Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1886-12-17
DISPATCHES.
SAFE-BREAKERS FOlLED.
IN ATTACK ON ALLEN & LEWIS'S S
BURGLAR-PROOF FAILS.
One of the burglars Wounded ,rhite Resist
ing 1irrest--4 SOnteschdt Strange
Story mot Yet Ripe for
he I;c

Chief OF Police Parrish and his force were
made glad yesterday morning by the capture
Of two safe-breakers. They have been on the
watch for them for the past two weeks, hav-
ing had information Of the plans of the fellows.
The burglars entered Allen g. Lewis's estab-
lishment about five o'clock yesterday morning,
where police Barry, Simmons and Branch
were posted to watch for them, while the
chief and officer Belcher were on guard out
side They took look at the vault, and one
of them sai;.: "We are fooled; let's get out Of
here They then started for the back door.
by which they entered, and Simmons ordered
them to halt. One OF them dropped his tools,
and both broke away at a racing speed, and
after sharp race were captured in the Veto
lodging house corner of First and Jefferson
streets. Ed Clayton considered the leader,
jumped out of the window on the roof of a
shed and was shot in the leg above the knee
| by Simmons, after which he threw up his
hands. The other, VIM. Fay, gave up at the
same time and both were taken to the city jail.
DR.. Baven extracted the bullet from Clayton's
! leg and he is not much worse Of his wound.
There is long and rather singular story con
nected with the capture of these men which,
at the request of the chief OF police and in the
interests of justice, cannot be made public at
this time.
| A young man who is comparative stranger
here and who wishes to avoid notoriety, IN
| formed Chief Parrish nearly two weeks ago
that he had found regular safe cracker here
and had won his confidence, and had joined
him in scheme for robbing Allen & Lewis
safe. This young man, it seems knew the
burglar Clayton, to be such, intuitively, and
by palming himself off as very bad man and
desperate character, had been accepted as a
pal by him and invited to join in the robbery.
He then informed Chief Parrish and they laid
plans for capturing the burglars in the act Of
robbery. The robbery was to have been at
| tempted week ago yesterday morning, but
was delayed on account Of the tools not being
ready. Ever since the police have been in-
formed Of the matter, they have been watch
ing and waiting, and Chief Parrish and Bel
cher, on whose beat the job was located, have
lost much sleep and some flesh.
They were on the watch all Saturday night.
The informer secrete,l himself in the store, ac-
cording 10 his agreement with his 'pals,
where he was TO bind and gag the watchman
and kill his dog. Policeman Barry, Simmons
and Branch were secreted in the store, armed
and placed so as to command the vault. The
watchman was bound and the dog killed as
per programme, but owing TO window shut
ter al the north end Of the building being ac-
oidentally left open the burglars were alarmed
ard did not enter the building ill., o'clock
yesterday morning. The tools dropped in
the store were big sledge, malet, chisel,
screw driver, lot of fine drills, six skeleton
keys, four fine steel punches, bolt with a
| thick piece of rubber on the head, putty knife,
etc. The tools Clayton had were thrown in
the river when they were running away.
Fay has been partner in the blacksmith
shop on Second street near Main, and is a
blacksmith by trade. Clayton says he Is a
painter by trade. He says he worked for G.
n. Scott painting cars at Woodburn for SIX
months; that he was paid off here a month
ago to-day with $66S, and that he went back
to Woodburn and paid board bill of $Io8.
His story is that he met the young man who
put up the job on him at the Boca saloon, and
that this young man suggested the scheme oi
robbing safe, and that it was at his sugges.
ton that the tools were brought. Clayton in
troduccd the ''informer" to Fay, and he was
led to join the scheme and to make some
punches. Clayton's story has an air of plaus-
ibllity. He says he was fool, and it now
seems 10 him that he was blind when he looks
back and sees how he was dupcd and led to
join in such an infamous scheme. AS soon as
it can be properly done the public will be
given an outline of the whole affair, about
which there are some things not fully under
stood as yet by the police or by anyone else.-
Oregonian.