Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-26

the best OF society and turns out to be
very common thief, robbing his intimat
and rich neighbors.
MoNTcLA1RE, N. j, March 25.-One o
the most respectable and respected citizens o
this town has been James Tuthill, bos.
mason. He came here from Port Jervis five
years ago. He married and went to live
in cozy home on Bloomfield avenue. He
and his wife Joined the Montclaire Congre
gational Church, and won the respect and
esteem of their neighbers. Tuthill became
very popular with his fellow townsmen. He
Joined several social clubs, and everyone
who knew him liked him. He never drank
nor swore, was ever ready to help anyone in
need and counted his friends by the score.
Many of the residents of Montclaire are men
of wealth, doing business in New York.
Tuthill did work for them all, was received
| on friendly terms in their homes and seemed
in fair way of amassing a fortune.
To-day all this is changed. He is a pris-
oner in the Raymond street Jail, Brooklyn,
his wife is locked in jail at Newark, and
their names are execrated by the same peo-
pie who only week ago were proud to be
seen on the streets with them. The emi-
nently respected Mr.. Tuthill has been found
out to be the reckless burglar who for the
past few years has been robbing the homes
of the wealthy in Montclaire, Glen Ridge,
Bloomfield, Orange and surrounding towns,
and his wife is suspected of being his accom-
plice. Shortly after Tuthill came here to
live several bold burglaries were committed.
The burglar was fearless. He selected
only the finest residences in which to find
his plunder. As the burglar was always
masked no one could give q description of
him. Mr.. Tuthill's house was never entered,
and while he was loud and devout in his
thanks to the Almighty for sparing such a
visitation, he was counseling those who
had suffered by the depredations of the mid
night intruder.
RoBBING A DEAR FRIEND.
A week ago last Monday night the resi-
dence Of George Booth, a mason and per-
sonal friend of Tuthill, was entered by the
lone burglar. Mr.. Robertson, who is think
ing of moving to Montclaire, was a guest
As the clock was tolling II be was aroused
by his bedroom window being opened and a
man lightly jumped into the room from the
veranda, MIR. Robertson watched him ami
saw him coolly strike a match on the wall
and look about. Then he deity abstracted
Mr.. Robertson's gold watch from his vest, and
the match went out. The thief was striking
another match when Mr.. Robertson jumped
out OF bed and grappled with him. The
cold muzzle OF q pistol made him let
go quickly, and as he fell back on
the bed the burglar laughed sarcastically
and swung himself out of the window and
got away. Mr.. Robertson awoke the house.
hold. While he was telling his experience
the burglar was less than block away get
ting into the residence of John Manuel, an
other mason and warm friend of the good
Mr.. TuthIll. Manuel was aroused before
the burglar got into his room though, and
gave him battle on the piazza. The thiefs
mask came off in the struggle and Mr..
Manuel could hardly believe his senses, for
the face ne recognized was that of his friend,
the village favorite, Jim Tuthill. The
latter broke away and got off safely for the
time being.
Thursday night, in the presence of
number of friends, Manuel said: "I am sure
the man who robbed me was Jim Tuthill,
but am not sure enough to swear it." He
was scofed at, but held doggedly to his
opinion. At last it was determined to give
Mr.. Robertson, who did not know Tuthill,
a chance to see if he could identify him.
BY the flickering light of the match in his |
room he had partially seen the burglars |
face.
Saturday morning Tuthill was summoned
to DeWltt's carpenter shop, on Spring |
street. to give an estimate on an imaginary |
contract for masonry. A dozen of his |
friends met as if by accident, on the way. |
The crowd entered the carpenters shop. |
Mr.. Robertson was there, intent apparently |
on his own business. The men passed him |
and he looked sharply at them, and when
his eyes rested on Tuthill he sprang forward |
and grasped the good man by the shoulders,
exclaiming e1citedly:
RECOGNIZED BY TUTHILL.
"This is the man. This is the burglar
who stole my watch, am positive" His
friends, every one of whom would have
sworn to his innocence moment before, fell
away from him. The mans acting was su-
perb. Not in anger, but gently and in the
voice of the God-iearing, respectable citi-
zen, which he always was in the day time,
he reproached Mr.. Robertson for his accusa-
ion. Then turning sadly, he left the shop
lowly with downcast ewes and head. His
present, but Robertson insisted that he was
he thief and Manuel backed him. They
,ot a warrant to search Tuthill's house.
VII men they went there with an officer, Tut
ill was not in, but his pretty wife received
hem SO graciously that they did not have
he heart to make known the object of their
7isit and turned away again to wait until
ruthill came home. The had not gone far |
when they saw him coming down the street,
md they returned with him. His wife be-
anne hysterical when she learned OF the
harges against her darling husband. New
rtheiess they began search of the house.
They found nothing up stairs. Then Rob-
rtson suggested searching the cellar. There
hey found a gold and diamond mine buried
n the partY-walls, and thrown in concealed
revices were rings, watches, diamonds,
money, bracelets, breastpins,
arrings, watch chains and every kind Of
ewelry, representing many thousands of
ollars, and some of which were
tolen years ago. The plunder was placed
n a bag and taken. The burglar
Meanwhile had jumped on his horse and
ldden furiously to Bloomfield, where he .
ook an express to Hoboken. He was traced ;
D Brooklyn, was arrested and locked up.
'uthill strenuously denied his guilt. and
laimed that if he were really guilty he was
ot responsible, as he had no recollection of
yer robbing anyone. His former friends
ow believe that he is the captain Of a
obber band, ana that his pretty wife is his '
rusted lieutenant. She was arrested yester- l
ay morning at her home and arraigned
nd committed to Jail at Newark. 1t is !
aid that she has made full confession.