The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-03-07
POLICE OUT OF Sight
Citizen Had to Ring Up an
Ambulance to Take a Thief
He Caught.

Mrs. William Mulvey of No. 731 Grand
street, at the Junction" left her home for
a few minutes this morning to do an errand,
and returned at about 9:45 o'clock. She had
left her mother in the house, but the old
lady went away soon after her daughter.
Mrs Mulvey, not knowing but what her
mother was still at home, was not surprised
upon returning to find the kitchen door un-
locked. She entered and, throwing aside
ting room. Between the kitchen and sit
ing room is a bedroom. She had just crossed
the threshold of the bedroom when a man
hurried past her. She thought nothing
of it at first, as the house
pass through the rooms continually. She
was rather surprised, however, when after
passing her he broke into a dead run. 1t
was then that she noticed that he was not
dressed in working clothes and this aroused
her suspicious. At the same time she
noticed that the bureau drawer was pulled
out and the contents tumbled about. She
realized that he was thief and was con-
firmed in this opinion by the fact that her
mother was not in the rooms.
She turned and ran after him, reaching the
kitchen door just in time to see him
tumble headlong down the stairs, he having
tripped in his hurried fight. She ran to the
drawer to make sure that he had really
stolen something and found S12 missing
a wallet which she kept there. She then ran
to the front window and called out to Samuel
Lockwood, young painter who was vanish
ing the front door:
"Sam! SamI did you see which way that
man went He's robbed me-"
SAM IN PURSUIT.
Sam cfa 1stnd i'm ruISIIIt of the thief who
had turned the corner of Randolph avenue
and made towards the railroad. When
Lockwood turned the corner the thief was
just disappearing from view down Harmon
street. The young painter hurried his
steps and was soon within few PAGES OF him:
At Bender's soloon which is on Garfield
avenue near the railroad, Lockwood caught
the sneak, and, grabbing him by the vest,
held on to him. After struggle for some
time, Sam got the best of the thief and
started toward Communipaw avenue.
Quite crowd collected, but there was no
policeman among them. As the Two walked
along, Sam kept his eyes skinned for an
officer, but none materialiZed, and in the
meantime the captured was struggling hard
with his captor, and it looked many times
as if he would get away. Lockwood held on
however. Some of those who were attracted
to the group. advised Lockwood to let the
man go, but it was s.no go" with the plucky
painter He walked his prisoner down Gar
field avenue and halted him at the corner of
Communipaw avenue, in front OF Frank
Coles drug store.
NO POLICE IN SIGHT.
Here he waited with him for about fifteen
minutes, in the hope that an officer of the
law might be considerate enough to come
along and relieve him of his duties, but the
cops, if there were any within a mile of the
place, had no consideration. He finally
went into the drug store, and telephoning to
the Fourth precinct station house. asked it
an officer might be sent down. Patrolman
Scott was dispatched and in due course ar
rived and claimed the prisoner.
''Scotty" asked him if he did it and the
fellow, diving into his pocket, brought
forth SIP, gold chain and locket and a
ring and handed them over to the officer.
Scot asked him what he did it for and he
said:
II am out of work and can't get a job.
What is q fellow going to dor
He described himself as John Wagner,
fiftv-four years old, no home. He is of
medium stature, thick set, and has hard
looking face and high cheek bones. When
searched he was found to have S1.75 a pair
of kid gloves and a small silver watch. He
was arraigned before Justice Kimmerly.
Mrs. Mulvey, Lockwood and the policeman
gave their testimony, and on that klmmerIy
committed him for trial.
A sneak thief entered the home Of Conrad
Dougherty at No, 5 Manning avenue yester-
day and stole about $50 worth of jewelry.
The police think that maybe Wagner COM
mitted the theft.