Evening star., 1896-04-04
ATTEMPTED BURGLARY
The Door of One of Senator Quay Commit
tee Rooms Forced Open.
Nothing Is Missing, H0wcver-Specu-
latfOn as to the MOtive-Dc-
tcctives mt Work.

There is sensational stir among the
Capitol police over an alleged attempt last
night to burglarize the committee room of
Senator Quay, and among the few who
talked about the matter this morning some
queer rumors were af1oat
1t is not denied that the room was enter
ed, and that the person who made the en-
trance forced the door of the room to do
SO. bending bolt and wrecking lock-
Senator Quay is chairman of the COM
mittee on public buildings and grounds OF
the Senate, and is to be found in the COM
mittee room when not on the floor of the
Senate. The inference would be that all
his private papers are kept in the room.
Senator Quay's secretary is William Wright
formerly secretary to Senator Cameron.
Mr.. Wright is also the clerk of the COM
mittee on public buildings and grounds.
The Motive for the Burglary.
The first person to enter TIE room this
morning found the door slightly open, oil
rather the two doors, as they open I'm
opposit. directions. Senator Quay was an
early arrival at the room, and the first
thing Le gave expression to was a suspi-
cion that nothing but political reasons ami
mated the person who had turned burglar
The committee room is in the southwest
Oh the upper HOOT Oh senate WlnS
Of The Capitol. There are two doors enter
ing the room. One of them opens from the
corridor into a combination reception ard
committee room. The committee Oh cpl
demic diseases has partitioned place for
1t in this room. West of this room, and
looking over the city, is Senator Quay s
committee room.
The door to the corridor room had not
been broken open. The supposition is that
the burglar had key and entered in that
way. A bunch of keys is said to have been
missing for some time, and their where
aboutS is not known.
After getting into the first room, the
would-be burglar seems to have used an
instrument of some kind to pry open the
door entering into the main room. 1t is not
known what was used, as no Instrument
was found, but, as stated, the bolt Of one
of the doors was bent and some of the
brass fiXingS to the lock were lent and
broken.
A Star reporter who visited the room was
shown how the burglar had entered. Mr..
Wright was asked if the door could have
been left open in any way. He said that
Capt. Adams the messenger of the COM
mittee, had locked and bolted the door Sc
cureiy before leaving yesterday afternoon.
Nothing is Missing.
Nothing is missing from the room. Mr..
Wright stated that a new file case which
had recently been bought had been tam
pered with, he believed. Several CT the
drawers of the case We're partly open. Mr..
Wright stated, however. that 10 papers
had been put in the drawers. The roll-top
desk in the room, the place in which the
private papers of the Senator, or public
papers, would most likely have been found,
had been opened. An examination showed
that nothing had been taken from this and
that all the papers We're in their proper
place.
If the suspicion that the burglar was
after Senator Quays private papers Is cor
rect it may account for the fact that moth
ing was taken, and that the papers and
letters in the room were not disturbed
THE Senator's private papers ana letters,
Mr.. Wright said, in answer to a question
were taken to his home three weeks ago.
Whether this was known TO the man is an
interesting question.
The Damage Repaired.
A new bolt was put OH the door this
morning, and the damage done to the lock
was repaired.
The police and detectives are conducting
a quiet investigation of the matter, bui
so far have obtained no clue.
In 1889 Senator Quay's room was broken
into and a number Of important private
papers stolen. Apprehensive Of a repeti-
ton of this Senator Quay took all of his
papers to his home and put them under
lock and key, wnere there is not much
chance of getting at them.