The evening times., 1896-10-15
THOUGHT IT WAS A FENCE
Police Investigate the Mystery
of an Old House.
STRANGE WOMAN Is MISSING
Detective Bon rdman Found in the An
cient structure Household Goods,
Bric-a- Brac, Trunks and Other Ar
ticles-Thieves Could Have Enter
ed the Place with impunity.

A boss painter, who did not give his
| name, entered the detective Office at
| police headquarters in great haste last
evening and informed Inspector Holm
berger that he had located "ieuce,
winch means in police par.ance place
| where thieves dispose OF their "swag'
! or piuiider. lie saIu the supposed iencc
| was in IA mysterious and antique buh'1ng
| in rear OF No. 13 G street northeIst.
| Detectiy We Robert Boaruman was as
| signed to the case by the Inspector -and
| Instructed To proceed to the pace ana
make au investigation. The detective
| quickly mouuted ms bicycle ana went 10 the
ancient structure. lie entered The place
cautiously, but found neither thieves nor
/ pluuder.
| He did, however, unearth mystery,
winch the police are now eiIdea yorlnE so
clear up. Mr.. Boardmau found the doors
aud windows oil the place unb1rred, and
unlocked, while the interior was piled high
with household goods, bric- a-brac, trunks,
and other articles. They had been stored
| there several mouths and no one In the
nrighborBood knew who was the ow ner of
| the eOods. Tue mystery Geepeued De-
| tes'iive Boardman set out TO further in
| yestigate-
QUEER OLD DWELLING. --
He found that tie structure was an old
| one, having been eIected .Iong~before the
| gable brick dwelling, standing back from
| the street. The large front yard had
| originally Contained variegated assort-
| ment or flowers and plants. Some time
since the war a One-story frame had been
erected on the space covered by TN. Trout
yard and was fitted up TO be used ~ a
store or shop. ,---. -
The detective learned that the last oc-
cupant of the front store room was Mr..
Nathan A. Ball, an aged shoemaker, who.
occupied ii as "A shoe snOp, but vacated the
place last May. Since that time it has goue
to rack.
The large show windows are brdizcn' and
| the place presents generally used-up ap-
peardnce. Workmen had been employed by
Messrs. Bell and Graham, the agents, to
4 place the structure in repair, and 1t was
these mechau cs who discovered the. goods
packed in the cellars and rear building
when they entered yesterday afternoon To
commence work.
The men at once concluded that the de-
serted houses had been converted into
nest of thieves, and it was their boss, a
painter, who carried the information to
the central detective office.
SHOEMAKER BALLS STORY
Detective Bcardman found Shoemaker
Ball. venerable citizen, III, his place of
business on Delaware avenue. between
anu ID streets, and quest tiOned him concern
ing the mysterious goods stored in the old
house Mi. Bali stated that last April an
unknown white woman, OF respectable ;ip-
pearance, came To him at No. 13 street
she appeared to be in distress and asked
PERMISSION to store her effects in fhe unoc-
cupied portion Of the building She said
she only wanted TO leave the goods there for
few days. Mr.. Ball gave her the desired
permission. but did not think to ask the
woinan's name or address
she WAS prUfuSe in her thanks aud left
fIar
hacked up to the curb and the household
goods We're packed il the cellar and rear
building Weeks went-by and stin the
mysterious womanlailedto to appear a nd claim
i1cr property Finally. in May, Mr.. Ball
Removed To his present abode on Delaware
avenue. leaving the goods behind
FiCn tiIas uay e., tnfs he nas nnt -,IahI
eyes on the mysterious fernale- as the
cobhler expressed 1T. The cellar and other
doors We're unlocked and open to thieves
when Mr. Boardman visited the place last
evening ""' 600 90 -. =.
POLICE EREMovEDT THE GOODS.
He reported the facts to Inspector Hol-
iinberger. who at once communicated by
telephone With Lieut.. KeIiy's station and
requested that the property be removed
to the station for safe Excepting until the
missing Woman or her friends could be
heard from.
Fifteen minutes later Policeman SnIIi-
van. With Il large furniture van. was at the
deserted building removing the articles to
No u, where they are now stored. The
patrotman found beds, stoves, chairs. an
tique and valuable brjc-a-brac all in good
condition, besides several TRUNKS which
may contain valudbleS ind documents and
all manner of househnld effects.
The police do not know What theory to
advance about the owner OF the property,
whose disappearance is regarded a Inys-
terry 1t is thought that if she-were alive,
she would certainly have seen to her goods
before this. They have been i'll the moItly
cellar and dusty back building about seven
months.
lt is lucky that crooks did not discover
the effects in their insecure storage place,
or they would have no doubt long ere this
made Il haul which would have rendered
the police haul OF yesterday unnecessary.
Steps Will he taken to find the missing
owner of the property, or ut least learn
her fate.