St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-06
THE BURGLAR CAPTURE.
A Correspondent Who Wants the
Credit Properly Placed.

credit properly RACED.
To the Editor of the Globe.
wish to correct few errors in the
accounts given in the Dispatch last
night, and the GLOBE and Pioneer Press
this morning, of the capture of the
burglar, Frank Donaldson. yesterday at
4s College avenue. The police had
nothing to do with his capture, only
that, after we had secured him and
taken him from the house and placed
him in the patrol wagon. the police
drove to the station with him. This,
however. casts no reflection OH the po-
lice, for the wagon was out when tele
phOned for, but put in an appearance as
soon as possible. which was just in
time to take the burglar from our hands
in the street. Many errors will
always creep into newspaper &C
counts of cases of this nature,
especially when the reporters are not
on the spot, and have to get their infoI-
nation from some one in the crowd.
Many things must have happened that
l did not see. but let ME tell just what
did happen that l did see: At about
1920 a. m. l came out of the Boston
bakery at $50 St. Peter street. and
noticed crowd of men and women at
hue, and many others running in that
direction. After a minute OF so started
slowly along to join the crowd, and just
ahead of me saw John Dlstler ON the
run. On arriving in front of the vacant
building As College avenue L saw per-
hapS 200 men. women and children very
much excited, and Mr.. Robertson, wto
lives at No. 46, was Oh the stoop holding
the front door shut, calmly waiting
for the police patrol. He told me that
two burglars had escaped by jumping
from the second story window In the
rear, but that there was still one left in
the house. 1t seems he had asked for
some one to go in with him and get the
fellow, but no one had responded, so he
said to me: ''Ceme on with ME and go
ill.," SO quickly followed him. and Mr..
DiStler also followed us, making three
of us. We searched every floor from
TOP to bottom without results. until we
got into the basement. Here Mr.. Rob
ertSon went directly TO the coal schultz,
which leads from hole in the sidewalk,
and is about eighteen inches square,
and has door to its opening in the
cellar, which was shut. Robertson
opened the door and stopped down,
peeking into the schultz, and said:
Here he is" Mr.. Distler and myself
were quickly at his side and Distler
went head first into the hole, crawling
up the sehute nearly out of sight, and
got him by both legs and pulled hum
out. AS soon as his body came Ill sight
Mr.. Robertson siezed his left arm and
myself his right. At this instant he be-
gan shooting his gun, and in short Or
der we had him on his hands and knees
and with two of us besides himself
holding onto the gun. We stopped the
fusilade at the third shot l then got
the gun away from him, after which l
gave it to Mr.. DistIer, and he turned it
over to the police after we had Donald
son in the patrol wagon. No amount
of money would induce me to again
| take chances against BURGLAR who
carries gun.
The GLOBES headline this morning
said that the police had, with the help
| of the neighbers, captured the leader Ut
one of the toughest gangs Of burglars
in st. Paul This is entirely an error,
| for no policeman laid hands ON him
till after he was safely inside the pa
! troll wagon.
| In justice to all think it proper for
| me to make these corrections, therefore
| 1 hope you will give this place in the
| GLOBE. j. NJ. Gone of the three.l
No. 553 Broadway, Aug. 5, 1890.