Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-02-21
BURGLARS QUICKLY CAUGHT
Captured Within Two Hours
Of Their Burglary.
WITH THEIR PLUMBER
Given a Hearing and Held In
Bail for Court.
Sunday Night Burglary at the House OF
George Hillsley, No. West Eleventh
Street.-The Perpetrators Arrested as
They Were About to Leave the City
with Their Burglary.


They Were About to Leave the City
with Their Burglary.
George Hlllsley, superintendent OF
the Arlington mills, together with his
family, went to church shortly after
o'clock Sunday night, taking good care to
securely fasten tine house just previous
to their departure as safeguard against
burglars. On his return Mr.. Hillsley
was surprised to see the dwelling all
illuminated and his surprised was in
creased when he learned that the house
had been visited by burglars. They ram
sacked the house from top to bottom.
The discovery threw the household into
a state of excitement.
One OF the first steps taken by Mr..
Hillsley was to go to police headquarters
and notify the police. Detective Witsil
was sitting in the station house, and ac-
companied by Police Sergeant George
Black, hurried to Mr. Hillsley's resi-
dencc, No. West Eleventh street.
They found Patrolman Peterson on
deck, and the trio hastily completed the
investigation.
Meantime, Chief Dolan and Captain
Chambers were doing lot of guessing
as to who the probable burglars were.
The names of several culprits appeared
and disappeared before the chiefs mind.
| He had about concluded that he knew
who the burglars were, when PATROL
man Peterson telephoned to the police
station that he saw William Dutton,
alias Fuller" and William Harris, alias
''Bonnie," at Eleventh and Market
streets early in the evening and drove
them off the corner. Patrolman Welch
saw Harris at Twentieth and Market
streets a short while before. He re-
marked to Officer Todd, "There's q
mug who ought to be down in the
blue book, meaning Chief Dolan's
rogue's gallery.
The messages of these officers tended
to confirm the belief of Chief Dolan that
Dutton and Harris had "cracked" Mr..
Hillsley's house, and a few minutes later,
when the district officers began to make
their reports to Operator Kane, he
notified them OF the robbery and eau
toned the patrolmen to keep sharp
lookout for the supposed burglars Harris
and Dutton. In this manner the news
OF the robbery was sent flying all over
the city, SO that almost every policeman
was apprised of the depreciation short
time after it occurred. !
|
to the p, w. 81 B. station TO board q
train for Philadelphia, Captain Cham
bers telephoned to Patrol Sergeant
notify the men ON that district to keep
sharp lookout for the burglars. 1t just
happened that Patrolman Shields was
sitting in the patrol station when the
report of the robbery came in; he
bounded out and ran almost against
Policeman Maloney, who was getting
ready to send in his report.
Upon suggestion by Shields, Officer
Maloney started down Front street to-
wards Walnut, keeping his eye open
for game. He had gotten short dis
tance below Walnut when he saw
Dutton and Harris making their way
towards the station. They were pre-
pairing to take the accommodation train
for Philadelphia. But Maloney nipped
their plans in the bud, and hustled them
off to the patrol station, whence they
ware seat to the City Hall.
When Patrol Sergeant McDermott
turned the prisoners over to Turnkey
Little, the latter searched them and
found their pockets stuffed with stolen
silyerware. Harris took handful of
silver spoons out of his pocket and
hurled them against the ceiling, saying /:
Here's what you are looking fer, Mr..
Little~ An inventory was taken of
the prisoners pockets, which revealed q
half dozen triple-plated silver knive1
and forks, u dozen solid silver teaspoons,
100 years old; two napkin rings, ono
gold ring, pair of gold-rimmed eye
glasses, tVzcn fruit knives, silver sugar
spoon, dozen tablespoons, meerschaum
pipe and silver thimblc. The stolen
, property was piled up on House Ser
geant Duraey's desk. Turnkey Little
led tho prisoners away to a cell.
! Mr.. lIillsley was notified of the arrests
and came to the police station to identify
his property. He was elated over the
} recovery of the goods and complimented
the police force on the rapidity with
which the burglars had been appre-
: hendeG. 1t is one of the quickest
catches in the history of local police
: records. Within half an hour after the
burglary was reported at the police sta
J ton Patrolmen Shields and Maloney
had the culprits in custody.
In municipal court Monday Dutton
and Harris were given hearing, Mr.,
Hillsley testified to the facts concerning
the robbery and identified the stolen
property, amounting in value to about
800. N. f. Hadley, Mr.. Hillsley's
brother.in-law, said the gold eyeglasses
/ belonged to him. The prisoners had
nothing to say in explanation of the
| burglary. Judge Ball held them in
$1,000 bail for the upper court.
Mr.. Hillsley said there were $500 in
the house which the burglars overlooked.