Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-12-06
LAST EDITION
A cLEvgR PIECE Of MoRk.
Two Thieves Captured in the Act Of Blow.
ing Open Safe.

ing Open Safe.
One Of the cleverest pieces of work
lever consummated in this city took place
about 1890 o'clock this morning in Hart
L and Brothers meat packing establish
ment on East Fifth street. Two we'll
4 known crooks, Henry Miller and George
i Devlin, We're captured, at that time by
Detectives Jones and Vandegrift. Chief
swiggett, Sergeant Tucker and Officers
I Brown Broomal and Evans Sometime
near October 20, after several burglares
had been committed in this city.
z Chief Swiggett called ON Detective Jones
4 and requested that gentleman to aid him
I n capturing the gang that were causing
& SO much trouble The detective at once
went to work and it was not long before
] he found clue Swiggett and the detec-
tive worked in harmony. Last evening
despatch was received from Philadel-
Nphia that two men were on the way To
this city on The steamer. The men
arrived al O'Clock and were met at the
wharf by an officer. A watch was kept
4 on them until the moment they entered
! the building At that time Officer Evans
was standing ia sight ef Hart & Bro. S.
I " an alley, and he saw three men come to
tlfth and Walnut, two Of them advance
! to Hart q Bro. S place force open the
front door Of the warehouse and 90 in
side.
a guard was placed around the build
4 ing at once. Detective Jones led the as
sault with Officer Brown. the two going
To the door where the men had entered
The pair threw their weight against the
\ door and in q moment they were inside
followed by the remainder of the officers.
The thieves started at the sudden descent
upon them tried TO escape running to-
wards the officers as if to shoot The
detective took the sand out Of them at
4 once by firing his revolver at Miller. at
the same time catching him by the wrist
the officers started for Devlin. and to
the command to throw up their hands
both men complied
Ihe prisoners We're marched to the 20
lice station. Hart Brothers were notified
and a guard placed on the building for
the night. A search of the men revealed in
addition TO what was found at Harris Of.
nee sectional jimmy, four feet long,
several smaller iimmies, blowpipe, skel-
eton key, several drills and bottle Of
powder. After being searched the men
gave their names as stated but were sui
len in their demeanor and had nothing
else to say
Both men bear the ear marks of pro
fessional crooks Devlin is we'll known
character, with the alias of Broken
nose George. He is rather good looking.
standing up six feet and weighing at
least 225 pounds. His companion is con
siderably smaller, not weighing over 135
pounds. His beard has been left uncut
Tor several days and he is unkempt in
appearance Both men were well dressed.
They were in the building fully a half
hour before they were captured and had
succeeded in boring a small hole into the
sale, but did il no material damage The
men had an excellent place in which to
work The safe was in the office. which
rs Ia one corner of the warehouse and
their operations were entirely hid from
view.
AT this mornings session Of the NUM-
cipal Court they We're arraigned While
the witnesses were being examined they
refused to ask any questions. Chief
Swiggett, Detective Jones, Sergeant
Tucker and Officer Evans testified sub
stantially to the facts as above named.
Charles Mammele testified that he had
seen the man known as George Devlin
arCund Hart and Brothers the greater
part Of the afternoon.
Judge Ball asked the men If they
wanted to ask Mammele any questions. to
which Miller replied. mo; but all can
say is that that man can be convicted Of
perjury; how could Devlin have been
around the place all day, if we came down
on the o'clock boat? and that we can
prove by the captain"
Judge Ball held both men in So. 900 bail
for their appearance at the February
term of Superior Court. There is Of
course no doubt Of both mems conviction
on the charge Of housebreaking They
cannot be coveted of burglary as Hart
and Brothers is not dwelling house.
The penalty for their offense is a fine OF
$500 or three years Imprisonment and
twenty lashes.
James A. Hart, senior member of the
firm, was delighted over the capture Of
the men, not that he would have lost
anything as there was not cent in the
safe, but because Of the attainment of
justice. He said that lie did not care il
the burglars would ruin a safe week
fora =