The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-11-16
THE BURGLAR LODGHR,
Mrs. Johnson's Story of the
Sandbagging Thief
COrr0b0rated.
THE BAG MADE OF HIS BED TICK
What the Victim of His Visit Knows
of Wilson's Antecedents
and Connections

and Connections
The story of the attempt to rob Mrs
Joseph johnson at her home, No. 4265<
Grove street, yesterday morning, by her
lodger. was given exclusively in THE
JERSEY CITY NEWS in the afternoon.
That the woman's story was true in
every particular has been demonstrated
by the police and all who have investi
gated the case
| visited Mrs. johnson at her home this
morning. She and her husband and
three children, two of whom are twin
one year old, occupy suite of five rooms
The rooms are neatly furnished and
testify to Mrs. Johnson's good qualities
as housewife. A lady living with her
family on the upper floor, and who was
averse to giving her name and seeing 1t
in the paper and Rosa" thirteen
year-old girl living on the floor below,
were present at the interview and cor
roborated Mrs. Johnson's statements. The
rear room is used as a kitchen, and adj
Joining it and connected by door is a
small room in which Mrs johnson slept
with one of the twins and her oldest
child. and in q similar room connected by
doors both with her room and the parlor,
Mr.. johnson slept with the other of the
twins The room occupied by Wilson is
q hall bed room opening into both the
hall and parlor.
WILSON AND HIS WIFE.
Mrs. Johnson's statement boiled down
is as follows:-'We had no use for the
hall bedroom, and thought to lessen our
rent by letting it to a single gentleman.
My husband is a tinsmith in New York,
and he goes to work at six O'Clock in the
morning and am alone with my chill
dren through the day.
II put out notice of a room to let
and last Monday week the man who
described himself as Wilson wanted TO
see the room. He said he wanted it for
himself and wife, and when said 1t was
too small for two persons, as 1t contained
only three quarter bed, Wilson said 1T
was large enough, as he and his wife took
their meals out
HE said he was brother-in-law of Mr..
Nelson, clerk in Kennedy's drug store,
corner of Grove and Seventh streets, and
/ concluded to let him take the room. He
seemed to have plenty of money and paid
me a weeks rent in advance.
He went away, but returned In a
short time with his wife, who brought a
bundle containing black silk dress and
few other articles of clothing. A little
while later she said she had neglected to
bring shirt for her husband, and as
they were going to visit their brother-in-
law buttt cfcAAuS SAo Aau W ~ oub 0AN
buy one.
''She returned with blue flannel shirt,
and thought it was hardly the thing for
an evening company.
WORKED AT NIGHT.
Mrs. Wilson said her husband was
brushlnaker and that he was having two
| weeks vacation. He laid around the
house during the day, seldom going out,
and his wife brought in beer and food.
HE would go out In the evenings, as
| she said to look for work. Nelson was
a frequent visitor. Last Thursday Wilson
went away in the morning and Mrs.
| Wilson said he had gone to look for JOB
| in New York, and as he would not return
| until night she thought she would visit
her mother in New York.
"It was raining hard, but she went,
| after borrowing quarter from me, and
/ never saw her again. Wilson came
| back in few minutes and enquired for
| the 'old woman and then he went out to
! look for her.
"He returned in the evening and said
| he had not found her. He remained In
| his room all of Thursday, but went out
in the evening, returning about half-past
| twelve a. m"
Mrs. johnson then repeated the story Of
his entering her room and demanding her
money; told of his pocketing her child's
| savings bank, of his going to the bureau
| in her husbands room in search OF money
| that was not there, and of her escape into
the hall and on the stairway while he
| dashed down stairs.
CoRRoBoRATING THE STORY.
| The lady upstairs told of Mrs. john
| son's screams and of her rushing to her
assistance, thinking she had been fright
ened by dream, and Rosa" told Of Will
| son rushing by her on the lower fio0r,
dropping the sandbag. and making his
escape through the front door. The up
stairs lady also told of her seeing Wilson
| take away his wife's bundle OF clothes
| Thursday night.
Entering the hall bed room saw how
Wilson had prepared for the robbery.
The bed bolster had been ripped open and
piece torn fromit had made the covering
of the sand bag, and there was the needle
and thread used in sewing 1t.
Nelson denies being related to Wilson,
but admits that they were well ac-
quainted The police have been in
| formed that Wilson served term in the
penitentiary and has the reputation Of
| being a well known thief They are
prosecuting search for him.
|