The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-31
FORCED OPEN.
Continued From Page l.

IL happened that Captain Jerome M.
| Fitz Gerald of General Kendalls stan, and
son of the owner of the building, went
into the building at about that
time, time to ca call 70 az ss, ao%s rlase coms. RE.
which were being mounted for him.
When he reached the landing in front Of
| the office he saw two men standing in the
dark and accosted them with: "What
| do you want? ?"
see Place q Peterson. but guess there
shut up" ~ should say they were; it's
all dark in mere, replied Capt. Fitz Ger
aid. And then, to satisfy himself, he tried
the office door and found it locked. Then
the trio went down stairs, one OF the
the other ''sojering" along be-
hind. When the outer door was
reached the front man got out
| hurriedly and slammed the door in Cap
tain Fitz Gerald's face. The latter thought
that was strange, but politely held the
door open for the man behind him, al
though he "kicked himself" for doing
| 1t at the time When Captain Fitz Gerald
reached the sidewalk (the entrance sets
| in from the street about 10 feeD the first
man was out of sight and the other was
walking rapidly up Friendship street,
| toward Richmond.
One OF the men carried a box, about
appeared to be a common unpainted box
| with cover and handle, and looked as III
| il might be heavy.
These two men were also seen by John
| Mason, the blacksmith opposite, shortly
before, who saw them place the box on
| pile of lumber side of the new building In
the process of erection across the street.
He heard one man say to the other, II
| don't think we can do it,"
| Thus, it is thought, these men were the
robbers. They have been described to the
| police as follows: Both were neatly
and 40 years OF age, ana
about five feet eight inches
| tall. One was darker compiexioned than
the other and each had a moustache. The
man wore dark clothes and black derby
hat, the other wore what appeared TO be
dark brown overcoat. One weighed
about 1876 pounds and the other was
| heavier.
The most reasonable theory about their
| gaining entrance is this: Last night
Place, Peterson q Co. did not lock the
outer door as usual, because the employees
of j. Il. Maintionson, enameler, who
occupies the floor below, were working
little later than usual. So, after Captain
| Fitzgerald had disappeared, the men
| probably returned and went up stairs,
| After everybody was out OF the
building and the door locked for the
|
spring lock on the outer door and locked
| themselves into the building. Then, GO
| ing into Pace, Peterson a. Co.'s Office, the
| door of which was secured by COM
mon lock, which could be opened
easily, ,aoot they put ana ,Sns ssrsw ooEsS ln.9
| themselves into the office. When they
left the building they pried off the outer
| door jam, so the old fas hioned lock would
| give way, turned the latch and made
| their exit.
Policeman Kane patrols that part Of
| ing, at 6:15 o'clock, notified the engineer,
| Patrick Killkenney, that the door at
| No. 7S was unlocked. This is as far as
| the police officer went in the pursuance OF
| his duty, 1t Is said, and no report 81 find
ing the door open was made at the police
| station, IL Is understood.
The building in which the robbery was
committed Is one of a cluster OF brick
blocks owned by Mr.. Fitz Gerald and
bounded by Friendship, Eddy and Cliff
! ford streets.
| There was a watchman named John A.
Benson whose duty it was, according to
| Captain Fitz Gerald, to visit all the stair
ways and landings in all the buildings at
| regular intervals, and especially that oc-
cupied by Mr. Fitz Gerald on Eddy street,
where watch clock is kept. Ii seems,
however, that Mr.. Benson must have
| neglected the Friendship street building
| and know nothing about the matter.
Mr.. Benson says that during the earlier
| part OF the evening 1t is his duty to go
through that pn-t OF the building occu-
| pied by Place, Peterson a Company and
see that the doors are all secured. He
| then locks the street door and does not 60
near II again during the night, but opens
| il in the morning.
| The brand new spring lock the robbers
used to strengthen their fortifica,ion, so
| TO speak, was removed by Detective Swan
who will proceed to discover where 1t was
| purchased and thus obtain q description
OF the purchaser. That may lead to the
| capture of the robbers.
In an interview with Mr.. Peterson this
morning he stated that in his opinion
| the work was that OF jewellers,
| for no other, he thought, would
have opened each paper containing the
stones and picking out the valuable throw
the practically worthless away: Then,
| too, they knew enough TO leave the alloy
copper alone and that was found on the
| floor.
| Mr.. Silverman said be had worked hard
making his designs, most of them in silver,
there being 5000 pieces in all, aud their
worth to him. representing so many years
labor, was inestimable. "pll give 200 TO
anybody who can help me to find them,"
| he said.
After the robbers completed their rob-
bing, they evidently had little time for
rest and sorting, for in the workshop,
near the office door, q chair was drawn up
TO bench, the shop towel was on the
floor, which was Uttered with dirt and
scraps, and papers were lying about.
Place, Peterson Co., have been in busi-
ness good many years, about nine of
which have been spent in their present
location. They are rushed with orders,
which must be filled, and their entire
force OF IL hands will keep right on with
| the work.
| About 900 worth OF solid gold rings
were returned TO Mr.. Peterson this morn
ing from Johan T. Drinan, the chaser,
who does most OF the chasing for the firm
and should have been returned last even.
| ing.
Mr.. o. A. Place, the head OF the firm, is
on the road with about 600 worth of
samples. lie is expected home tonight.
The firm has for long time looked for
something OF the kind, "fcr," said Mr..
Peterson, "it Is a soft job. There was not
better spot for the burglars TO tackle than
|