The Jersey City news., 1889-08-26
BAYONNH'S PHHPING TOM
The Bedrooms of Four
Women Invaded at
Midnight.
HE WORE A GERANIUM.
A Suspect Now Having an Exam-
nation in Police Recorder
Besher's Court.

John P. Schilling, who was arrested In
Bayonne yesterday on suspicion of having
surprised and insulted q number Of
elderly women in their bedrooms in the
early hours of the morning, had an exam
nation before Recorder Besher, Of that
city, this morning. The court room was
crowded to suffocation, and the auditors
were much amused by the testimony that
was given.
Schilling is a man of twenty-eight,
fireman for the Tidewater Oil Company at
Constable Hook and has wife and two
children. He was arrested yesterday
afternoon while about to take boat for
an outing at South Beach. He had q
geranlum in his coat when apprehended.
A FLOWER FOR A CLUE.
His arrest was due to the fact that q
mysterious midnight visitor had invaded
several houses and frightened many
elderly housewives in Bayonne during
the course of Saturday night Mrs. Sum
steine, one of the victims Of the nocturnal
prowler, says that the man who at
tempted to force his unwelcome atten-
tions upon her had a geranium in his
buttonhole; and Mrs. Lowery. who was
also visited, insists that Schilling was
the man who surprised her at her bed
side.
NO IDENTIFICATION.
These ladies were the main witnesses
this morning. Mrs. Lowery told graphic
story OF the man going to her bedside, OF
her tackling hin, ,..and of his escape She
was not able, however, to carefully de-
scribe the clothing the man wore or his
appearance and her Identification was
practically valueless.
Then Mrs. Sunsteine testifedIto the pres
ence of the man in her room, but she was
f<r11 To-
tion of the fellow
1t was thought, however, that her lit
tie son, Edward, nine-year-old boy,
would know the man. The Court waited
an hour while he was being hunted up.
When, at last, he was found, he was led
to line of men and asked to pick out the
man who was in his mammals bedroom
Saturday night. He skipped the prisoner
and lighted on young fellow named
Kelly
The prisoner was thus practically un-
identified, and he could not be held, To
clinch the proofs of his innocence, Mrs.
Schilling testified that her husband was
at home all night.
Recorder Besher discharged him from
custody.
THE STORY OF TME RAIDS.
When Bayonne awoke from her slum~
Der yesterday morning the town was full
of talk about the bedroom invader. Mrs
Sunsteine had no sooner got her story Of
the visit abroad than Mrs Owen Tully, of
Fifth street, made public the fact that
she, too, had been visited, and Mrs.
Lowery, of Silver street, declared that
Mrs. Patrick Carey remembered that she
had heard the shutters of her bedroom
window rattle during the night. OF
course 1t went all over the town that
Jack the pepper had crossed the bay from
Elizabeth to make Bergen Point the
scene of his peculiar operations When,
later in the day, it was announced that
Schilling had been arrested and identified,
excitement grew to white heat.
THE FIRST VISIT.
AS far as can be ascertained, the dwell
ing of Mr.. and Mrs. John Sunsteine, No.
63 East Fourth street, Bergen Point re-
ceived the first visit. She says that about
three O'Clock yesterday morning she was
awakened by some person moving about
her apartments. At the time a number
and yelping. AS the dogs had
frequently annoyed her husband, and
he was in the habit of arising for
the purpose of trying to kill them, she
did not disturb him. Half an hour later
she was again aroused. Then, still sup
posing the person was her husband, who
occupies an adjoining room with a couple
of the children, she called out, s'Is that
you, John?" A whispered Eyes" was the
response.
A few minutes thereafter she heard
step close to her bedside, and the coverlets
were roughly pulled Off her and the
child, who slept with her. At the same
time some one said:-
Push over there, won't your Iwant
to go to bed"
Immediately perceiving that the
speaker was an intruder, she screamed
for her husband. He was awakened by
her calls and the shrieks of the children.
Grabbing gun he dashed into her room
and then in pursuit of the intruder out of
the back door, which he found wide
open. In the meantime the intruder had
made his escape by the front entrance
"SAYi SAY!" HE WHISPERED.
From the Snustiene dwelling the rascal,
| it is supposed, went without delay to the
home of Owen Tully, No. &C East Fifth
street, Bergen Point. There he CLAM
bered into rear window and made his
| way directly to the room where Mrs. Tul-
ly was sleeping. Shaking her by the
shoulder he aroused her, and said
"Say, say"
Startled from her Sleep Mrs. Tully
shrieked with fright, and the intruder
bolted.
Mrs. Sunsteine saw her visitor dis
tinctly. She describes him as a tall, dark-
| looking fellow, with a light or reddish
| mostache, wearing dark clothing and q
dark derby hat, and sporting rose in
buttonhole of his coat.
ONE WOMAN TACKLES HIM.
This fellow next appeared at about four
o'clock at the home of John Lowery, No.
16 Silver street. Bergen Point. There he
tore the mosquito netting from two rear
windows on the lower floor and entered
the house. He found Mrs. Lowery alone
with her children, and he soon awakened
the woman with his antics. When she
felt the coverlets pulled off, she jumped to
the floor, screamed loudly, and grappled
the intruder. Her screams awakened
her children, and they yelled with
fear From her bedroom the fellow
hanled Mrs. Lowery into the kitchen.
She continued her struggles to hold him
until help arrived and redoublad her
| cries. Then the rascal struck her hard
blow ON the side of her head and tumbled
her over the stove.
She arose in time to see him dash out
| of an open doorway and she gave chase.
| Up and down the yards and alleyways of
| the neighborhood she followed him, and
then tracked him through the streets to
| liquor saloon that he vainly tried to enter.
| Then he darted around corner and es-
capped.
Half an hour later some one tried to eff
feet an entrance through rear window
of Patrick Carey's dwelling, No. 80 East
Seventeenth street. Centreville. The
noise alarmed the inmates and the person
decamped.
LATER Schilling was discharged.
FIremens' Sons.