Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-03-11
IN ML-y.1.> y - FotGE.
A JanitOI' - ate Battle with
Y Burglars.
They Wanted the Jeweled Cross in
All Angels Church, but Were
FOiled by Plucky Colored Man,
Gle Fired From His Stronghold in
the Sanctuary.

the Sanctuary.
New York, March 1O.-Single-hand-
ed, Peter Beard held All Angels church
against a gang Of burglars for six
hours. Three times he shot with his
revolver through the door, which the
thieves had broken in.
Right in the heart of the well to do
West Side, at the corner of West End
avenue and Eighty-frst street, stands
All Angels. IJ is one OF the wealthiest
Protestant Episcopal churches in the
town. The rector, the Rev. Dr.. Chas
+. Hoffman, is one OF the millionaire
Hoffman family The church edifce is
his individual gift to the parish. 1t is
a splendid structure OF gray-stOne,
elabOrately carved without and richly
decorated and furnished within. Next
door on Eighty-frst street stands a big
three story brick building. the parish
house. The Rev S. De Lancey Town
send, the associate rector, is in charge
there
The choicest possession Of All Angels
is the jeweled cross, four feet high,
that stands on the altar. Superb spec
linens OF the semi-preciOus stones are
thickly set in its wrought brass, but
the gems of the collection are reserved
for the center and the ends of the arms.
These are taken out after each service
and taken by Beard. the colored jani-
tor, TO the Rev. Mr. TOWnsend's house,
| rrr hfar-
the sacrament is administered. a superb
communion service of solid silver. rich
Z ly chased stands upon the marble altar
Each piece is memorial. offered by
members of the congregation and the
set Is locked up with the jewels when
not in use. The burglars did not know
this evidently, and made a desperate
effort TO get at them
Beard locked up the parish house at
TO p. m, looked at the church doors,
found them bOlted. and went to bed in
the basement Of the church. The main
doors to the church are on tn ! corner
and there is an entrance on West End
avenue, never used save when direct ac-
cess to the chancel from the street is
desired. 1t is hardly ten feet from the
yard from which this side door opens
TO the altar. where the jeweled cross
stands. A storm door. faced with
ground glass. opens from this side en-
trance into the small lobby. The lobby
is guarded by heavy oak door two
inches thick, provided with the reguI-
tion knob and lock.
Beard aWoke as his clock was strik-
ing one. He had heard a noise at the
West End avenue door around the cor
ner from the entrance to his room. He
slipped into his clothes picked up his
loaded revolver and unlocked the door
I leading to the area. his only way of get
ting out. In his hurry he left the door
open and his bunch Of keys in the lock.
| That saved his life and the church's
I property. Noiselessly he sped up the
/ basement steps 10 Eighty-first street.
! hurried to the corner and into West
/ End avenue 10 the gate leading 10 the
chapel entrance. There were men be
hind the glass door Hello, there, he
called, What are YOU doing?"
What business is that OF yours?"
came back.
Beard flung open the storm door Be
hind crouched two men, the same he
/ had seen i'm the evening The men had
Wrenched the knObb off the oak door.
XIII him. cried one of the men.
Beard ran back to his room, The two
men at his heels. He jumped through
the door slammed it and turned the
keys i'm the lock just as his pursuers
fell against the outside of the door.
"He can't hold us said one think
Ing that Beard was simply pushing the
the door against them
Punch him back them cried the
other
The upper panels Of the door are Of
ground glass, protected by a light graf
ing
The burglars took sticks that Icy in
the area and began breaking the glass
Beard jumped back a dozen feet and
stood. revolver i'm hand. What do You
waDt?" he cried
GIVE got prayer book in the church
and I'm going to get it right now was
the prompt answer.
Ping went Boards revolver.
The beseigers bounded up the stairs
70 the street Twice more Beard fired,
hoping to alarm the police, but no help
came. All night long the two men kept
siege ON the church. Beard could
hear them i'm the street cursing and
urging each other on to take another
try at the door But they feared the
ianitOr's revolver. Beard didn't dare
To 20 into the street for fear of being
shot from above. so he stood guard
there all night and ventured up only
when the sun was shining. Beard told
the sexton about his all-night siege,
and went about his business
Tn the afternoon Two men tried to get
into the basement on the pretense of
selling him two barrels of wood, and
delivering it there, all for fifteen cents
That night six men were caught acting
suspiciously i'm a new apartment house
which is building across the street. De
tective McNutt and Officer McMichaels
arrested Two OF them. and Magistrate
Flammer held both for grand larceny
i'm the Yorkville police court. They
were accused of stealing $50 worth of
pine. Beard said: The two men who
KEEP, me in the church all night and the
t.l who tried to get in by selling me
wood were. l think, members of the
same gang.