The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-21
A PRETTY PAIR OF THIEVES.
The Plunderers of Berg's Grocery
Peeping Through the Bars.

!
Detective Wetherhorn nipped two as
scaly and evil looking burglars yesterday
as are often seen. Henry Berg's grocery,
at Bull and River streets, was broken into
some time Saturday night or early Sunday
morning and tho money drawer
robbed of between So AID 81 m
coin, mostly dimes and nickels.
About $75 worth of clothing, tobacco,
cigars and anything else that the thieves
| could lay their hands on and that they
| could conveniently get away with was also
| taken. The thieves operated somewhat on
! the plan of the rbbon-legged bandit that
| tlotow introduces in his opera of Martha"
| and who bagged everything in his way.
! Mr.. Bergs store fronts on Bull street,
with windows opening on River street.
| The board blinds on one of the windows
| were ripped off and the robbers got in
without much difficulty. Once within they
| hunted up a good-sized bag, aud after that
! they made themselves at home. When Mr..
| Berg opened his store he found the money
| drawer broken open and the money gone,
| and things strewed about in general disor
/ der He saw at glance that he had been
robbed, and he placed the case in Detective
| Wetherhorn's hands 1t didn't take that
officer long to get hold of the thieves.
After an examination of the place
and hearing Mr. Berg's statement,
Wetherhorn's suspicious pointed to
| two ugly looking white men that he had
seen lurking along the wharves He
tracked them quietly for a short while, and
hadn't gone far before he found where they
had tried to sell a lot of their plumber.
After satisfying himself that they were the
| right parties Wetherhorn dropped down
upon them in Schwarz's saloon yesterday
morning. Both men denied knowing any
thing about the robbery. They were
taken before Justice Russell, where they
gave their names as John S. johnson, of
Macon, and Harry Archie, of Nashville.
Before they were taken to Jail Mr.. Berg
dropped in and while they were being
searched he identified pair of pantaloons
that one of them had on as a part of the
clothing taken from his store. This was a
clincher, and without any further delay
the prisoners were taken to jail.
johnson and Archie are believed to be as
sumed names. Archie told Justice Russell
that he was from Michigan, and after that
he said that he came from Nashville.
Working up the clews that he had already
got hold off, Mr.. Wetherhorn started out in
search of the stolen property. About the
middle Of the afternoon he arrested negro,
who gave his name as William Smith, whom
he suspected of having some Of the goods.
the affair at Berg's store. He said that he
had no home, and had been sleeping on the
wharf. His story didn't hang together
well, and pretty soon Officer Wetherhorn
found out that Smith had been staying at
Farm and Mill streets, and there he found
trunk full of clothing, half a dozen or
more boxes of cigars, ten or fifteen pounds
of plug tobacco, box of pipes and cigar
holders, pocket-kniveS, and other stuff that
Mr.. Berg identified. Some of the cigars
had his own brand on the boxes.
Smith was waiting in Justice Russell's
office whel the trunk full of stuff was
brought III. When he saw it he weakened
and said that he bought the whole lot from
the two white men who were already in
jail and gavo them 81 50 for it, He said
he didn't know that the stuff had been
stolen and if he had he would never have
touched it.
Smiths stories were about as many as
there are sides to needle, and they didn't
hang at all well together He owned up TO
having the goods, but said that he was an
honest man and he had no idea but that the
clothing belonged to the men from whom
he bought it. About this time Mr.. George
Green, whose trunk was in the store and
was broken into, happened in. and he recog-
nized some of the clothing as his.
Smith said that he was a sailor, and
he brought in sailor named
Jimmy Burns who said that he had been to
sea with him, and knew him in Liverpool.
Smith had in his pocket discharge from
the British steamship Nestor made out to
William Turnbull which he said was his
right name. He told how he had got into
some trouble with his captain, and changed
his name and gave that as the reason for his
having two names. The only discrepancy
was that Turnbull's age was down
on the discharge paper as 49, and
Smith said he is % years old, and was born
in Liverpool while Turnbull's birthplace
was South Shields Officer Wetherhorn
says that he has no doubt that Smith is
Smith and that he stole the discharge paper
from Turnbull
After thorough questioning Smith was
committed along with johnson and Archie.
He wept copiously when he was taken to
Jail, and insisted that he is innocent
of any wrong doing. He says that he has
been working for Smith & Kelly and that
he is a victim of circumstances. The two
white thieves are supposed to have been
| concerned in robbing the schooner Annie
I. Bailey short time ago, and they are be-
| lieved to be the parties who have been steal
ing cotton along the wharves