The sun., 1895-02-07
BURGLARS IN MATTEAW
1HEr sH0oT 4 POLICEMAN AFTER
RoBBING THE POST OFFICE.

A Nisht Waterman First Disposed or by
the Thieves, who Then went TO the
Post once and Biew the Safe Open with
Dynamite, wreckinE the Buiidine-Po-
iiceman snyder shot After = Desperate
struggle with One or the Bureiars.
Three desperate burglars invaded the town Of
Matteawan, which is about three miles inland
from Fishkill Landing. N. V, on Tuesday night,
robbed hardware store In the evening, and at
an early hour yesterday morning went TO tho
Post Office, where they forced an entrance and
proceeded to blow open the safe with dynamite.
on the way they encountered a watchman, and
although the man did not attempt TO interfere
with them In any way, they evidently concluded
that he was better out of the way. and so one Of
them tapped him over the head with q sandbag,
and the three left him lying on the side
walk in the bitter cold. unconscious. After
they had succeeded in blowing open the
safo and extracting RS much of the contents as
they wanted. they cooly picked their way over
thc mass OF debris, which moment before had
c,Ustitutod the front OF the Post Office building.
and started down the main street OF the
town. ;heir plundcr in their pockets and
freshly lit cigars In their mouths. A po-
'Femau who had heard the explosion and
s.lrted to make an Investigation was tackled
H. a hallway by one of the thieves. knocked
down and kicked, and then shot so badly that
he cannot live. That is briefly what happened
in Matteawan yesterday morning, the only other
important fact being that the thieves escaped
and have not been seen or heard of since.
The numerous railway station aud Post Office
burglaries which have taken place In the inn
mediate vicinity of Matteawan within the past
few months and which have evidently all been
the work Of one gang of thieves, led Chief of
Police John Hall to warn shopkeepers in the
town several days ago to securely lock up their
places at night and to take every precaution
against thieves. Chief Hall hasn't q very large
force Of men, but he has kept his entire depart
ment patrolling the business section Of the town
at night OF late, and recently. as an extra pre-
caution, he swore in Jerry Stevenson, burly
young man who has long been acting as q night
watchman for a number OF shopkeepers, as q
special policeman.
Every stranger who has come to town has
been carefully looked over of late. and IL he
looked the least bit suspicious has been watched
by one of Chief Halls Hawkshaws.
On Tuesday afternoon as Policeman Marshall
Snyder standing on the Fountain street
bridge he saw strange man approaching from
the direction of the mountain just back of
the town. The man was tall and well dressed
seen him before, because the man wore
marked in jovial tone:
cold day, Snyder. isn't 1t ~
Policeman Snyder thought that IL was, and
then. as the man disappeared around the corner,
thought no more OF the matter,
About On = hour later ate Ghier HAL m net 9 stranger
him, and the Chief saw nothing suspicious about
him The man the Ghef saW was not
He was short and stout. and the police have
concluded that he and the other man with the
who wrought so much damage In the town q
Il was abont 80 o'clock when Moses Kings
for home. He walked along Main street until
neound suddenly ana almost fell s over the 1S body
Of man lying on the sidewalk.
was unconscious. Kingsley suspected that the
watchman was drunk, and grabbing him by
the shoulder, shook him up a bit, at the same
time crying:
Wake up. Jerry, you're nice watchman.
YOU are"
him again. This time the watchman opened his
YES and, looking sround him, muttered: "oh,
What's the matter with your head ?" asked
kings!ey, and at the same Tine he passed his
left ear he found "a large lump. The skin was
not broken, and Kingsley didn't know what to
How did you do it 2" he asked.
don't know" replied stevenson. struggling
% his feet II think must have slipped and
The watchman added that a man had passed e,
10 attention to the man. and felt sure that he
mad not been assaulted.
stevenson lives IN the building adjoining the
where EMingsley M found him, him; Kingsley started ted
hallway OF his house at the foot OF flight OF
stairs leading to the Offices OF the Newburgh,
Duchess and Connecticut Railroad. He tried to
The man seemed to be getting weaker every
moment. and leaving him on tine stairs Kings.
hlrck no came across Policeman Marshall Sny-
der, and told him OF Stevensons predicament.
snare aaa home and in 80 SrOSnd oS dane and Eep
him up 20 his room"
hastened TO where he had left Stevenson. The
man was resting on the stairs, groaning dis
maliy, Snyder picked him up bodily and car
the bed in his room. lie was about to take the
mans shoes on preparatory 70 undressing him.
when the stiffness or the night was broken by
4 terrific explosion, which fairly shook the
building.
started down the stairs run. drawing his
revolver froIn his pocket as he went AT tho
nc S sn p Psa
front Of the Post Once, and three men in front
o! the building ne WAS coming out OF calmly
evidently had no idea that any one would
sssS ons S hastily SH eoverea his % face sn With
mask. and then one of them sprang
throat and showed him back in the doorway
Snyder tried in vain TO use his pistol. He tried
TO scream for help, but the man had an iron grip
The struggle between the two men was brief
rsr Sns Ihe srsnFeT snyder ~ short
fired II point blank in the mans face. Tine bull
iet entered s H. Snyder mouth, knoeking out two
near the base Of the brain.
Snyder was conscious for several minutes after
being shot, and he says that after the shooting
one OF the other men came In the hallway and