Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-08-07

Big Theft.
One of the heaviest and neatest rob-
berries occurring in this city for many
day was pulled off about twenty min
utes after six o'clock last evening, at
the jewelry store of Harry McNamee,
No. 1907 Market street.
From all the indications, the job was
| done by two men, and the loss is
some place between one thousand ana
twelve hundred dollars.
The booty taken consisted OF twenty
two gold and filled watches, six dla-
/ mond rings. half a dozen other rings,
! two cluster pins and four brooches, and
! all the property, except the two items
last named, was contained in the south
/ show window.
The robbery was not discovered until
about half-past seven o'clock in the
evening, the thieves thus getting over
/ an hours start of the officers.
The store is located on the west side
! Of Market street, adjoining the Ger
mania Half-Dollar Savings Bank on
! the south. The building runs west 10
a small yard which abuts on the south
half of the old Beck brewery property.
Between the brick building of the por-
ton of the old brewery referred to and
| the rear of the jewelry store is vacant
yard. access to which can only be OBJ
tanned from alley B through stable,
which stands Immediately in. the rear
Of the old German bank building, sew
eral doors south of the jewelry store.
From the alley named one must go
through this stable, or rather wagon
shed. until the yard in the rear OF the
Market street business houses is reach
ed. and then the jewelry store is reach
ed by crossing the yard in northeast
erly direction and passing through a
small gate in a fence which stands
about seven or eight feet from the rear
Of the store From this point one must
turn toward the southeast, and after
nasaine in that direction for about ten
feet one comes to the rear door or the
iewelrv store. which is located In the
southwest corner of the store, opening
TO the south under small shed roof
where one is secure from observation,
in any direction save from the rear
first floor window of the cigar store
which adjoins the jewelry store on the
south. It was this route which the rob-
bers took last evening, and it was from
the window of the cigar store that
workman heard them talking, between
a quarter and half-past six o'clock,
while they were at work on the rear
door.
II is the summer custom Of Mr. McNa-
NEE to close the store at six o'clock, but
TO leave the goods displayed in the win
dow. some one of the employees coming
around about dark to turn on the electric
light. and later put the goods away in tie
safe and close up. When Mr.. McNamee
( left last evening he left two employees in
the store At six o'clock one of them
placed the covers over the show cases and
then left. leaving Marion ]. Welch to
close UP. Mr. Welch was at tne store till
ten minutes past six, as nearly as he can
Judge when he locked the store up and
went to the Island leaving the goods fully
displayed. and the safe closed but unlock
ed II only requiring a turn of the combi-
nation. however, to lock it. When the
safe was examined at eight o'clock
IL was locked. Between the time
Mr.. Welch left the store, and quar-
ter or twenty minutes after six, according
10 Mr.. Vacin. who used to work for the
firm. and who lives up stairs over the
| store the burglary was committed. Mr..
Vacin had been in the country and says
he passed the store at a quarter or twen-
tv minutes after six, noticed the goods
were gone from the show window, and
wondered to himself what had caused the
sudden change in the usual custom of the
( firm. He said nothing about it, however,
| and the robbery was not discovered until
! Mr.. McNamee returned to the store, at
half-past seven. The theory is that the
/ thieves had sized up the mode Of running
! the store. and waited on Market street un-
/ til Mr.. Welch came out and locked the
/ front door They then went around 10 the
| rear. and forced the back door with
I heavy chisel or jimmey. entered, went at
| once went 10 the front Of the store and
/ looted the south windw. where the most
! valuable goods were, standing behind the
! lace curtains so that they might not be
| recognized from the street, and reaching
| through into the window After a hur-
! ried selection from the window, they open
! ed the showcase nearest the window and
| took two cluster pins and four brooches.
| and then went out by the rear way. The
/ list of property taken, as furnished by the
| firm last night was as follows:
Twenty-Five watches-five size, one 6
size. and sixteen Is and IS size.
Six diamond rings-Two of q karats, one
of ~. one of IL. and two cluster rings.
one a diamond and turquoise and one
diamond and ruby.
Five or six other rings. various fancy
settings.
Two cluster diamond pins
Four brooches, set with pearls and var
ious stones.
The total value was placed at 1900 to
$500
A heavy revolver Was also taken from
a drawer in the prkate Office, which
! is directly back and west Of the show
window. This revolver was an imita-
! ton Smith & Wesson, of Richardson
, make, .SS calibre.
A Register reporter was at the store
within ten ~Sinutes of the discovery of
the robbie and with 0ficer Michaels
! and Lieu ants Ingram and Supler,
made a cl examination of the prem
ises. The back door plainly showed
the marks Of a chisel or jimmy, and
the keepers of the two locks were both