Evening journal., 1897-05-15
SNEAK THIEF IN YALE
Taluables Taken From Clothing
of Students While Bathing.
He ROBBED ONLY THE RICHEST MEN.
Son of John ID. Rockefeller Among tho
Victims of the Rascal-suspects Are
Being Watched by the Police, Who
Think They Have Clew.


New Haven. May 15.-It is now Yale's
turn TO have a student robbery. Old
Ell could not well help but follow in the
footsteps Of Vassar, and 50 it is fur
nishing one Of the most interesting
cases Of the spring.
The thief in this case made one of the
most daring and successful raids in the
history of the institution. He seemed
u know all the possibilities, and he
went to the right places and robbed the
right students. His victims are the
richest young freshmen in the univer-
sity, and his gains are very large.
1t appears from the stories told to the
police that Percy A. Rockefeller, one OF
the sons of John d. Rockefeller. the
great Standard Oil magnate. David ID.
Tenny and a number OF other freshmen
We're in the swimming tank Of the
gymnasium and were having a very
good time in the water.
They left their clothing in the dress
ing room attached to the gymnasium
and had no thought Of any robbery
From time to time students came from
the dressing room and Joined in the
sport. There was splashing and duck
ing and other rough fun all the time
ehe young men were in the tank, and 50
little attention was paid to the dressing
room.
The Robbery Discovered.
After being in more than an hour the
young men in the freshman party went
to dress. They were laughing and jok-
ing over their sport when suddenly one
of them felt for his watch and startled
the other young men by exclaiming:
by Jove, there's been a thief in
here! My watch is gone!"
There was a hurried search Of cloth
Ing that had contained valuables. Sew
eral of the boys had taken off rings be-
fore they went into the water. Some
had had Watches and all had more or
less money.
One after another reported the loss Of
some article, and Immediately an alarm
was given to the students who were
still in the pool Most Of them rushed
out. dripping with water, and hurriedly
searched their clothes. The late comers
found that their valuables were still in
tact. The robbery therefore must have
occurred soon after the rich young men
entered the place.
The heaviest loser was young Percy
A. Rockefeller. He is always well sup
piled with money, and the thief caught
him on one of his prosperous days. In
his pocketbook he had left $3.50 in bills
and a small check. These We're taken,
as wen as some jewelry which he had
left in his clothing.
David d. Tenny reported to the police
that he also had lost a considerable
sum Of money and some valuable jewel
ry. 1t could not be learned just what
students were losers and what was the
.f q he
STUN and university authorities were
extremely reticent.
Students DO Detective Work.
The intelligence OF the robbery spread
through student circles, and many OF
the young men started TO do some quiet
detective work. Several young fellows
who were suspected of being capable q
such actions were shadowed, but none
could be found who had suspicious pack
ages or large sums of money. If the
thief had been apprehended, he would
have received very rough treatment al
the hands Of the indignant students.
The losers put their case in the hands
OF the police, and detectives are now
working on It. There is no suspicion
that the thief is a professional from th'
outside, as IL seems almost Impossible
for any one but a student to get intC
the gymnasium.
The sleuths therefore are looking
into the actions of every student wh'
was seen to enter the dressing room a
the time of the robbery. They hint tha
they have a clew and that they will b
able to fasten the crime on a youni
man who was seen to leave the room
only a short time after the rich fresh
men went into the swimming pool.
Some other Robberies Here.
This is not the first case Of thiever,
at Yale. The gymnasium committe
has been bothered at intervals during
this whole winter by complaints of stu
dents who have lost articles left In thel
clothing. Even the lockers have no
afforded security, for several time
watches have been taken from clothing
left in them, and it is suspected tha
some one has duplicate keys
student was discovered goin
through the clothing of other student
in the dressing room a year ago. II
was arrested, and it was the purpose
make an example of him. He was le
out Of jail, however, and disappeared.