Morning journal and courier., 1881-11-02
'sournal alio Caurier.
Wednesday Morning, NOv.. 2. 1881.
Masked Burglars.

Masked Burglars.
 Bold Business fn Era nfort1-A Team Sto1-
 en-A Store Robbed-One Of the Pro-
 Prfetors Bound-Ab0ut $500 Taken
 The Team Found in this City.
 The store in Branford kept by John Hutch inson and B. Hill was entered yesterday morning early by three burglars, who seized MT Hill, bound him and secured from him the combination and key to the safe and took from it about $500. MT. Hill, who is a bachelor, slept in the store nights, having room in the rear of the building upon the first floor. MT. Hutchinson, the senior member of the firm, was at his home quar- ter of mile distant. MT. Hill says he was awakened from a sound sleep at Tor 2 o'clock a. nl., and found as soon as he could realize the situation that man had hold of his throat. He struggled with the man and was getting the best of him when the intrud- his aid. Mir. Hill says: ''They told me if l didn't keep my mouth shut they'd mash my head or blow my brains out. With that they choked me and shut my wind nearly of. I had considerable of tussle with them. A pillow was put over my face to prevent me from shouting. I finally told them I'd give up."
 ''We ain't going to hurt you," they said.
 'tThe pillow was taken away and cloth instead put over my eyes and tied firmly. They wanted the key of the safe and made me tell them that it was in my pants pocket, and finally tied my hands behind me. One of them then got the safe key and went to the safe. He found the safe had a combina- ton lock and then they dragged me from the bed, saying they knew nothing about the combination and that I must open it for them. I did so and the contents of the safe were overhau1ed by them"
 After that they took him back to the bed and tore up a woolen blanket and tied his feet fast to the lower part, and tied his hands together, and then fastened them to some thing else. They then left, and MT. Hill heard them driving of in wagon, which was the last he heard or saw of them. MT. Hill struggled with the ropes half an hour and got his hands free, and then his feet, and hastened to Deputy Sheriff Lindsley's house and woke him up and told him the case, and the two, together with the proprietor of the Totoket House, returned to the store. MT. Hutchinson was notified and repaired to the store also. A ladder was found leaning against the rear of the building and a win dow open near it, where the burglars entered. Foot prints of No. ' shoe were found at the foot of the ladder. On the front steps of the store were found one pair of black smiths tongs, two or three blacksmiths s punches and three blacksmiths chisels. In the morning when H. w. Hubbard went to his blacksmith shop he found articles miss ing from his shop, and hearing of the bur glary he came up to the store and identified the tools as his property. Postmaster Philo Hall, of Branford, in going to his barn in the morning found that his horse had been sto- len. J s. Moore's blacksmith shop was also entered and robbed of some tools.
 MT. Hutchinson estimates the loss to the firm at about $500. There was check amounting to $33, drawn by F. l.. Sheldon, of Railway, N. J., payable to G. l.. Sheldon, of Branford, by the Railway bank, N. J., and is endorsed by G. l.. Sheldon. The rest of the money stolen was in bills and silver. The $500 is exclusive of what was left with the firm for safe keeping. For many years the firm have been the custodians of funds for Branford people. Some of the money taken by the burglars belonged to these par l ties. It amounted to about $75. The Congre gational society of Branford loses $59. 19 which one week ago they deposited with Hutchinson & Hill, and which was part of g fund collected by Mir. Hill, a missionary. to go toward building church in Utah. Nearly all the balance of the seventy five dollars be | longed to J. P. Douglass, the collector o1 l bdAC6 III ME- 11uLCAlubOA Ou L44S | day before deposited round sum in the | Yale National bank in this city While the | burglars were at the safe one saw a private drawer and demanded the key. Mir. Hill
 told them his partner had it. This satisfied
 them. He says the burglars manifested nc | intention to hurt or injure him. They tool 1 nothing from the stock but pair of buck 1 skin gloves, which were found in this city by Officer Kennedy in the ditch near the corner of Meadow street and Union avenue. They were wet, and traces on them showed plain | ly where 8 pair of reins had beer held, News of the affair was telegraphed early to this city. To Chief Webster word
 was sent to police headquarters that horse
 and wagon had been found at Tomlinson't
 bridge. A dispatch was sent by Philo Hal notifying that his team had been stolen. The
 team found in this city proved to be the \ postmaster's team. The seat of the buggy l was partly broken and the horse had two | blankets on him. A coat was found not fal off. The indications pointed to an attempt
 to throw it overheard. MT. Hill identified ii | as belonging to him. In one of the pockets
 a mask, such as worn by the burglars answer l ing to MT. Hills description, was found. II | was of striped stockinet and had holes cut ir | it for the eyes and nose Parties early or l the Branford road noticed team with three
 men in it coming to this city. MT. Hutchin, l son went to New York, acting under Chie1 Webster's advice, to lay the facts before the New York police.