The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1886-04-07
A MODERN ROBIN HOOD.
The Chivalrous Outlaw Of the Hud-
son River Valley.
He Leads Band OF Burglars at Tarry-
town, N. Y. and Robs His Victims Ia
the Most Polite Manner-The
Gang Captured.
IN. Y. Special


One Of the criminals concerned In the
!. TaITytown robberies was sentenced to ten
years imprisonment Tuesday and another
has been arraigned. Hastings and Tarry-
town are neighboring hamlets, the homes
Of many wealthy New York businessmen,
on the Hudson river, less than an hours
ride from the Grand Central Depot. With
in the week beginning january IL last from
three 10 five masked men entered the
houses Of five citizens of these suburbs
secured over three thousand dollars cash
and other booty worth about four thousand
dollars. Their method was to arouse and in
troduce themselves at once to every person
IN the house, extort from them the re-
quired information about valuables
pack up their plunder speedily, beg
pardon of their victims for the in
trusion, bid them a pleasant goodnight,
and leave them to go back to bed II
they felt like It. The faces of four Of them
were concealed by white handkerchiefs In
which eye-holes had been cut. The fifth
robber, apparently the leader, hid his feat
ures behind yellow handkerchief. The
leader was remarkable for suave and po-
lite address and occasional facetiousness.
He did all he could TO assuage the fears of
the women who stood around shivering
with terror and cold, and at the same time
conveyed hint that he meant business by
giving both women and men a chance TO
gaze into the cleaning barrel Of a re-
volver.
The chief Of police OF Hastings was the
first victim. They took his policeman's
shield and club. Judge James s. See, Of
Tarrytown, a widower, who occupied a big
mansion with his middle-aged housekeeper,
showed fight, and the knight of the yellow
handkerchief blacked his eye with the
butt OF his pistol. The housekeeper
lapsed into Mysteries. The cool rascal
pronounced mock marriage service and
then bundled the couple into a room to
gether. When he finally bowed himself
out he wished the couple joy. The gang
burst open the rear door of Mr.. H. +. Lom-
bard's house, making din enough to arouse
the dead Mr.. Lombard locked the bed
room door and braced himself against
it. Three stalwart burglars put their
shoulders to the door, and Lom.
bard suddenly sprawled on the floor
with three men on top Of him. Pro-
fuse apologies were heard TO issue from
under the yellow handkerchief. It's wearer
told Mrs. Lombard that the world had
wronged him and his pistol was his only
friend. The baddit also assured the wealthy
Mrs. Storms who was all alono in the house
with her servant, that, though he was
gentleman by instinct and breeding, the
world had misunderstood and misused him.
He then slowed the woman and her maid
away in their respective beds. The latter
tried TO exercise her voice and the robber
sat down on her bed to keep her quiet. He
told her she was pretty, said he was
happy TO meet her, and when she
hysterically expressed longing to
go home to New York he told her to go by
all means in the morning, and gave her
one dollar and one-half to pay her fare.
The elderly Miss Mary A. Cooke, her young
sister, and the servant happened TO be the
sole occupants OF the Cooke mansion. The
leader told young Miss Cooke she would
certainly catch cold in her bare feet and
she was put back 10 bed. Later she had to
get up to show how to open secret COM
partment in her trunk where she kept her
money, The elder woman was compare
lively quiet while the burglars relieved her
Of several hundred dollars In cash. but
when they began 10 pack up twenty-six
pieces Of solid antique silver ware, heir
looms in the family, she raised shrill cry
Of lamentation and protest The boss burg
lar rushed into her room with a drawn club
and n policeman's shield on his breast
MADAME" said he, lam a policeman Of
this town. These rascals are too many for
me and can't stop this outrage. II yon
keep quiet I'll defend you with my life. II
you don't they'll kill us ALL" He tossed a
blanket over her head and she subdued. A
minute lator they were gone and also Miss
Cookies precious siverware.
Chief-of-Police Myers was robbed tho
night Of January II, Miss Cookies home
was invaded two nights later, and tho See,
Storms and Lombard mansions were en-
tered January %. The audacity of the
crimes filled every suburban town along
the Hudson with CONSERVATION. Tho local
authorities were powerless, and Inspector
Byrnes, chief OF the New York detective
force, was called in. He sent out for de-
tectives who 'piped of" John lannon's
saloon at larry town and the people II har-
bored, disguised himself as a tramp, and,
after long lot Of shadowing and pumping
f. t. Timmins, an ex-convict; Robert II.
Woods a village loafer OF Tarrytown;
John Harmon, constable and saloon.keep.
er, and Anson Beebe, burglar and rough,
were arrested. The crimes had boen
planned in lannon's saloon.