Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-12-13

Thieves.
The Greenville postoffice on the Ken
nett turnpike is becoming a veritable
Burglars Paradise" Notwithstanding
the fact that this place has been broken
period of four years, and four of the
burglars caught red handed by Assistant
Postmaster George DeGodt, the thievery
goes right on and Greenville is becoming
the mecca for the most daring and ven
tursome robbers of the country for miles
around.
The most recent daring robbery at the
Greenville postoffice was perpetrated about
a. m. last Thursday and the community
is excited. George DeGodt, the assistant
postmaster at Greenville, who has made a
record as q burglar catcher was aroused
about l o'clock by the ringing Of the
burglar alarm which connects the post
office and the store with his residence.
The postoffice is about one.eighth of
mile distant from the DeGodt residence,
and the minute any one forces an entrance
to the Office in the night time it sets off
the alarm in Mr.. DeGodts house. When
the alarm went off that morning DeGodt
awoke with a start. He said to his wife,
Burglars have broken into that post
office again, and it's dollars to doughnuts
I'll wing one of the birds before l return
to the house again." and wing him he did.
Mr.. DeGodt hurriedly dressed himself
and started for the postotfiCe by a circuit
our route in order to come upon the
burglars unawares. He stopped at the
house of David Holl, a neighhor who lives
on the road and the latter agreed to join
him in the burglar hunt. Holl was armed
with pistol while DeGodt, to make sure
of his aim, carried a double-barre shotgun.
When DeGodt and his companion got
within 80 yards of the postotfice, they saw
a standing ia gtI If
the building. Raising his gun to his
shoulder and taking aim at the burglar
DeGodt commanded him to throw up his
hands or he would blow him full Of holes.
SHOTS EXCHANGED.
The burglars only reply was to turn on
the postmaster and fire pistol ball at him.
The bullet whizzed past the assistant post
masters ear, but fortunately did not strike
him. With this parting shot and a second
bullet to warn the postmaster that he
meant fight, the burglar broke away and
fled rapidly in the direction of Mr.
z DeGodt's house. The latter opened fire on
him again, disehargns the other barrel at
the fleeing burglar. This time Mr..
DeGodts aim was more secure and he
winged the desperate, but failed to bring
him to the earth. He clapped his hands
to his back, uttered a gToan but kept on
running, although he slackened his pace
and would probably have been captured
but for the intense darkness, which
afforded an avenue Of escape. Messrs
DeGodt and Holl pursued the burglar a
quarter of mile below the postotiice where
he ESCAPED in the darkness,
When the fugitive passed the assistant
postmaster's house. Mrs. DeGodt, who had
been attracted to the window by the
fusilade of shots, caught sight of che fugi-
tive and began screaming at the top of her
voice, fearing that her husband had been
shot by the burglar. She says the culprit
was running as though he experienced
great pain, and his body was doubled up.
Her screams turned the course of the fugi-
tive and he soon sped away in the distance
WHAT WAS LEFT BEHIND.
After the chase was over DeGodt and his
neighbor returned to the postottiCe and
made an investigation. They found kit
of burglar tools, which the man had dis
carded in his flight, and hasty examina.
ton showed that an entrance had been
effected by boring row of holes in the
panel of the door and then knocking the
panel out with sledge'hammer. Once
inside the Office the work of opening the
safe was begun. A hole was drilled along
side OF the combination, and then the safe
door was hammered and beaten by the
sedge until it flew open. The burglary
was interrupted just ut this stage of the
game by the appearance of Mr.. DeCiodt
The latter says that when he first an
preached the Office there was a light burn
ing inside, and after he returned from the
burglar hunt it had been extingushed
This is regarded as evidence that thert
were two Of the burglars; that the accom-
plice laid low until after the firing haG
ceased, and while Messrs DeGodG ant
Holl were chasing burglar No. /, burglar
Is No emerged from the postotlce an,
escaped unnoticed
THE POLICE NOTIFIED.
j.: As soon as an investigation had beer
tmade of the postutfice and the aiioiuiul
buildings, Mr.. DeGodt seat toiephon
message to police headG larters her
shortly before 2o'clockIhursCay morning
Captain Chambers and Ofiicer Pawn
secured cab and drove to the scene 1,
the burglary. They brought the sledgt
several drills, and the burglars kit to hi
city. The only thing left behind bv til
burglars to furnish the slightest clue /
their Identification, was pair OF dogski
:, gloves, 81 in size, which were found nea
the safe in the postotlice. No booty wa
taken away by the burglars who were dis
turbed before they had completed the
burglarious work.
Mr.. DeGodt furnished the follow
ing description of the burglar who wt
winged in his desperate flight. HE ma
was OF medium stature, about 40 wears {
age, wore SLOUGH hat and sort of grd
overcoat tightly buttoned. As near Is tt
postmaster could observe the man NJ
white. After he passed the DeGudt hou,
the craftsman fled in the direction ,
Wilmington.
When asked to give his reasons for iii
epidemic of burglaries at Greenvlle
late, Mr.. DeGodt stated that the place Wa
lonely one and in view of the TACT thi
there was postOtliCe and railroad static
combined, in addition to the lumber an
coal office Of William Green Il Co, II
burglars had probably got it into the
heads that the place would be good OF
TO crack without getting caught, hent
the nemerous depredatipns IN that neigI
borhood. Mr., Green is the regular Do,
master, but of late years, most Of the vol
has fallen upon Mr.. DeGodt, the assistan
THESE WE'RE CONVICTED.
The records of the United States distri
court show that three men have been co
victed of burglarizing the Greenville nos
office, while there were four cases in whi,
the culprits escaped On January Isl
1889, John Smith, colored, WIGS convict,
and sentenced To six months iuprIgo
ment. January 18th, 1880 David IuhnSo
colored, was convicted and got one year
New Castle. Then came Thomas
NorcrOss, who was convicted OH Apl
4th, 1891, and get two years in the Kin
County Penitentiary. All of these m)
were captured by MIR. DeCiodt with the a
Of lie aI1f Hal t,r,