New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-22
DEATH HELD OVER HER HEAD.
MRS. VALENTINE G. HALL ROBBED AT THE
POINT OF THE PISTOL.

| THE BOLD THIEF AND HIS ACCOMPLICEs CAUGHT
HE STOLE INTO THE woMANs ROOM ON
A STORMY SUMMERS NIGHT-FRIGHT.
ENED AND ALONE, SHE WAS
FORCED TO GIVE UP HER
VALUABLE DIAMONDS.
william Hickey. a prisoner in the Tombs. was
identified yesterday as the brutal THIEF VINO
robbed Mrs Valentine G. Hall. at the point of
revolver, in her mothers home In this city
two months ago. Two Of his accomplices in
the crime prisoners at the Central Omce
and had made confessions to Inspector Nc
Laughlin. They are Howard Hawks. alias
Charles Wilson, and John ]. Cross. All three
thieves were members of the McGloin gang on
the West Side of the city, before its leader was
hung for MURDER and Hickey was present at
the murder of Detective John Carey by David
Wheeler in Seventh-ave., a year ago, ana was
held some time as a witness
Mrs Hall is the widow OF Valentine u. Hall
and the mother of the well-known tennis-piayer
of that name. She is well known in ew-forK
society. Her home is at Tivoli-on-the-Huosoh.
On the night of August % she was staying WIN
her mother, Mrs Ludlow at No. q East Iwen-
ty-fourth-st., and slept alone In front room on
the second floor of the house. Mrs. LUDLOW was
i'll and was being attended by Mrs. jessie NC
Iaren, a trained nurse. in another room on the
same floor. Four servants, all women, slept on
the top floor. 1t warm, stormy night ana
the windows of Mrs Halls room were raised
to admit the air.
THE THIEF CLIMBS THROUGH THE WINDOW.
Some time after midnight Mrs. Hall was
awakened by an unusual noise in the room, and
she was startled by the sight of mans form
close to her bed She gave scream but was
too much frightened to attempt to leave her
bed Instantly the man, who had been crawl
ing along the floor on his hands and Knees
sprang to his feet and pointed revolver at
Mrs Hall.
"If you move or make any more noise I'll
blow a hole through your head" he said grufiy
Mrs Hall lay still and kept her lips closed
The robber waited few moments still point
ing the revolver at her He appeared 10 De
listening Then he walked softly to the win
dow through which he had entered the room
and spoke i'm low tone to some person out
side Turning back to her bed. he said:
Give up all the money and Jewelry youVe
/ got I'll shoot you"
STRIPPED OF HER PRECIOUS STONES.
Mrs Hall had diamond earrings in her ears.
She took them off and handed them to the rob-
ber She handed to him also a diamond ring,
! breastpin and a silver watch with gold chain
and ball. He placing the articles, worth
| about 81, 900, in his pocket when Mrs McLaren
entered the room. The nurse had heard Mrs
Hall scream and had answered the call The
robber promptly pointed his revolver at the
nurse and said:
stand still there and keep your mouth smut
or ri shoot you"
Mrs McLaren stood trembling. but silent,
while the burglar backed toward the window.
Then the women heard him say:
"Ill leave you now. but don't you make any
racket II you do, I'll come back and shoot
you"
He climbed over the window ledge and dis
| appeared Mrs Hall tainted and the nurse fled
from the room. screaming loudly and awaken
| ing the servants in the house. No one dared
leave the house to summon the police until day
break. Then Of Mrs. Halls earrings was
found in the near the window. 1t had
been dropped by the robber in his flight doubt
less because he had been disconnected by the
sudden entrance Of the nurse. He also had
dropped his loaded revolver in the front area Of
the house.
DETECTIVES ON THEIR TRACK
Inspector Mclaughlin suspected when he
heard Mrs Halls description Of her midnight
visitor that the burglar Hickey. De-
tectives Doran and Grady noticed that Hickey
was much in the company of Hawks and Cross.
On September l6 Hickey arrested on
charge of disorderly conduct. and was COM
| mitted to the Tombs for trial on the charge of
city IL was believed that Hickey had gone
into the homes of several Italians, and had
compelled them to give money to him at the
point Of a pistol. The detectives had not been
able to get the evidence to connect him with
the robbery at Mrs Ludlow's house, but they
continued to keep watch of Cross and Hawks,
and on Thursday night they arrested the two
men i'm Sixth-ave. Cross lived at No. 4O9 Sew
enth-ave., and Hawks at No 5l9 West Twenty
eighth-st They were remanded on FRIDAY
when they refused to tell anything about the
!
terday morning
THE ACCOMPLICES TELL THE STORY
Then. when they were questioned by Inspector
NcIaughln they made confessions and told
how Hickey had induced them to accompany
him To the house in East Twenty-fourth-st. on
the night of the robbery, He had told them
that he had seen a woman. loaded with dia-
monds enter the house, and had found out
that no men were in the house at night. Cross
and Hawks stood on the front stoop. and
raised Hickey their shoulders far enough
to enable him to climb into the front window, at
the second story He disappeared within the
room and remained there a few minutes. Then
he naked his head out OF the window and said:
"'The lady's asleep. Shall hold her up;
Yes" replied Hawks. but hurry up ana get
all the stuff she's got.
utcs he climbed out of the window ana dropped
to the stoop in great hurry. He told cross
and Hawks to meet him later in his nome, at
Eighth-ave and Thirty-ninth-st. and they sep
arated. When Cross and Hawks went 10 see
Hickey he told them that he had got only the
silver watch which he showed To them. Next
day they noticed a diamond earring which he
was wearing in his scarf, and they look IL
/ awav from him although he declared that he
had stolen it in a house in Twenty -sxth-st The
diamond worth about $500, was sold for so to
a bartender named Scott, at SiXth-aVe ana
Twenty y-eighth-st.
The detectives recovered the diamond from
Scott Yesterday Mrs. Hall answered a tele-
gram from Inspector Mclaughlin. and said
/ tbat she would not be able to leave her home
In Tivou for several days Mrs McLaren. how
ever went to the Tombs and Identified Hickey
ne the burglar who robbed Mrs. Hall. Cross
and Hawks will be arraigned In the police court
again to-day.
Circus TRAINS ~ COLLISION.