The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-25
INCREASE OF CRIME
BURGLARIEs AND THEW
ING REPORTED EVERY DAY.
the Record of Mr.. Powelrs
Force.

cumbency OF the last Administration the
cry was raised from time to time by the
saloon element and its sympathizers that
too much attention Was being paid by the
police to the enforcement of the liquor
laws, and that as a consequence other law
violators were allowed TO pursue their
course unmolested. 1t was asserted that
robbers, highwaymen and fotpads felt Sc
cure in plying their vocations, confident the
police were too much occupied in watching
saloon doors to pay any attention to them.
Before the last city election 1t was con-
fidently anticipated by som that highway
robbery and house-oreaking would cease il
the police were instructed to pay less atten-
ton to the saloons and devote more time
to other la wbreakers. Anyone who has
read the daily papers for the last two
months must be convinced that instead of
decreasing this class OF lawlessness has
increased. The records at the station house
show Incidents OF all sorts of crimes COM
mitted, from the robbery OF groceries, drug
stores, tailoring establishments and meat
shops to the looting OF a church and day.
light robberies on street cars. as well as
numerous h~old-ups by footpads and opera
tons of CON men and short-change
workers.
Nov. IL DIR. Metcalfs drug store. at the
corner of Massachusetts avenue and YER
mont street, was burglarized. 500 worth Of
merchandise and a lot OF cash being Sc
cured. On the same night a citizen was
knocked down and robbed almost in the
glare of an electric light, at an hour when
scores OF people were passing along the
street. On the same night robbers broke
into Christ Church and looted a desk. The
next night thieves entered the home of j..
c: knisely, in North indianapolis, and stole
his pocketbook.
During the week following these occur
rences a gang was busy working the troll
ly racket" on the street cars. The puDlic is
familiar witt their methods or operating.
The gang would board a car and at some
convenient place throw the troIly on the
wire. While the conductor had his arms
mp trying TO replace Ii the gang would go
through his pockets and rifle them. This
scheme was tried on several occasions, but
after the first night 1t was in operation the
men were warned by superintendent Nc
Lean and were on their guard Nov. IL the
gang boarded a North Noble-street car,
one of them taking a seat near a passen-
ger. Near Spring street the passenger took
a wallet from his pocket and rendered the
conductor a quarter. At the same moment
the car was plunged INTO darkness by the
was wrested from his hands and the culprit
forced his way to the rear platform. where
ne Joined his confederates and the trio es-
capped together. AS soon as the loss was
known and the passenger could alight he
gave chase to the fleeing highwaymen, but
Jllry tSCdptu. liz pOllC6 c OtbiCo ~
once, but up to this time have not succeed
ed In capturing the men. Later the same
evening the trio boarded a Massachusetts
avenue car and tried 20 rob conductor Wis
hey. Wisbey was on the lookout for the
men and when the trolly of his car was
thrown from the wire he seized one of the
men and turned him over to the motorman,
after which he pursued the others.
They were not overtaken, and from the
Makers Union saturdav Of last week on a
street car they are presumed TO he at large
in this city, ready to ply their trade at the
tured by Wlsbey was positively Identified
by the conductor and motorman of the
North Noble-street car as one of the gang
senger was robbed of his wallet, and il is
thought the passenger would. be able to
identify him as the man who stole his
known 10 the police. and no efforts have
been made to locate him, although his
evidence would probably. be conclusive
sentence to the penitentiary.
"SHORT-CHANGE" MEN.
The night before tire street car robberies
a gang attempted to work the short
change racket" at IS Fort Wayne avenue.
They were unsuccessful in their attempts,
and hastily left the store when they dis
covered the proprietor was not to be swim
died. The police were at once given an ac-
curate description OF the men, but so far
as is known nave failed to arrest them.
Richard Irish. a switchman employed in
the Union railway yards, was knocked down
on South East street and robbed of $40
while on his way home from work on the
night of the 18th of this month. He was
picked up on. the street in an unconscious
condition and conveyed to his home.
physician was called and made an examina-
ton, He found a lump on the back of the
mans head that was evidently made by
the blow of a slune-shot.
The same night later John ID. Gauld,
druggist at the corner of Indiana avenue
who looted his place. About a hundred dol
lars worth of money, jewelry and postage
stamps was secured. This was one of the
most daring robberies recently reported,
No marks of housebreaking were discov-
cred the next morning, and the only way
to account for the entrance of the men is
by supposing they sneaked in at a back
door during the early part OF the evening
and secreted themselves in the basement
moiested after the store was closed for the
night. Mr.. Gauld had a small safe with a
combination lock in his store. but it was
preservation of valuable papers and jew.
elry In case of fire. The money drawer
change. Was LEFT unlocked, and the he rob6er.
secured Its contents. amounting TO abou'
sl2 There was a dismond rims and lady.
propriated. On the front counter, within
ten feet Of the glass front door, was :
ppt ennyI in nIsin 2is SHe w ,Sa gum machine; i
1k0Na 80 80 NV Va AhN ~ IUL
fident were the robbers that no one woulc
modest them that they took this machin,
from the top OF the counter and Uried Al
open with a chlsel. after which they secured
the pennies IL contained and replaced it or
the case. Failing to find money in the safe
the robbers decided to emOve the combina
ton. They found a screw driver on tn.
premises with which they removed the tir
plate from the inside of the safe door, afteI
to remove the bolts ana interior mechanism
of the lock. What their object was in TAX
ing the lock is not known. but some wa.
has suggested it was either TO show how
certain they We're of not being interferet
with. or else they wanted to study tn,
mechanism of the lock. so they would know
how such locks work, thereby preparin,
themselves for opening other safes.
On the night of the drugstore robber
housebreakers entered the meat shop o
NJ. j. Burke. a few doors south OF the dru,
store, on West street. An entrance we
effected in this case through the cellar
the h0usebreakers raising a trap door II
the street leading down into the basement
They came up an inside stairway into tn,
meat shop, but secured only a lot of oil
coin, valuable only as relics. Burke has
locked and no money is kept in it. The,
made their exit through a back door, which
was left unlocked. After robbing the mea
shop the same gang tried TO break int,
tho back door OF Mendell Bros grocer,
store. on the next corner south. The fam
lily lives above the store, and one of NJ
Mendelis sisters was aroused by the noise
The men were frightened away by tn
barking of a dog.
n YOUNG LADY \ VICTIM.
Earlier in the evening of the nigh