Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-10-07
.RANSACKED BY BURGLARS
John L. WaltOn'S Store, at SilVerbrOOk,
Broken Into During the Night.
HEAVY HAUL MADE BY THIEVES
Attempted BurgIaries Also at
Elsmere.
SHOTS FIRED At THE lNTRUDERS

Ono of the most daring burglaries
that has been reported in this city for
some time was committed beween 0. 30
o'clock Monday night and 8 a. m.
Tuesday at the store OF John Il. Walton,
No. 2900 West Second street. Entrance
was effected by prying open the side
door with jimmy, the operation break
ing the lock. Plunder of every descrip.
tion was carried oil, groceries especially
heng taken in large quantities. The
Indications are that the depredations
were committed by several mcn. and it
is believed that they we're professionals,
and that they also operated at Elsmere
during the night, making unsuccessful
attempts to enter the office OF DIR.
William G. Pierce and S. Il. CLARK.
At Elsmere they were shot at, but
escaped.
The greatest damage was done at Mr.
Walton 8 store. Mr.. Walton closed the
store, according to his usual custom,
about clock Monday night. He locked
the place securely, aud went TO his
residence, which is about 10 feet west
of the store. The family retired at
about 8. 80 O'Clock, and so quietly did
the burglars work that nothing was
known Of tho robbery until morn
ing when Mrs. Walton went to the store
to open il. She found that the side
door had been pried open with jimmy
and the tongue of the lock had been
broken off, AS soon as she entered the
building, she realized what had hap
pended. Everything was upside down,
and at glance she could see that
mapy dollars worth of groceries and
other articles were missing. The
shelves were practically epptied A mong
| the articles carried off were the contents
of pie and bread case, which had been
we'll filled Monday, 100 silver spo ons
boxes OF cigars and tobacco, canned
goods by the dozen, a box Of eggs,
candy jars. cake cans, sugar. coffee,
stockings, soap. several bags Of -four, a
lamp, large market bnsket, meat and
various other things, including school
satchel filled with books, which be-
longed to Leroy Walton, Mr. Walton's
son, the books belonging at No. %
School, where the lad is pupil.
MIR. Walton was unable to tell the
value of tho articles carried Uff, and
will not know for day or two, as he
did not know just what he bad in stock.
After the intruders had procured all
they wanted at the store they prowled
around the yard OF the residence, and
the only thing thoy could get theil
hands on readily, clothes wringer, wai
broken up. They evidently intended tc
carry it off also, but left without doing 81
Judging from the amount Of goodi
carried off, the burglars must have ha6
push cart, wheelharrow or wagon, al
1t would have been next to impossible
for two or three men to make way will
them without having some sort OF I
conveyance. A After they left the Waitur
store, which was probably the last place
attacked, the men went west on the
Lancaster turnpike. This conclusion
was reached Tuesday, when the bo,
which had been filled with eggs wa
found empty on the turnpike west q
the road running past the store, which
meets the turnpike at the new Elsmer'
railway crossing.
That the men were daring is the con
clusion drawn fo the fact hat il
breaking into the store they were com
peled to work almost beneath tn
window of the second story of the house
where MIR. Walton slept, and it is
mystery that they were not heard. Th
men took great chances, for il MIR. Wal
had an excellent opportunity to shoot a
them. Nobody 10 the vicinity Kne,
anything of the robbery until morning
Shortly before 3 o'clock Tuesda
burglars visited the Office of DR.. vii
liam g. Pierce at Elsmere and attempte
to break in. They succeeded in break
ing winuow sash and the lock on tn
window, hut the noise was heard b
Ralph }. Miller, who lives nearby, an
the men, evidently hearing Mr.. Miller
fled. After they left DR.. Pierce
ofiice they ran across the street to til
I rear of S. l.. Clark's residence, wher
they made an effort to pry open tn
door. They used q crow bar, which the
: had also used at DR.. Pierce's Office
. While they were at work Mr.. Miller
0 who had first heard Them at work a
the physician's office, discovered wher
T they were and shot at them. They wer
a badly frightened and started off. Somt
A body else who had been aroused ais
shot ut them, but 1t is believed tine
r eluded the bulets.
! There is gang of tramps encampe
! in wood about mile west Of the cit
near the Lancaster turnpike. and it
believed that the depredation5 wei
: . comm tied by some OF their number.
= !, A few nights ago the residence {
I. Henry White at Silverbrook and Bayar
Leach at Elsmere we're also entere
and clothing stolen at both places an
s money also at Mr.. White's house. Th
= general impression is that the gang
d the woodland referred to are accoun
i able for these robberies and also deprl
dations which have been committed II
# Gently at Stanton.