The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-26
BILLINGrOx's BURGLAR CAUGHT.
Supposed TO Be n Professional and to
Have Robbed Many Houses.

Have Robbed Many Houses.
A negro. who gives his name as Jim
Williams. was arrested yesterday by De-
tective scully. He is one of the best
catches made by the detectives in a long
time.
Williams is the man who robbed the
house of Mr.. Robert Ellington on State
street, Tuesday night, and is believed TO
be the man who has committed several
other burglaries in the city during The last
month. Among the burglaries which the
detectives are satisfied williams had a
hand in are those Of Mr.. Robert Hayms
house. on Perry street, and of Mrs. Smith,
on Duffy street. al each of which he Sc
cured a suit OF clothes and a gold watch.
The work in each case was that of a
professional. The robbery of Mr. Billing
tons house was particularly bold The
burglar, as the detectives afterwards dis
covered, entered the house of Mr. Denis
Murphy, at Lincoln and State streets.
The house was vacant and all he secured
there was an electric bell, which was
wrenched from a door From the Murphy
house the burglar made his way to the
brick house adjoining in the rear, on
tCidNt oNlttls 1 MS HJNlSt NdS dlSO vacant.
The thief made good use of it, however.
Going up to the second story he went out
on top of the front stoop. From there TO
the top of the front stoop of Mr.. Billing
tons house, Immediately adjoining was
only step. Having made this step he
raised the window and entered the house.
His first precaution, probably, was to
lock the door of the room, after which he
lit a candle and proceeded to ransack the
room.
Mr. and Mrs Ellington were entertain
ing some friends at a card party in the
room below The thief was probably
aware Of this. The fact that he only ran
sacked one room and that he made off in
short order with the most valuable plum
der obtainable there, convinces the detec-
tives that Williams, as he calls himself,
is an old hand. He took away with him a
large rosewood jewelry case, containing
two gold watches, silver watch, a large
gold necklace, a diamond studded locket.
two or three small lockets. a couple of
breastpins and lot of trinkets, the whole
easily worth over $500. There was also
pocketbook containing s. which he Sc
cured.
The burglary was discovered by Mr..
Ellington about II o'clock and he prompt
ly notified the police. Special officer Bar
rett was sent and made a careful inspec-
ton of the premises. The detectives were
convinced that II was the same burglar
who had committed the other burglaries,
and they determined that he must be
caught. Since Tuesday night they have
been continuously on the trail, taking
hardly time to sleep and very little to eat.
The fellow was too sharp to patronize the
pawn shops and the detectives turned
their attention TO the small jewelry shops.
Wednesday afternoon Williams sold a lot
of the trinkets stolen from Mr. Billing
tons to M. Nagel, who runs a small jew
ery store on Broughton street. This was
secured by the detectives. Yesterday,
while Detective Scully was watching on
Congress street. he saw Williams enter
the jewelry store of S. Waehstein and at
tempted to dispose of the gold necklace.
He was at once arrested and taken to
the barracks. Besides the necklace the
watches and lockets were found upon
him. He claimed to have purchased all
the articles from a white man the day
before. This was very thin story, but
the detectives pretended to believe it for
a while. williams has not confessed to
anything yet, but the probabilities are
that he will do so.
Chief MeDermott is very much pleased
with the work of the detectives In this
case. Williams claims that his home Is
in ST. Louis, but says that he has been
all over the country. A music satchel
was among the articles captured with
him. Chief McDermott thinks that VIII
liams pretended to be an agent for music
and books and in this way secured admis-
sion to houses which he intended to rob
in order that he might size them up and
get the lay of the premises.