Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-10-19
Bad Burglars.

Some persons not having the fear
of God, man, or the law before their
eyes, on Saturday night and early
on Sunday morning made a number
of unsuccessful attempts at burglary
in this city.
The first place visited by the
thieves was the carpenter shop OF
Penberthy & Tucker, where they
provided themselves with the nee
essary tools for breaking into win
dows, opening doors, etc. They
then took a ladder from canyons
foundry and started out in bust
ness.
They next called on I. Booth, at
his saloon on Commerce street, and
found their way into the saloon by
first breaking into the cellar below
and then forcing open a trap door
in the floor. The proprietor was in
bed, and says that he thought he
heard some one in the saloon, but as
the noise stopped he did not get up
to see if any one was there. On
going into the saloon in the morn
ing he found the money drawer
broken open. A pocket book which
had been left in the drawer was
lying open on the counter, a couple
of parts of boxes of cigars were
gone, and some of his liquors had
been sampled by the midnight
marauders before making their
exit. Lucky for Mr.. B. he had left
no money in the saloon, and all the
burglars carried off was some
cigars.
The burglars next gave their at
tention to Jeuck Il Mullen's store,
which they tried to enter from the
back cellar window, out of which
a pane of glass was broken. They
cut the sash with saw and took
out another pane of glass, making
the opening large enough for a per-
son to enter. They got into the
cellar but failed in their efforts to
force their way into the store. In
the cellar they found a case of Cali
tornla wine and some bottled beer.
Mr.. Jeuck says the wine must have
been too hard for them and that the
beer did not suit their taste, as they
left both untouched. 1t was evil
IDENTIFY hard cash that they were
after, and failing to get into the
store they took their departure, de-
termlned to try their luck else
where. 1t was fortunate that they
did not succeed in getting into the
store, as Mr.. Jeuck says that there
was about twenty dollars in change
in the drawer.
The burglars next put up at the
back door of Martins butcher shop.
They pulled the staple out of the
back door and got into the back
room, but failed to get into the
front room where they supposed the
money was kept.
The old safe in the store of Joseph
Prideaux was again blown open on
last Sunday morning, about four
O'Clock. The burglars made their
entrance by way of back window
which was covered with a fly screen
of wire cloth, into which they
climbed by means of ladder. A
charge of powder was inserted in thr
holes previously made in the dooe
of the safe, and shot off. The
strangest feature about is is that the
safe was unlocked, but the door was
closed tightly, and it required quite
a pull to open it. Mr.. Prideaux
says that he wishes the burglars
to distinctly understand that he
never places money or other val
tables of any kind in the safe, and
never locks it, so that when they
want to open it they can do so with
out the aid of powder, and thus
save themselves considerable labor
and him the danger of being burned
out.
Two unknown persons gave ]. ].
Hanscom an informal call at the
Hanscom residence at about half
past seven o'clock on Sunday night.
The family were at church with
the exception of Jot, who was not
very well that evening. He was
sitting in the parlor when his medi-
tahons were disturbed by two per-
sons trying to make their way into
the house through a window, sup
posing that the door was locked
and the family absent. Jot went to
the front door and opened it. When
the terrified would-be burglars saw
him they male their exit from the