The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-08
HID THE SILVER IN A DITCH.
REV. MIR. NIsBET's BURGLAR CAP
TURED BY THE POLICE.

Run Down by MIR. John Wyness,
whose House He Had Robbed.
Confessed TO the BurgInries and
Gave Up All HIS PIunder-aIr. Mis-
bets silver Found In "A Ditch in
Lovers Lane and Mr.. Wyness'
Sweater md other Goods Under a
Fence Mt the Base Ball Park.
The burglar who secured Rev. w. A.
Nisbet's silver Friday night is now in the
tolls. His name is James Allen. He was
arrested on Whitaker street yesterday
morning.
Allen is black, thickset negro and has
only been in the city a short time. If he
| had been satisfied with carrying off Mr..
Nisbets wedding presents and had left
town at once he might have been safe,
but he committed another burglary and
that landed him in the tolls He is now
good for ten years in the penitentiary at
least
When Mr.. John Wyness went to his
home on Waldburg street shortly after II
o'clock night before last he found that it
had been robbed. His family being away,
there was no one in the house during his
absence with the exception of the burglar.
Entrance had been secured by cutting a
blind and lifting the latch on the inside.
Mr.. Wyness made an investigation, and
after finding out what was missing, went
to the police barracks, where he reported
the matter. The detectives were put to
work on the case in the morning.
From the similarity of the manner in
which the two burglaries, that of Mr.. wy
ness house and also that of Mr..
Nisbet's. were committed, Chief Nc
Dermott was satisfied that both
were the work of the same
party. Knowing from experience that
thieves and burglars make 1t point to
get to the pawnshops to dispose of their
plumber as soon after a robbery as posi-
Bile, before suspicion attaches to them,
the detectives were on hand In the three
ball neighborhood al o clock in the morn
ing. They waited for some time before
anything turned up. Shortly after 10
O'Clock Detective Kiley received word
that a suspicious looking negro was
attempting to pawn a gold chain at Muhl-
berg's. Among the articles lost by Mr.
Wyness was a valuable gold chain. Mr.
Wyness was with the detective and the
two entered the shop together. Kiley
seized the negro and called on him to give
UP the chain, which he did 1t was Mr.
Wyness'.
That man across the street gave it to
me to pawn for him, boss" declared the
prisoner, pointing to a very black negro
standing on the other side of the street
Kiley was in dilemma. He couldn't
turn loose the man he had
and yet he thought 1t very
al hat hc bo
asked Mr.. Wyness to catch the other ne
gro, which he very promptly undertook
to do. The fellow had taken alarm, how
ever, and as he saw Mr.. Wyness come out
of the shop he darted Off down Congress
street. The chase was a lively one. De-
tective Godbold had a prisoner at the mar
ket and was waiting for the wagon, but
when he saw what was up he showed his
man into the prisoners box, and, locking
him in, Joined in the chase.
Mr.. Wyness caught his man on Whita-
ker street and turned him over to the de-
tective Godbold ran his hand into the
prisoners pocket and pulled out a hand
full of silver coin OF various nationalities,
which Mr.. Wyness recognized as MS own.
Another pocket gave UP bunch of keys
belonging to Mr. Wyness. 1t was evident
that the right man had been caught
The two prisoners were taken to the
barracks, where, by some adroit question
ing on the part of Chief McDermott. AL
len was led to confess that he was the
party who burglarized the houses and
offered to tell where he had hidden the
plumber, being actuated by the belief that
he would be dealt with lightly If he gave
UP his stolen goods. He was handcuffed
and taken in a hack by the detectives
Allen plotted them out to the
southeastern part of the city to a point
on Lovers lane, beyond East Broad
street, where small ditch crosses the
road, near the intersection of Reynolds
street. Allen pointed down in the ditch
and the detectives saw something white
sticking under the bank. Allen told them
to get this out, and one OF them did So
1t proved to be a bag, in which, wrapped
up in a lot Of old rags, was Mr. Nisbet's
silver
Under the circumstances the detectives
regarded the recovery as a very lucky
| one. The bundle might have attracted
the attention of any passerby, and the
| finder would have been more than likely
/ to carry his find home with him and say
nothing about 1t. Mr.. Nisbet was fortu-
nate again in the fact that every piece of
/ the stolen silver was recovered. Besides
! silver forks and spoons, there were several
pieces which are highly valued by Mr.
Nisbet, because Of the fact that they were
! presents to himself and wife on the oc-
cason of their marriage not many years
! ago.
Allen then took the detectives to the
baseball park, where, hidden under the
fence, they found Mr.. Wyness' black
sweater, some silk underwear, pair of
shoes, and other articles taken from his
house. A silver watch stolen from Mr.
! Wyness was also among the property re-
! covered.
Allen claims TO hail from Palatka
| Jerry Thomas who was arrested in the
! pawnshop, claims to know nothing about
the burglaries, but the detectives think
that he knows a little more than he has
| told yet.