St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-03
The Residence of W. R. Merriam En-.
tered Early This Morning by
Bold Burglar,
Who Ransacked the Entire House, Gov
ering the Occupants With
Six-Shooter.
MIS- Hancock Seized by the Wrists,
with Terrible Threats of In
slant Death.
AFTER taking the Owners Diamonds
the Burglar Walks from the
Front Door.
a Barring burglary.

-
The daring burglary committed at the res
ldenee of Mr.. Cakes on Saturday night was
but the preface to another and more das-
tardly piece of work performed at the resi-
dence of Mr.. w. r. Merriam,
80 University avenue, about
O'Clock this morning. The first
intimatiOn of anything unusual occurring
was brought to the police station at 1:3O
o'clock, when buggy drove hurriedly up
with two colored occupants. In minute
one OF them eXcitedly related that Mr.. W.
r. Merriam's residence had been
burglarized, and that the gen
tleman was covered with a revolver
While he picked up what valuable articles
there were to be found around the house.
AS quickly as the news could be spread
everything was astir.
THE OLD BELL
ON the city hall called in the sergeant on the
beat, while another man was sent to arouse
Detective O'COnnOr, and the patrol wagon
was hastily sent Tor Acting-chief of Police
BreSett. AS each official responded to the
call he received the cue, ''W. r. Merriam's
residence" and started at once for that
place. OF course there was no sign of the
burglar, and everything was excitement
about the house. As accurate a description
OF the man as could be given by Mr.. Mer-
riam was secured, and the officers at once
started out in every direction to notify the
different patrolmen. Everyone was put on
the alert but at o'clock none had been sufi-
GENTLY fortunate as to obtain a glimpse Of
their man.
MR.. MERRIAM
was awakened a little after 1 o'clock by
noise in one of the chambers of the second
story of the house, where Mrs. Hancock, his
mother-in-law, slept. She was not well,
and as soon as Mr.. Merriam was fully
awakened, which must have been some
minutes from the time when the noise oc-
CURED that broke his sleep, he got out of
bed, thinking the lady might be in want of
something. He lighted the gas and had
no sooner done so than he saw before him
a masked burglar, covering him with a re-
volver. The burglar coolly informed him
that he would be shot on making the slight
est movement. There was nothing to
do but submit, and while the
villain kept the barrel of the
shooter leveled at him. Mr.. Merriam.
SAW HIM TAKING HIS GOLD WATCH,
a valuable one, and what money he had in
his clothes, which lay on chair. The dar-
ing burglar then removed from his
shirt the diamond studs and a
diamond collar-buttOn. Mr.. Merriam could
do nothing and the villain was as cool and
as if in his own parlor The
burglar made short search about the room
and finding nothing else of value,
cOOlly walked out of the
front door, covering Mr.. Merriam, however.
until he was well out on the porch.
As soon as Mr.. Merriam could recover
himself and realize fully what had. been
done he began an investigation. Mrs.
Hancock was found above near
" Frustrated and hardly able
w IStAh' 1liC NlAlttlA llltlOtC StllCIdl
of the house, and had aroused
the lady. She had made an outcry when
HER WRISTS WE'RE SEIZED
md he threatened to shoot unless she kept
Iuiet. She tried to free herself and the bold
man fire one chamber of his revolver, for
.unately without injury to anyone. This
was the noise, Mr.. Merriam thinks, that
aroused him, and the man must have ex-
Dected it and gone at once to the
floor below. The lady was so
much frightened that a physician
was sent for.
The only description Mr.. Merriam could
give was that he was man of medium size,
perhaps $50 pounds. He was
well dressed, and his face was covered with
4 black mask. He carried dark
antern. 1t is not known how
ne entered the house, but it is thought he
must have entered it during the afternoon
md Secreted himself.
The loss is estimated at 5000.