The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-09
Several Breaks in the Last
TWenty-FOur Hours.
No Extra Precautions Taken
by Intruders--All Escaped.
Police Department Have a Rubber
Shoe Which May Be Clue.

The members OF tho detective tSrce
for sneak thieves and amateur burglars
made number OF calls during the past
"a hours. The booty was not great. AS
near as can lie learned two mem called
upon Peter Casey, who keeps liquor sa-
loon at 66l Eddy street, Saturday morn
ing, and helped themselves to whiskey,
rum, brandy, cigars and tobacco to the
extent of about $50 worth. The thieves
gained an entrance by pulling heavy
iron screen from window In tie rear of
the store, which was about hve feet from
the ground. III Is quite evident that the
men were frightened away before they
had completed their work, as lot OF stun
was placed near the window on the in
side where ii could be reached from the
outside. The only clue left by the men
was an old rubber shoe, which Is now in
possession of detective Cannon. The
men took small sum of money that
was on the shelf behind the bar.
Detective Reardon was ordered by MIR.
Parker to call at 200 North Main street
this morning and get the description of
four dozen chairs, six watches, two mag
nifying glasses, lot of scarf pins and
number OF other articles which were
taken from Max Riness about 1880 last
evening.
This was without doubt the boldest job
oflhe klng tnat has neen done in the
city for some time, for the persons that
did Ii must have spent some time on the
street in opening the front door for they
had a Yale lock to open tesidos an or
dInary lock. The staple which was a
very heavy one, was pulled out with an
irou bar, and the common lock was
found open. Once inside the thieves
went behind the counter. and cleared
/. out Tire show cases, strewing the floor
with the case which the goods were In.
At 2 O'Clock Lieutenant Horton sent a
man to Mr.. kiness' house, 45 Bates
street, with the unpleasant news
that his store had been entered. 1t did
net seem to worry the old gentleman very
much, for he said "that is the third time
within three months that nay store has
been broken into" About three weeks
ago the front window of his store was
broken and oil that could be reached
from the outside was carted of.
This morning at 1880 officer ! ee called
Edwin Il. Newhall frcm his bed at his
home, corner of Washington streets, and
told him that his store, CA Walker street,
had been entered. Upon going to the
store Mr.. Newhall found that a side door
bad been broken open and the goods
upon the shelves had been scattered about
the floor, and the money drawer broken
open. Mr.. Newhall dofs rot know just
how much was taken, but does know that
cigars and tobacco TO the amount Of $40
is missing. What most puzzles Mr.. New
hall Is how the store could have been en-
tered in the manner that IL was without
attracting the attention of the police,
as the men who did the work
must have broken the door in
with an axe or some heavy implement, as
the entire upper panel was in splinters.
This case is for the present attracting the
attention of detective Merrill, but he has
no clues whatever. Later in the day not
only Mr.. Newhall, but all In the vicinity,
are glad that things are not worse than
they are, for how the building was saved
from being burned TO the ground
is mystery. Mr.. Newhall went
TO the rear of his shop and found
that the door of the water closet
had been broken open by the men,
and when they found themselves in a
box like room they evidently lit match,
and found they had broken into the water
closet instead of the store. The match
they threw uron the floor, which ignited
lot of waste paper. The blaze from the
paper was not quite sufficient to set fire to
the woodwork but only charred 1t in
places.
he police do not think that the thieves
hau any intention of setting fire to the
building, for 1T is quite evident that the
water closet which opens from the yard
in the rear was entered first.