Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-06
4 BOLD 3 U R GL A R
Breaks Into the Sub Post Office at Pains
lexington Drug Store
Despite Great Clamor He Continues at
Window and Escape.

A burglar, bold to the point of downright
tmpudence, broke into the drug store of j.
N. Pain, at the corner of North Capitol and
r streets. in lexington, about midnight
last night and coolly proceeded to pack up
goods preparatory to removing them in
spite of the warnings and repeated cries of
frightened woman, the blowing of po-
lice whistle and a general outcry of alarm.
Only when a pistol was fired to increase
the noise did the thief desist in his ap-
parent determination to loot the establish
ment and make his escape.
Pains drug store is also a substation of
the city post office, being numbered 1er and
in addition to thriving pharmaceutical
and soda water trade. transacts large
amount of postal business, the sale of
stamps being particularly large. Mr.. Pain,
the proprietor of the store, and superinten-
dent of the substation, lives at No. IL r
street, but his fathers family, including his
sister, Miss Lille, and his small brothers,
reside above the store. The elder Pain is
away. Last night Miss Pain was attract
ed by noise, and, looking out of the side
window. saw rough-looking white man
below endeavoring to pry up the drug store
window. She asked him what he wanted,
and. receiving no answer, threatened to
scream If he didn't go away.
Most Amazing Impudence.
For a reply the man deliberately walked
over to the other lower window, and raising
his elbow. drove it through the glass pane.
Then he inserted his hand. unfastened the
catch and, raising the window, climbed in
to the store.
Miss Pain screamed at the top of her
voice, and called as we'll to a passerby on
the other side of the street that a burglar
was in the store below, and asked his as
sistance. The individual addressed told
Miss Pain she was daft and had better go
H. dor 70 nf
the thief. AS he disappeared, Letter Car
rier George Gerhausen, who was making
the midnight collec ton, came running to
the scene and blew the distress call on his
police whistle. While he was Justify walk
ing the echoes, one of Miss Pains little
brothers fired pistol out of the window In
the air. At this the burglar concluded he
had better decamp, and he took a novel
way of doing it.
Carried the Show Window Out.
There was crash of glass in front, and
when the letter carrier got around there the
front show window was lying on the side
walk and the burglar, who had jumped
through it, carrying 1t with him in his
fight, had escaped. Three policemen ar
rived at this juncture, two of them coming
from P street. The fleeing burglar had
passed them, but they thought he was some
one going for assistance and did not stop
him,
An examination of the premises showed
the burglar had packed up a large guam
tity of cigars, tobacco and other goods on
a counter preparatory to carrying them off
In his flight he left a large revolver of the
old Colts army pattern, his shoes, chisel,
jimmy and brace and bit.
Mr.. Pain says this makes the third time
in three months that his place has been
broken into. The last time two policemen
coming on duty saw a man standing be-
tween the two bay windows of the store,
one of the windows being up. They took
him to the station without making an eX
animation of the premises and found a
loaded revolver on him. He was given six
months in jail for concealed weapons. 1t
developed few minutes after the officers
left with their prisoner that his confederate
was in the store, as he emerged from the
raised window shortly afterward, carrying
: with him the contents of the cash drawer.
Mr.. Pain said today that it would be ex-
tremely difficult for any one to steal the
post office, as it was securely protected, and
long time would be needed to get at it.
The visitor was evidently a professional,
and the detectives are engaged upon the
case. 1t is probable that he did not escape
being cut by glass when he made his flying
leap through the show window, and maybe
from this his apprehension will be made
possible. To-.
There has been considerable complaint in
lexington of late about the laxity of police
surveillance, and it is stated that the citi-
Zens will use the occurrence of last night to
emphasize their demand for better service.