNTENTs-THE GOODS SOLD AT AUc~
TIoN
When the HERALD of yesterday carried the news
round Queens county, Long Island. that two OF the
gang of thieves who had for months been robbing
its churches were lying in safe custody at Flushing
there a vast deal of excitement among the in
habitants of those parts and Messrs Simonson and
Daniel 7. Lyster. trustees of the church at Oyster
Bay. hastened thther at once, and identified their
property before Justice Lawrence. The two pris-
oners David Steiner and William Muller. were
the objects of much curiosity they came
into court Germans by birth-Steiner being
thirty years old, Muller being twenty-threes
well dressed. quiet and in appearance inofensive-
they vigorously protested their in innocence, and
pressed surprise when the Justice sent them back to
prison and remanded the till Wednesday next
Meanwhile the trustees were taken down to the cell
lars of the Town Hall aud hidden to choose their
property from an assortment of goods mscella-
neous that they might have imagined themselves in
an auction room. Near the door organ with
stops and brand keyboard. wherein the local
detectives performing tunes with one finger.
Above the organ spruce church clock was ticking
merrily. while more antquated timepiece. worn and
cobwebbed. followed it with slower movement.
Ornamental blinds. with blue and gold tassels.
cleaned in the sunlight; altar chairs and marble
topped tables, carpets and matngs. lamps and has
socks made up goodly array of ecclesiastical fur
nture and the collection of spades and shovels
showed that the thieves had not been idle in the
churchyards. Two Bibles were lying in trunk
of them in folio, with double columns and gilt
edges. the other small and for hand use. but both
alike in ths-but the names were torn out. The
rest of the recovered booty q medley Of tubs.
kettles, cigar boxes skeleton keys. buckets and
watering potts. with two sentimental chromos smirk-
ing in the rear.
FAILURE ONCE.
The county had long been alarmed about the bur
gares committed in it's churches. First it was tho
Baptist Church in Hunters Point that suffered; then
the Episcopal churches at Bayside and Manhasset
An attempt made upon the Episcopal Church at Ja-
maca foed by the presence of burglar alarm
which set the bell tolins. AT Rockville Centre NOT
only the Free Methodist Church successfully
plundered, but a horse, wagon and harness were
also stolen from farmer of the vicinity
At Manetto Hill, jericho. the congregation
had just let the Methodist Church on Sun
day evening June %. when the thieves, secreted
there during the service, carried away the organ.
pulpit chairs. Bibles. prayer books hymn book!
ana every thing else of value. The bell was found
Inuiled in the morning. and from marks on the
rope it thought that the thieves intended to
move it. Following their usual procedure they
stole conveyance from Herman Campmeyer. y
farmer and the detectives began TO hope that this
would soon lead to their arrest. On Thurs
day night. June 2G. the vicinity of Ncwtown added
two important contributions to the plunder. The
thieves. breaking into the Methodist Episcopal
Church Maspeth, stole black walnut table,
tassels and trimmings from the pulpit and the con.
tents of the mite box They pulled down curtains,
upset furniture and scattered the library books
around. The carpets were spoiled by grease drop
ping from their candles The trustees at Of
fered a reward of $50 for their arrest But. mean
while i. discovered that the St James Church.
of the same place, had been robbed on the same
evening, and next day the sexton. hearing strange
issuing from certain stacks OF nay behind the
church, found two Italians concealed underneath
them They professed to be knife grinders. and to
have left their machines in the Corona woods; but
the sum Of $40 was discovered III their boots.
and they were promptly hurried on to prison. where
they lie to-day. Their arrest only fed the popular
excitement. Private burglaries were of daily occur
lady OF Locust Grove lost her entire ward
robe; a farmer reused at midnight by his dog, ran
his night clothes in time to gang OF men
disappear down the lane. and citizen of Oyster Bay
was robbed of a straw bed. quilts and kitchen uten.
sis, while all his valuables were left untouched.
Everybody decided that strict measures must be
taken to discover the Offenders
FURNISH HOUSE.
Till about week ago David Steiner and William
Muller lived at No. 332 Graham avenue Brooklyn.
L. D.. Both men were known to the police. Steiner
had served term in State Prison for burglary in
Glen Cove. and was released about six months ago;
Muller long out OF Kings County Penitentiary.
Steiner had been only two months free when he de-
termined to get married, and selected as his wife
very young pretty and simple minded German girl.
to whom he represented himself as dealer in Sec
ond hand furniture and auction goods. Suspect
ing that the Brooklyn police were after him, he took
her a farm house in townearly in June. which
he proceeded to furnish with such of his auction
goods he found himself unable to sell.
The newly married bride thought 1t little odd
that on each occasion he brought the furniture in .
different wagon. but its quality was SO excellent that
her admiration was won. and she considered her
husband of highly artistic tastes, particularly
in the ecclesiastical line She took down her COM
monplace blinds and set up the goldtasselled lam
brequins in their stead. She practised every day on
the organ. set the altar CHAINS i'll her parlor and
hung the spruce clock over the nantelpiece. She
sewed together the carpets, nailed down the mat
tings and boasted to her neghbors how cheaply she
had furnished her rooms. She thought that the
house was perhaps little too full OF harness and
horse blankets; but this was detail and as her
thing and disposed of goods at auction in Williams
burg at least twice week. she made up her mind
to find room for the litter they brought home with
them.
Last Thursday night the Reformed Church at
Queens, l.. l.. opened with skeleton keys. and
wire connecting the doors and window with gong
in Dominic Hegeman's s house woke the Dominic, who
ran downstairs and found heavy lumber wagon in
his yard. Next morning John Grant, farmer OF
Flushing. found his horse. harness and road
wagon gone. John Emmett colored boy. who
works for Mr. Grant, mounted horse and
followed the thieves tracks to Newtown.
On the road between Newtown and Columbus
vilc he foundsthe wagon Two men were loading
I il with trunks and a woman was looking on. Officer
Hance was summoned from Flushing, and after an
interchange amenities of the usual rustic charsc-
ter with deputy sheriff, who had taken possession
of the horse. Hance drove over to Winfield Station
telegraphed Officer Smith to procure warrants. and
with him entered ana searched the house. 1t was
strewn with the stolen goods. The youthful Mrs.
Steiner nearly tainted when the officers arrested
her, and they soon found that she was merely .
dupe. Learning, also. that the trunks had
been removed to Williamsburg. they put tho
weeping bride running to that
place. took seat and bade her alight at the fur
where the goods had hitherto been sold.
Steiner came up to meet his wife before the store.
The officers pounced down upon and arrested him.
lie made no resistance but as he felt the
iron his wrists cried out-"The man that did it
il there leaning against the lamppost;" and at
the iamppost Muller Immediately arrested. The
prisoners taken TO Flushing where all day yes
tcrday the Town Hall lined with persons in
quest of stolen goods with church trustees to iden
tify their oilcloths. blacksmiths their hammers.
farmers their harness and liquor dealers their demi
johns of Bourbon whskey.