Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-08-24
IN THE DARK.
A TERRIBLY STRUGGLE WITH A BURGLAR
EARLY YESTERDAY MORNING.
The Residences # Charles OraddOck, on Fourteenth
Stsst VisiEAd-ShotS Fight and an Is
caps-A Suspicious Arrest
Other Midnight Visits.

One OF tne most desperate euCOuuVOAS
with burglar known to the criminal
history of Wheeling, occurred at the
residence of Mr.. Charles Craddock, No.
100 Fourteenth street, just after three
o'clock yesterday morning. In the
course Of the combat, which was car
ried on without regard TO rules, and IN
the dark, all the participants, including
the burglar, Mr.. Craddock, his wife ana
his son Frank, were more or less
bruised, and even the house dog, who
had been rendered incapable OF taking
an active part in the encounter oy
reason OF a dose of chloroform, pre-
viouSly administered by the mauraders'
was hurt through one of the excited
combatants falling upon him.
The burglar made good his escape
after taking desperate chances, but
there is every reason to believe that the
right man is now under lock and key
at the City Hall, although there Is an
absence of positive proof connecting
him with the transaction. Many man
has been hanged, however, on less cir
cumstantial evidence.
About ten or fifteen minutes after, 8
O'Clock Mr.. Frank Craddock was awak-
ened from mis- sleep by hearing noise
in the hallway Of the residence, caused
by the smOke-bell in the chandelier
clicking against the brass uprlghtS.
After lying for moment, he arose ana
opened his room door, went out into
the hall, and, advancing few steps
in the direction of his fathers room,
saw a strange man standing there
holding a revolver in his hand. The
burglar fired shot, which entered the
ceiling, but Frank was not to be lntlml-
dated, and clutched the intruder. The
two men had a desperate scuilie out
into the hall and around to point near
the head of the front steps, where they
lost their balance, and both men went
crashing over the banisterS and down
the steps, lighting as they went.
About the time the two men reached
the bottom of the stairs. Mr.. CraddocK
senior. who had been aroused from his
sleep, in company with his wife, by the
uDroar. ran down stairs, but as the hall
way was dark, caused by the burglar
turning down the light before he went
nnStairs. Mr.. CraddOck could not tell his
son from the burglar. The three men
struggled around in sort or promls-
cuuus manner for time, the burglar
making repeated efforts 10 fire his re-
volver, but although he snapped the
pistOl three times 1t would not go oil.
He got in several blows with his INST,
however, one striking Frank, another
Mr.. CraddOck, ST., who caught right
handler alongside of the head, and a
third blow struck Mrs. Craddock, who
had followed the men down stairs, in
eve, making painful wound and
knocking her upon the dog, who was
living in the hallway, where he had
been chloroformed. MIR. Frank Craddock
succeeded in knocking the burglars re-
yolver out OF his hand, and the fellow,
finding that he was in fair way TO be
cornered and overpowered, especially as
the neighborhOod was fast becoming
aroused, tore himself from the grasp OF
the MesSrs. CraddOck, darted into the
parlor, wrenChed open the front shut
ters. and took q header out into the
street, his legs being grabbed by Mr..
Craddock as he disappeared. The win
dow opens out into an area-way, and Is
about six feet from the ground, and 1t
will thus be seen that the plunge the
fellow took in the dark was desperate
one.
Within very few minutes the police
were on the ground, and within five
minutes after the alarm was given six
officers were securing the neighborhood,
but although the burglar was seen, and
was followed as far as the intersection
of Wood and Sixteenth street, where he
WAS heard TO whistle and get response
from comrade, no further trace OF him
could be found.
An inspection of the premises showed
that the burglars there must have
been two-attacked the basement door,
in the area-way, Immediately under the
front door, where they were shielded
from the observation OF persons passing
along the street. There they had at
tempted to bore off the lock, and made
several holes in the door with that end
IN view, but the plan did not work,
and they then cut q hole about five
by seven inches in the panel OF the
door, and reaching through untaStened
the door. In the basement they found
that the front door leading upstairs
was fastened. and one OF the men then
remained outside while the other went
to the back stairs and mounted to the
first floor. There he must have opened
the parlor window, through which be
subsequently, jumped, as precaution,
and then started upstairs TO the bed
rooms, turning down the gas in the hall
as he won't, which action caused the
rafting of the Smoke-bell, which awoke
Mr.. Charles Craddock, as has been
stated. What followed has already been
narrated.
Owing To the darkness and the excite
ment Of the encounter, none OF the
members OF Mr.. Craddock's household
could get a sight of the burglars feat
ures, and the most they could say re-
garding him was that he was large
man, with a full head of hair, and was
attired in rough coat. A black dicer
hat, 6E in size, purchased at Beuter's,
was found in the hall where the Strug-
gle took place, and not far off was
bone-handled knife, small lamp and
seven-shot bulldog revolver, three
chambers of which were empty. An
extra revolver cylinder, with four loaded
chambers, was also found. These
things were turned over to the police.
Yesterday Chief Delbrugge heard
from undoubted authority that Robert
Muldoon and Anthony Corners had been
seen toget her as late as , o'clock Sun
day morning, on Sixteenth street, and
that Muldoon had on black dtcer hat.
He was hunted up by the Chief and
when found was intoxicated. He was