Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-24
Two Burglars Attempt to Rob
a House of $4,000 in
Diamonds.
MRS. DAVIS SHOWS NERVE.
She Assists Her Husband to Capture
Two Desperate Thieves.
HEBREW FESTIVAL INTERRUPTED.
Both Men Carried Chloroform to Aid Them
in Their Work.
ONE OF THEM HAS VERY BAD RECORD


all-around crook, and smoosh-look-
ing young man, gentelly dressed
and giving the name of d. Jor-
dan, were arrested last evening while
making preliminary arrangements for big
haul Their intended victim was Barney
Davis, the travelling jeweler, who livesat
124 Washington street. In the safe, which
stands in the dining room of the house, was
$40, 900 worth of diamonds and watches, the
booty which the thieves were after
The thieves had been found in the house
of Mrs. Fink, No. 100 Washington street, a
short time previous, but were chased away
before they could lay hands on anything
Davis and his wife had been to church and
returned about s o'clock. Supper was
ready when they arrived home. After the
meal the family sat down in the kitchen
and talked together for time.
Found Visitors in the Hall.
At about 8:45 o'clock Davis arose and
went out in the hallway. The gas was not
lighted. Friday is the Sabbath of the or
thodox Hebrews, to whose faith Davis be-
longs, and no fires or lights save that of one
candle are burned during the night.
After looking about for a few minutes he
returned to the kitchen and sat there for
awhile. The family includes four children
and Davis mother.
The children were tired and asked their
mother to put them to bed. While Mrs.
Davis was upstairs her husband again went
in the hallway to close the front door. On
opening the inside door, back of which
there is a screen, he found a young man
standing on the steps. The fellow was
dressed very neatly, and seemed about to
rap on the inside door. He was too farFin
to pull the bell, and the fact made Davis
suspicious for moment only.
The Unwelcome Visitor Was Insistent.
When asked what he wanted the young
man replied that he was looking for Morris
Samuels, whom he thought lived at that
number. On being informed that no such
person had ever lived at the house the man
expressed some surprise. Mr.. Davis told
him that he knew a Morris Samuels, who
lived on Chatham street, but the stranger
replied that it was not the same. He insisted
upon telling Davis that he thought the man
he was seeking lived or boarded in the
house, and more than half dozen times he
had to be informed that no such person was
in the house or ever had been there.
He kept pushing Davis backward all the
while, until that gentleman's face was on
level with the panel of the parlor door,
which is about nine feet from the front
entrance. Suddenly the light from the
Sabbath candle, which burned on the dining
room table, shone for an instant on the hall
wall rejecting the face of man who
crouched at the entrance to the parlor.
A Fight With Two Burglars.
Davis instantly grabbed both men by the
coat collars, and they closed with him.
Davis is a powerfully built man. about 5
feet 10 inches tall. He let one of the fel-
lows go for moment and with heavy
blow knocked him at ms feet He repeated
the dose to the other and then called
his wife. The man who had
been in the parlor was George Grogan and
he was the first to attempt to rise. He put
his hand in his back pocket as ii to draw a
revolver, when Davis struck again, this
time to render the burglar insensible for a
short time. He warned both men that he
would kill either one of them if they at
tempted to move.
Jordan pleaded to be let 60 swearing
that he was only looking for his friend.
Davis told him that he didn't understand
why they entered his house, and if they
could satisfactorily explain their presence
to an officer he would be willing to let them
60.
Mrs. Davis Displays Courage.
Davis wife arrived on the scene in
little while, followed by the children and
old Mrs. Davis. The young woman grabbed
one of the fellows whom her husband was
holding on the floor, and displayed admira-
BILE nerve in telling him that he should re-
main where he was until the police were
notified. Considerable uproar, created by
the prisoners, brought number of the
neighbors to the house. A couple of
the men kept the burglars under watch
while Mrs. Davis and one of the children
went after Officer Elmore The latter
placed both men under arrest
After being taken to the station small
bottle of chloroform was found on the par
lor floor. AT the station house two more
bottles of the same drug were found on Gro
gan's person and one on Jordan's Beside
this revolver was taken from Grogan.
They Were Discovered Too Soon.
The intention of the burglars was to get
at the safe in the dining room. They must
have known that Friday was Sabbath at
the Davis home and that the family went
early to bed. Had they not been discov-
cred so soon they could have gone to work
on the safe within half an hour.
Grogan is all old offender, who lately
served three years in the Western Peni-
tentiary for robbing the saloon of Phillip
Tress, on Grant street, under the most daring
circumstances after effecting an entrance
through the skylight by means of ladder.
He gave his address at the Eleventh ward
station as the Twelfth ward. Jordan de-
scribed himself as a clerk, living at 276
Shady lane. Both men will be given a
hearing to-day.