The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-27
FIVE MASKED MEN.


VISIT OF BURGLARS TO NEW JERSEY STORE
AND HOMECOMING POOR AND GOING AWAY
RICH.
despatch received yesterday at Police Head
quarters. Jersey City, requesting the police to watch
the river front and ferries for five who had early
in the morning, while masked. entered the grocery
and dwelling of John J. Ryan, Herman avenue,
between Bergenwood and Bergen Line avenues. Gut
tenberg and robbed the place OF groceries. liquors
and considerable money. The place is in Union
township. within about hundred yards of
the river front, at point which
the three recently convicted n the
masked robberies at Fairview thought
to have crossed. HERALD reporter visited the
house last evening in company with Constable Dono-
hue. who was at work on the case. The house is
frame one two stories high, and stands almost OPP
poste st. Joseph's Catholic Church. The first floor
is divided by partition, on one side of which is
grocery store and the other liquor saloon. The
top floor Is divided into three apartments the kitchen
running across the entire front and the apart
ments being used sitting room and bedroom
Mrs. Ryan. the wife of the proprietor, said to the
HERALD reporter that when she retired she closed the
door leading from the stairway into the kitchen by
placing chair against it. Shortly after O'Clock
yesterday morning she was awakened by noise at
the door if the chair being pushed away. but.
thinking it was only the cat running about. she
about composing herself to sleep when her two-year
old daughter. sleeping with her brother in crib ut
the foot of the bed began to cry, and mans voice
was heard to say, Don't cry, Lizzie; papa is here.
DIDN'T GET
The woman realized then that there were burglars
in the house. and she shook her husband, who
awoke, but remained in bed. Mrs. Ryan says that
she kept her eyes partly open, and in the room
faces and the other white handkerchief. They did
not approach the bed or attempt to speak to
her or Mr.; Ryan. but searched through the
der the bed containing about sG0 which they
emptied, and them after ransacking the pockets of
Mr.. Ryan's clothing went down stairs. During
their stay in the room Mrs. Ryan says she heard
voices down stairs which led her to believe that two
OF the party had been lett below. When she went
down she says that she discovered that a chest OF
tea. demiiohns of liquor, quantity of gro
ceries and considerable tobacco had been stolen.
The shutter of one of the windows the
south side of the house, looking into the
saloon. had been cut and four Of the blinds removed
entrance in that way but failing, cut the sash in
a cellar window and assembled the cellar stairs and
cut hole around the latch so that it could be re-
moved. The woman says that the intruders left the
place at five o'clock in the morning
Ryan, the proprietor OF the place was found in q
that his wife had said Mrs. Ryan had said that her
husband found paper and bottle in the yard. and
he expressed some surprise when questioned about
these articles, but finally drew from his pocket
small sheet of crumpled and torn white paper, upon
which was written the following
June 81 came Gutenberg as poor church
but Us rich Is a king j. X.
ABOUT BOTTLES?
Az he handed the paper to the reporter he said,
with leer, IF that thing hadn't happened would
have sworn that the writing there mine" He
denied all knowledge of any bottle until the reporter
persisted in his statement that had been found,
and then he said that two bottles had been found in
the yard, but he had thrown both away. When
questioned about the amount Of money stolen he
said it $50 altogether, part of which belonged
to another party. He declined to say who the
other party was. He said that he first heard the
burglars his at two O'Clock and they left ut
four. His manner while he told his story, together
with the statement of his wife that the burglars
NAMED in the house for several hours and further,
that only portion of the money stolen his own,
created the impression among not few, including
the constable that the story will not bear investiga
ton.