Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-05-06
BURGLARS IN HARTFORD.
Excitement in Bishop HcNIahOn's House
Last Night.


Burglars came very. near making
big haul at Bishop McMahon's residence,
in Hartford, last night. The gold
chalices and other vessels for use in the
conservation ceremonies Sunday, valued
at some $4,000, were received at the
episcopal residence yesterday from New
York, and it was these, it is supposed,
that the burglars were after. There
were three burglars in the gang, and
they were evidently experienced New
York crooks, who were posted in the
city about the treasure that was waiting
for them.
The burglars probably entered the
house while confessions were being
heard and secreted themselves until the
priests had all retired and everything
was still. They then started to ransack
the house, the time being few minutes
before midnight.
Father William Harry and his
brother, Father Andrew Harty, were
occupying the same room. Father
Andrew Harry had retired, but his
some one stealthily pass his door.
Knowing that every one had retired,
he at once became suspicious and
aroused his brother, who got a revolver
and together they started rapidly down
through the hall.
Footsteps ahead of them guided their
steps and they soon reached the lower
floor, only to see the retreating forms of
two of the burglars as they slid through
the open door by which the priests
usually go to the cathedral.
Right beside this door is the door
leading to the cellar of the house. The
priests were so crowding the fleeing
burglars that the rear one, in his mad
effort to escape, plunged through this
door and found himself, instead of free
in the open air, prisoner in a dark
basement. Father Andrew Harty, in
the dim light, saw the mistake the bur-
glar had made and with great presence
of mind rushed to the cellar door and
threatened to shoot if his prisoner tried
to move. While this drama was being
enacted, short as the time was, the other
occupants of the house had been aroused
and someone telephoned for the police.
The patrol wagon was at once sent
out, officers being collected on the way.
The officers who went out were Lieu
tenant Ryan and Officers Waller,
Lieutenant Ryan, himself, took charge
of the search, which was made in a
very thorough manner. The burglar in
the cellar, who had been held at bay all
this time by Father Harty, the police
found, in his stocking feet, crouching
near the refrigerator. He at once sur
rendered and gave his name as Frank
Harris of New York, aged 40, a laborer.
He said he was born in Chicago. He
refused to tell where he last worked. In
his pockets were found a comb in a
case, a tooth brush and a fancy
camphor bottle. That was all that he
had.
The sacred vessels had not been I'm.
packed and were not found by the bur
glars, who secured nothing as far as
could be found last night The burglary
was planned for big stake and the men
involved in it were no novices.
The story as above, appeared in the
Hartford Courant this morning, but the
matter appears to have been greatly ex.
aggerated. Father Harry was seen by q
DEMOCRAT correspondent to-day
and gives the following story of the en-.
counter:
81 awoke about 11:3O and heard g
man outside my door. Opening it
asked him what he was doing there
He appeared to be under the influence
of liquor, but answered "To tell Gods
truth l came to steal something"
then conducted him down the corridor
and rang the bell for the servant to lei
him out and went back to bed. We fire.
quently have men come around to the
house when they are drunk, and
thought he was such one. Soon there
was an alarm from the servants quarters
Some one got scared and telephoned
the police and the man was found
crouching behind a refrigerator in the
cellar. l found no other men and al
that story about my brother holding {
desperate william at bay at the muzzle O.
his revolver is absolutely false. Nor il
there any such great amount of plate
in the house. All the sacred vessels in tn,
bishops private chapel are not wortl
over 81 ,000." Frank Harris as the maj
gave his name was arraigned in tn
police court to-day. Father Harry tolC
his story as above. He could not identif,
/ the prisoner as the man who stood befor
his door last night. Harris pleaded guilt,
and was bound over to the superior cour
under 500 bonds. Father Harty's story
was the only testimony received and tn
the trial did not last more than fiv