The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-09-26
A BURGLARS SWEET HEART
COgRTED TO ASSIST IN THE B0BBKKE
OF HEX NEIGHBOURS.

COgRTED TO ASSIST IN THE BOBB&HI
OF HEX NEIGHBORS.
The scheme Of au EnferprtstnE Cracks
sann 10 steal all There Was of Value
ian Rich New jersey village AN
Unique Romance of Crime.
F1ExISeToS, Sept. Pa confession
made this week by james Carman, we'll
known professional burglar, to Sheriff Cor
coran of this county, reveals as odd =
romance and as neat burgling scheme as
is o-.en heard Of. Carman was taken to
the State Prison this week to serve term
sf Eecr years for attempted burglary
ard for shooting young man IN
this town in August. 1t was just
before starting for Trenton that the bur
glar told the story. 1t seems that with an
accomplice. whose name he positively re-
fuses to divulge, Carman came to this
town last Spring prepared to conduct a
series of robberies. Carman is hand
some fellow with pleasing manners, and
Is a good conversationalist. He has re-
ceived frst-class education, and would
pass anywhere for gentleman, both as
to culture and refinement. The scheme
was for Carman to get acquainted with
some nice respectable gul of good family,
and in that way become familiar with the
people and property of this wealthy and
prosperous county seat. The scheme
started well. Carman WAS introduced to
daughter of ONE of the best known mel in
the town, girl of beauty and intelligence,
whose name is withheld for obvious reasons.
1t was not long before the girl fell in love
with the burglar, and oddly enough the
famous thief gradually lost his heart to the
girl. He would not admit the fact even to
himself for some time, but finally gave In
and proposed marriage. He was accepted
and the wedding was fixed for one day last
week. This was in June. Not word did
Carman breathe to his pal of his love affair.
On the contrary, his professional pride led
the hero of the romance to go right ON with
the scheme in hand. He soon learned all
about the various stores and residences in
the place, and selected the post Office as
the first object of attack. Carman so ar
ranged matters that he should remain in
the Town and at the home of his sweet
heart, after each robbery, and SO throw off
all suspicion.
The post-ofics, under its new postmas
ter, William J.. Purlson, has been hand
sonely refitted, and contains considerable
that Is valuable. In the same room with
the private Office IL the express office.
m 4naged by Agent Willis Moore. Very
often Mr. Moore keeps rs high as thou
sand dollars in his safe over night. Car
man ascertained during the first week IN
August that good deal of money was IN
the agents safe every night, and his pal
and he determined to proceed to business.
One week before the time chosen fer the
robbery, Carman came as usual to spend
Sunday with his girl. His pal came along
and stopped at tho hotel. Ihey brought
kit of burglars tools and sledgs hammer
and brace with which to get in their work.
Tney hid part of the tools under
the new station of the Lenigh Valley
railroad in little ravine at the edge of the
toAn. The hamm er and brace were put IN
u heap of railroad ties. A week later they
came back the afternoon of the day In
which the burglary WAS to occur. They
found the tools where they had left them,
but the railroad ties had been removed,
and the hammer and brace had also disap-
peared. This discovery rather startled the
the thieves, but they determined to secure
the implements from some blacksmith
shop, as Carman knew Moore would have
an unusually large amount of money in the
safe that night After looking round town
they selected William Green's blacksmith
shop, on Mine street, and about nine
o'clock in the evening, when all seemed
dark and desolate, they crawled up to q
side window and stealthily entered.
They made great mistake. Not only
was Green inside, but also Fred Huber,
and they two gave him chase Green soon
became winded, and the burglar TUNED
upon his sole pursuer and disabled him.
he had not gone many feet beyond when
he fell into ditch and broke one of his
legs. There he lay till he was found an
hour later by the villagers.
The next morning all the town heard the
news and all were astounded that the
burglar was none other than the lover who
had been counting popular maiden SO
long. The expectant bride heard the story
and was at first utterly Frustrated. She
would not believe the report for several
hours, but when she was convinced Of its
truth she became calm and at ouce wrote a
short note to Carman. She told him to
consider the engagement terminated at
once. and added that she never wanted to
see his face again. Along with the
note abe sent her engagement ring
and a package Of letters. Carman wept
like child when he got the message. He
told the sheriff that it was worse than
doom's day. He made no reply then, but
for days sat sobbing in his cell, barely
eating and sleeping enough to keep him
alive. He was promptly indicted, tried
and convicted. Last week he was sea-
fenced. Then, it is said. he wrote long
and pleading letter to his recent sweet
heart. He told her he had reformed and
was psnitent. He asked her to wait until
his term had expired, and he had chance
to show her that his life was altered. He
also, it is understood, requested her to
write him occasionally while he was in
State Prison. since he left for Trenton
his sweetheart has refused to speak Of
him, but it is believed her resolution was
shaken by his letter. She is said to have
stood where she could see him as hs
stepped on the train fer Trenton this
week.