The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-11-08
4 GRHHNVILLE SCARE.
Prominent Residents Who
Periodically Fear a Visit
of Burglars.
FREE USE OF THE REVOLVER.
In Some Cases, People Say the
Burglars We're Real Ghosts
Many Experiences.
FREE USE OF THE REVOLVER.

Two or three times a year there is a
general burglar scare in G~reenvills.
During these periods many steady clti-
zens get the fever. and the timid ''regu-
lars" are on pins and needles. They are
full Of unrest, and each new report of
burRlarious depredations cnDjures up new
terrors for them,
The members of his latter class 90 not
denies TO give full sway to their thief
hunting ~propensiiies. There is a running
series of small alarms kept up at all
times by these people. So long as they
do O flourish firearms they do not annoy
their n~eignbors to any extent.
These people are mostly young newly
married couples. These uJero their
timiditv in a snort time. Parties who
have just moved from ii more densely
popul ated district are usually seized with
the plague In its most desperate char
acter.
Duling the prevalence Of the periodical
scares it becomes almost the style to be
worried by burglars and anyone who
could secure a genuine ~burglarious at
tempt 10 enter his OR her house might
aspire to the dignity of a social leader.
AT these times burglary might be said to
be the fad Of Greenville society.
Mr.. Hicks Of Garfield avenue is gem
orally believed to have been seized by
the fever when he fired Two shots from.
his revolver some weeks ago. Many
broadly HUT at it being very likely that
there was no one Gear the house Gu that
occasion. His experiences set the gossips'
tongues wagginR. Many ara the stories
which have been luggsa forth from the
recesses Of peoples memories n re-
ceuntsd to the mutual satisfaction of all
parties. Some or these are decidedly in~
reresting. A few. which were told me,
are sufficiently so to dsssrve repetition
here. The beauty OF them all Is The fact
that they are authentic.
MISS A~RMsTRoNG'S EXPERIENCE.
Major William II. Armstrong of No, 8
Linden avenue had an experience simi-
lar to that Of Mr.. A. Reid's. nearly three
months ago. His mystery" dir~
fered slightly in is manifestation; and, in
fact, that still remains unexplained.
Que evening about nine o'clock Miss
Anna Armstrong, the Majors daughter,
found a small bullet, evidently from a
22-calibre revolver, oil the floor of her
room, in the northwest corner of the
house. She showed it to her father, and
with him made an examination of the
room to discover the spot on the floor,
wall, Ccll1u& VI thlb0h9 w - AZ uShs
No such spoil was found, nor for a long
time could they discover where iG entered.
Then ON pulling back tho curtain OF a
window looking IN the direction of Gar
field avenue, a hole three inches in diam~
eter was discovered. The hole vas pers
fectly round. and because OF its size
plainly showed that the bullet travelled
very slowly and was nearly spent when it
struck the pane. Had tne bullet struck a
foot and q half lower it would have
smashed the mirror of n dressing case.
Or, worse still, 1t might have Inflicted a
dangerous wound, on anyone standing in
front Of the mirror. 1t has not been pos
sible to discover who fired the shot, nor
Is it known at what time 1t was fired.
The Major thinks it mlght have been u
small boy with a toy pistol saved from
the celepration of the Fourth of July,
q BIG DOG SCARED THEM.
One OF the very rare real burglary cases
happened some seven years ago. Mr..
James H. Grady Their occupied Que of his
own houses on Hooker avenue, Mrs, Grady
when alone ia the house during the day.
| was frequently annoyed by some of the
harum-scarsm tricks of the car stable
| gang. whose hang out" Is mot far away.
They did no serious harm, however. One
winters evening, as 1t was growing dark,
she was sitting alone 10 the back of the
house. Mr.. Grady had not yet
OOhA0 Il $500 AAoSSos W no
not expected until rather late
in the evening. Happening to look
up from the ancy- work sne was 1nish4
ing before lighting the lamps she dis
tinctly saw the heads OF two men over
the top of the fence. They remained
| there a few moments as IL the owners
were taxing a survey Of house and yard.
Then 1t was evident they did not see Mrs.
| GRADY for one of the characters threw his
leg over the top of the fence and started
to climb over. Instantly the huge New
~foundland dog which was sleeping near
by gave q snarl and sprang for the man's
leg. Leg, heads and men disappeared as
If by magic. aud though the family were
on edge all night expecting a burgiarlous
attack none was made. That Same nlght
a house on the opposite side of the street
occupied by the Everiett family was
entered and robbed.
PERHAPS IT WAS GHOSTS.
Mrs. Benson, the mother of Judge
Robsrr S. Hudspeth. had a peculiar
experience late Que night over a year ago.
AT one time they were liy ing In the big
stone house now occupied by the Green
vile Yacht Club and used as clubhouse.
The house is In a very lonely spot, which
is only kept from being entirely deserted
by the travel to and from tbs yacht club.
AT that time this travel haa not Jet ma
terlalized.
One night, about half past eleven
o'clock, Mrs. Benson heard some one
walk upon the porch aad try the door.
She thought it was her son Robert and
waited, expecting to near him unlock
the door and enter the house. This not
happening, she decided that he must
have forgotten his key. She had not yet
retired, althou gh she was then in her
room on The Isecond floor. She went to
the door and was going to open it, but for
some unknown reason did not do 1t. In
stead she called out, SIS that you. sBobp"
There was no reply. SO she repeated
her query. Still no answer save a shake
OF the door. "Well, l don't iutend to open
that door until you answer. Bob" she
declared rssolutely. Only another shake
of tne door replied. Tae old lady Is not
easily frightened. but to say she was
startled by this experience was putting
it mildly. INT person or persons. for AZ
times she fancied there were more han
one, proved very persistent. Certainly.
one person ven all around the house,
and tried windows, shutters and doors
for some ten or fifteen minutes. Then
no further sound was heard until Rob-
ert arrived about twelve o'clock, He had
Just stepped off the train from New
York, and said so when asked II he had
been near the house before that evening.
Mrs. Benson connected the performance
with the legend Of the house as told in
THE JERSEY CITY NEWS two years ago.
&c. nunrthad rko Watt fn -hnef. Thova