The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-23
SEARCHING At NIGHT.
POLICEMAN, HAVE TO LOOK FOR
BURGLARS IN CIV HOUSES.
Eiuid People Whom Any Cnwonted
Sound Sets to Shouting "Poiice.''
"HeIpr-Trying OrdeaIs for the Daring
Patrolmen-A Job Not Relished.

/ rummaging around IN his castle
There is really nothing in the whole cata-
| logue of a bluecoat's duties which he dis
| likes more 1t is not that he is coward.
/ for, as a matter of fact, there are very few
towards on the New York police force, but
! the ordeal of making a target of ones self
| in dark and strange dwelling for a well
| intrenched burglar 10 shoot at is one not
eagerly courted by the bravest.
/ 1t was my good fortune TO be spectator
| Of an episode OF this kind one rainy night
| ! was on my way home at about o'clock
/ in the morning. The streets were deserted
| On Murray hill the silence was unbroken
| save by the steady drip of the rain and the
! suffering of the electric lights from their
| lofty poles along Park avenue.
a TERRIBLE INTERRUPTION.
Suddenly there broke on the deathlike
| stiffness a shriu cry Of 'Murderl Helpp'
uttered with the full frenzy of a female
| voice. This was decidedly unpleasant, al
! though il IS interesting to read about. The
cries were repeated with frequency that
was blood curdling. Windows were raised
all through the street and heads poked out
into the cherries night. The sound Of
quick running and the alarm rap of near
and distant policemen's clubs increased the
excitement, and soon the street was popu-
lous with excited men in many varieties Of
extemporized makeup. A policeman
rushed by me az this moment, and fol-
lowed, closing my umbrella as l ran.
In a side street some twenty doors from
the avenue little crowd of men were
gathered in front of an unpretentious
looking English basement house, which
afterward learned belonged to S. Van
Rensselaer, Cruger, the well known poll
tician and society man. Two women were
hanging half out of the top story window
shrieking at one and the same time. All
that could be made Of their incoherent
cries was tumble of the words burglars"
and murder"
At sight of the policemen, who now came
running up from several directions, the
women-whc were in their night robes
managed to regain few of their scattered
wits. Between frightened sobs they said
that there were burglars in the house, and
that they dared not go down and open the
front door.
POLICE TO THE RESCUE.
One Of the policemen shouted up that
the door would have to be broken in. This
seemed to calm the girls, for one of them
ton of a minute she reappeared and threw
out bunch of keys. An excited neighbor
procured lantern and four big policemen
entered the house with drawn revolvers.
1t was an exciting moment. Nobody in
the crowd spoke a word. The two white
robed figures still remained at the window
far above. There was no anxiety on the
part of any onlooker TO enter the house,
= he hi 1or # SnL Lal I;-b ID
by the policemen in their progress
Expectation was raised high when one
of the bluecoats was seen to mount the
stairs leading from the first floor and dis
appear in the darkness above. He was in
the room occupied by the women a mo-
ment later. The crowd was interested to
see that he was talking earnestly to them.
Then, horrible to relate, a laugh rang out
from the window. The men in the street
were getting very nervous and drew away
from the vicinity of the house, as if the
burglar might be expected 70 dive out of it
in a hurry.
After what seemed an age to the specta-
tors the four policemen emerged from the
house together, closing the door after
them. The blinds were drawn in the
fourth story window, and the policemen
pTGpdIcQ W 10 dOOub IAclE DUSlH6SS dS II
nothing had happened
The men were besieged with questions as
to what had been the result of their inves-
LEGATIONS
1T wasn't nawthin," said the biggest,
latest and most good natUred looking Of
the cops" "'Nuther case O. scare, that's
all"
CALLED VERY OFTEN
g.
tracted me. l followed him when he
sauntered off toward his beat and found
him very willing to talk. His conversation
proved TO be very interesting He ex-
planned to me that the two women were
Mr.. Cruger's household servants, who had
been left in charge of the house while the
family was absent in the country. Because
they had heard the sound of a heavy fall
at that hour of the night they naturally
imagined that the house had been entered
But there was nobody there" continued
the policeman. I'VE went all through the
house and proved beyond doubs that no
attempt had been made TO enter IL IL Was
afunny thing, though One of the heavy
paintings in the parlor had fallen to the
floor, smashing its glass and frame sup
pose the wire rope had given out.'
Are you often obliged to enter houses
IN Tat way at night!"
"More often than you'd think" said he.
''The general public don't hear much OF
such cases, because, for the most part,
they're false alarms. As q rule, You see,
it's the cat or rats and mice that make all
the trouble At the same time the boys
don't Ike the job, no matter how il turns
out"
Rather aA ugly business to 20 hunting
for burglars in a strange house at dead Of
night"
Well. should say so. You see, people
seem 20 think policeman Is made 10 oe
shot at l never went into house yet 70
hunt up burglars where the men OF the
household were willing to give ne any
help. They've 10 objection 10 my being
shot. though
Why, the other night was called INTO
q house under just such circumstances -
these tonight The servants heard noise
and Of course Immediately ascribed Il &c
burglars. When I got into the house the
whole family, men included. locked them
selves II their rooms and left ne 20 20 /.
alone. After had searched in every place
bas the cellar the master OF the house
grew bold and ventUred cut Of his rooO- {
He insisted than should 20 down into tbs
cellar. and IN his excitement forgot 20 tell /
NE that be kept as big maStIf there
We'll, started down, AID when gos
~ the foot OF the stairs this b.g brute
Made dive AZ ne Fortunately the brave /
us1 Of the honse spoke 70 him in time 20 I
save NE Bat what DO you mink Of thai, j
en- 4 big watchdog il tee cellar, and yce ]
he wanted me 20 80 down and look fox I
burg larsg'-Nev YORK Herald
His Reputation (