Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1897-02-26

Negroes Arrested for Burning a
HOuse.-A den of thieves and criminals
who are charged with operating in the
neighborhood Of Woodside and across the
District line, is probably broken up and the
members, with one exception, are now be.
hind the bars.
William A. Crutchfeld, the leader of the
gang, is confined in the District Of Column
Ola Jail under sentence Of six months for
stealing chickens. When this sentence ex-
pires, he will be handed over to the authori.
ties OF this county. He will be charged with
having set fire to the dwelling of Mr.. An
drew Braid, at Woodside, on January Sth
last, and with having robbed the building
of about $500 worth of silverware, besides
large amount of clothing and other articles.
AT the time the Braid house was burned
the family were visiting in Washington and
the residence was unoccupied. From the
first it was the general opinion that the
house had been robbed and then fired to
cover up the crime. The County Commits
sioners at once offered 800 reward for the
arrest and conviction of the perpetrators Of
the crime, and ever since quiet investiga.
ton has been in progress by the officers of
this county and the Washington police.
1t was through Officer Mitchell, of Wash.
ington, and the policeman who is stationed
at Takoma Park, that the arrest of Crutch-
field was accomplished. Jane Crutchfeld,
sister OF William Crutchfield, had been
wearing some of the clothes stolen from the
Braid house. This clothing was recognized
by negro formerly in the employ of Mr..
Braid. The man told Mr.. Braid, who began
at once to investigate. The Crutchfield wo-
man fled to Washington, taking the clothes
with her, and the officers in that city were
called upon to aid in the arrest.
Jane afterward returned TO her county
home, which was also the residence of old
man Lewis Cru tchfield. A deputy sheriff
went to the Crutchfield house Friday, and
after thorough search found a large amount
of the clothing taken from the Braid house.
Both the man and woman broke down and
asserted that VIM. Crutchfield had brought
the clothes to the house on the night the
Braid house burned. They also said that
William had told them he and the Robin
son woman had robbed the Braid house. and
that he had applied the fire.
The house was then searched for the sill
verware which was stolen, but nothing more
than the clothes could be found. Lewis and
Jane were brought here and lodged in jail,
charged with having received stolen goods
The crime of arson in this State is pun.
ishable by death. When conviction oc-
ours the sentence is left entirely with the
Court.
| 1t is understood that Crutchfield has con-
fessed, and has implicated the colored wo-
man named Catherine Robinson as being
with him on the night the deed was com.
mitted and assisting in removing the arti-
Giles from the building
On Monday Berthe Crutchfield and Cath
crime Robinson, charged with being impli-
Gated in the robbery, were brought here and
committed to Jail to await the action of the
grand jury, which will be in session the
middle of next month. After being brought
to Rockville both women pleaded guilty to
the charge of receiving stolen goods, and
both made voluntary statements, by which
charge Louis Crutchfield and VIM Crutch-
field with being the parties who set Ere TO
the premises after having robbed the house
of more than $500 worth of valuables. The
Robinson woman also told the Sheriff the
silverware had been hidden in the wood
yard of the Crutchfields. and Monday even
ing that officer went to the place and sue
ceeded in unearthing the silver, together
with quantity of fine chinaware, the whole
valued at about $500.
There are now confined in jail five per-
sons connected with the crime.