Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-16
FEEL THEIR SHAME.
Respectable Women Of Allegheny
Arrested in BOggs & BuhI's.
THEIR HOUSE FULL OF DRY GOODS.
A Most Pathetic Plea to the officials to Sup
press the News.
RELEASED ON BAIL TILL TOMORROW

MIS- Annie dray ana MISS Josephine
Kennedy, sisters living at No. 172 South
avenue, Allegheny, are under arrest charged
with shoplifting. The arrests were made by
Chief Kirschler and Detective Murphy, of
the Allegheny police force, in Boggs &
Bulbs large drygoods store on Federal
street.
Mrs. Gray is about 40 years old, and the
vile of Mr.. Gray who was formerly mem
Der of the tailoring firm of Gray, Possel &
Reise. Miss Kennedy is about so years
old. and lives with Mrs. Gray and the lat
ter's family of two sons and three daugh-
ters.
Mr.. Byron Boggs, the superintendent OF
the store, saw the two women in the store
about o'clock yesterday afternoon, and
thought he noticed one of them push small
package into her muff He called the
women into his Office and sent message to
the Mayors Office. Chief Kirschler went
down and the two women were in tears
They pleaded with him not to arrest
them. and Mrs. Gray offered to pay
or the article they had, and to give
the Chief $1OO if be would let them go. He
told them he was not in that line OF busi-
ness, and that they would have to go along.
He took them to the Office and had woman
search them. A number of combs, pair
OF corsets, a roll of several yards of table
linen and package of hat pins were found
on the women. The hat pins had been
bought by Mrs. Gray.
WARRANTS SWORN OUT.
Chief Kirschler Immediately swOre out
warrant for larceny against both women.
The women told the Chief that they lived
at No. 172 South avenue. He procured q
search warrant and, accompanied by De-
tective Murphy and Byron BoggS, went to
the place. In describing what he found there
last night, the Chief could not find words
sufficient to enumerate all. The second
floor of the house contains wide hall and
two clothes presses in it were examined.
They were packed full of boxes that had
evidently never been opened. They held
dozens and dozens of gloves, handker-
chiefs, ladies and mems mufflers, boxes of
combs, eorsets and numerous other small
articles. Three rooms on the same floor con-
tanned more or less stuff that was packed
away in bureaus and cupboards, and all of
which was brand new. The room on
the third floor is large attic,
and here the Chief and his COM
panions were literally dumfounded
at the discovery they made. The room was
full of an indiscriminate lot of goods, all
packed away in large and small boxes and
sewed up in bags. twas nearly impossible
to move around in the place on account of
the quantities of goods. There were bolts
of silks and Veivets, rolls OF carpets,
oil cloth and linoleum, laces, linens,
embroideries, 20 ladies' handSatchels, about
IS hats, trimmed and untrimmed, ribbons,
manicure sets of ivory and silver, and, in
fact, almost everything imaginable. A large
box was found to contain some handsome
jewelry, several bracelets, rings and pins
that were all OF value.
THE WORK OF YEARS.
Mr.. Boggs, in looking about, found two
black lynx mufs and a lynx collar, worth
about $40, that he identified as belonging to
his firm and appropriated Some of
the boxes were thick with dust, that
apparently had been accumulsting for
of the police is that the work of getting all
of the stuff must have been going on for
years. Mr.. Boggs gave it as his opinion
that there was in sight anywhere from
So, 900 to S., 900 worth of goods, and an in
Ventory of the boxes and bags might double
that amount.
After returning to City Hall the chief had
a consultation with the women in their cells.
Mrs. Gray begged him not to let it become
known that she was arrested. She offered
him 81 900 not to push the case and told him
not to let the papers get hold of it, saying
she would give the reporters $50 to keep
it quiet. She alleged that her husband had
bought the goods from time to time, and had
q habit of buying all kinds OF articles. Her
however, left the city some ten |
years ago, and is now supposed to be in the |
West.
W. D. Moore, Esq, who is a neighbor of |
Mrs. Gray, appeared at the Mayors Office |
as her attorney about o'clock, and asked
what bail was required for the women. He
was told 81 900 each.
AN EXPLANATION.
Mr.. Moore was accompanied by Mrs.
Gray's son, young man OF about % years.
He explained to the Mayor that his mother
and aunt, Miss Kennedy, had a
mania for patronizing auction sales. and in
The past few years had accumulated the
arge stock of goads contained in the house.
These visitors then went away to procure
he necessary bail. and an hour later Mayor
Pearson was summoned from home and re-
eased both women on bail for a hearing to-
morrow afternoon, at 4 o'clock. Another
lister, Miss T. G. Kennedy, went on
he bond. She also lives at No. 172
south avenue. The entire family has
always enjoyed the confidence of the neigh
,ors, having lived there for many years and
laYing an acquaintance with some of the
Tery best families of Allegheny.