The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-29

A hand-to-hand struggle with
burglar was the exciting experience
during Monday night of Warren, the Is
year-old son of A. -. PierSon, the COM
mission merchant, whose residence is
at i4S Quincy avenue Besides the strug-
gle. the burglar and the boy. whose
nerve was the talk of the hill yester-
day, engaged in fusilade of shots at
pretty close quarters.
The Pierson house is the most north
erly of the double wooden dwelling at
the northeast corner of Quincy avenue
and Vine street. 1t faces the avenue
and is reached by a short flight of steps.
The side is along Vine street and the
rear faces toward Clay avenue. The
back yard contains small lawn that
is nearly on a level with the street.
On the lower floor are four rooms. a
parlor, library, dining room and kitchen
and a summer kitchen addition at the
rear. Young Persons sleeping room Is
the third from the front, overlooks Vine
street and is directly over the dining
room. The only other person in the
house Monday night was the servant,
whose room is on the third floor. Mr..
Pierson was out of town on business
and Miss Edith, the daughter, Is away
visiting.
It was about 2.30 o'clock that young
Pierson heard suspicious sounds COM
| ings from the dining room directly be-
meath him. He did not wait to dress,
| but took loaded revolver from the
| bureau drawer and stole quietly down
| the stairs. which terminate at the front
and parlor doors. He walked along the
narrow hall. past the library and saw
faint light under the dining room door
at the end of the hall.
PIERSON SAW A MAN
On softly opening the door the sight
| that greeted him was the broad back of
a man leaning over the table directly
opposite the doorway. A candle, sup
ported by it's sperm, made the dim light
seen beneath the door Spread in
row on the table was the silverware
which The fellow had selected to take
away with him.
| The slight noise made by opening the
door disturbed the visitor, who whirled
about, at the same time whipping re-
yolycr from his coat pocket. The boy
|
| neck and then ensucd a brief, but
violent struggle. Each forgot or re-
Trained from using his weapon.
In the course of the UNEQUAL scrim-
mage the candle was knocked from the
| table and the room was left with onI!
the light from the electric light on the
corner diagonally opposite the mousse
| Chairs were overturned, several uisheS
swept from the table and the room de-
yeloped a general state of disorder III
all ended by Pierson being huricd
against the lower steps OF back starr
way that opens into the room.
The burglar made a break for the
kitchen door. but before leaving the
room turned and fired at the boy VINO
had recained his feet. The ball passed
through his night shirt near his lett
breast. After firing the shot the WIS.,
itor ran into the kitchen and young
Pierson shot at him. From the Kitchen
the man rushed toward the rear Of the
summer annex to- a window. from which
the screen had been cut and where ne
evidently gained access to the house.
SHOT AT BURGLAR.
Young Pierson hurriedly opened the
kitchen door that leads into the yard
on the Vine street side, thinking TO
baad off the fellow or shoot him as ne
climbed the street fence. The man.
however, dashed for the board renee pc-
tween the Pierson and the adjoining
nronerty and vaulted over ii. the BOY
firing at him as he went over. lie
was heard to crash through the shrub
bery and disappear down the alley be-
tween Quincy and Clay avenues.
Meanwhile. Pierson called to man
standing across Vine street. He did
NOT answer but hurried up the hill to-
ward Clay avenue. Apparently he was
the Others pigeon or accomplice, wait
ing to give aid if it was needed.
| Several in the neighborhood. alarmed
by the shooting gathered at the house.
No clue to the burglars identity could
be found inside. The candle was the
only article he left behind him. The
screen covering the rear window OF the
summer kitchen was cut out ana
| through this the entrance had been
made. The door leading into the regu-
lar kitchen is not locked at night. a
common. oid-fashioned cast-irOn lock
fastened the door between the kitchen
and dining room. a screw-driver had
evidently been used to remove the
socket on the jamb of the doorway.
and into which the bolt rests when the
lock is turned.
NO DESCRIPTION OF MAN.
No description of the man could be
given by the boy, whose only recollec-
ton of him was that he was ''very
powerful" The boy looks anything but
one who would grapple with an armed
burglar. He weighs not more than 13j
pounds, is five feet and nine inches
in height. wears glasses. is light COM
plexioned and looks the student rather
than the athlete.
Mr.. Pierson, the father, reached home
about 1.30 O'Clock, an hour or so after
the excitement
Patrolman ,Karius was at the cor
ner of Vine street and Monroe avenue,
one block away, at 12.15 O'Clock. He
heard nor saw anything suspicious and
walked down the hill to the central
police station for lunch. Just before 12
o'clock he had noticed two men saunt-
ering up Clay avenue from Linden
street. They crossed the avenue and
sat on the retaining wall in front Of
the residence of George NJ. Hallstead
The Datrolman did not disturb them
as Special Watchman Gibbons, en-
| r,1ar t,rvA H. - IL. -