Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-05
FIRED BY A BURGLAR.
An Allegheny Thief Tries to
Burn a Residence to
Cover His Retreat.
SAVED BY A GIRLS SCREAM
The Daughter of William J. Davis
Has a Startling Experience
=
FOUND INAFAINT BY HER FATHER
The Prisoner Detected by the Prints of Ris
EObnail Shoes
SAVED BY A GIRLS SCREAM
FOUND INIFAINT BY HER FATHER
STOLEN JEWELRY IN HIS POSSESSION

The Allegheny police made a capture
last night which they think will prove an
important one. William Reese, mill
worker, residing on Cass avenue, was ar
rested and to-day charges of burglary and
arson will be entered against him. The in
formation on which the arrest was made
only reached the police officials yesterday
morning, although the double crime had
been committed the previous night, and
with only a. faint clue on which to work
Detective McDonough had Reese locked
up early, in the evening The evidence
against him seems conclusive, as some of
the stolen jevelry was found on his person
when captured.
' On Saturday night the house of William
j. Davis, of 81 Mcclure avenue, was robbed
' and set on fire. The family had not retired,
it being only o'clock.
Disappeared in the Darkness.
Mr.. Davis 16-year-old daughter had gone
to her room on the third floor, the balance
of the family being in the sitting room be-
low. A moment alter she went upstairs
the young lady was heard to shrek. The
heavy football as of a man running along
the hall was heard Immediately after. Mr..
Davis ran quickly to his daughters rescue,
but as he reached the foot of the stairs
man bounded past him and escaped out of
the front door. Mr.. Davis followed, but
the fugitive had disappeared in the dark
ness.
In the meantime the family had rushed
upstairs and were Mortified 10 find that part
of the house filled with smoke and the young
lady lying unconscious on the floor of her
room. The smoke was issuing from cup
board in her room, and when the door was
opened flames leaped up from quantity of
paper and husks on the floor. Mr.. Davis
managed to extinguish the blaze with few
bnckets of water, and then turned his atten-
tion to resuscitating his daughter
Confronted by Burglar.
When she regained consciousness she
told her story: "As soon as opened the
door of my room the smoke rushed out in
my face, and as 1 turned to give the alarm
saw a man coming out of the spare room
at the end of the hall. 1 screamed and ran
into nv room. An instant later 1 heard
the man run by the door. He was dressed
like q working man, and, though only saw
him for an instant, L am sure would know
him ii 1 saw him again.
When Detective McDonough was de-
tailed to look up the case yesterday morh-
ing he examined the premises carefully,
and found that the burglar had effected an
entrance through a back window by prying
open the shutters with a jimmy. He also
learned that valuable pair Of earrings and
a gold fob chain had been stolen. A num-
ber of drawers and trunks had been ran-
racked.
hobnailed shoes found in the yard in front
and rear of the house were the clews 10 the
burglars identity, except the meager de-
scription of him given by Miss Davis. The
detective finally decided that Reese was
the man and placed him under arrest.
When searched at the police station the
stolen earrings were found sewed up in the
lining of the prisoners trousers When
closely questioned be confessed that he had
been in Mr. Davis yard, but denied being
in the house. How he happened to have
the stolen jewelrv he could not explain,
nor could be tell why he had been about
the Davis house. He saws that
he was accused of robbing the boarding
house of Mrs. Lewellen, of CHARTERS, of
500 about year ago and of atterward
setting the house on fire, but says that he
was cleared of the charge.
1t is believed that Reese is the man who
has been doing the petty thieving in the
neighborhood of Mcclure avenue for the
past three or four months.