The times., 1897-07-04
Mr.. BEBGEa's HARD LUCK
Held Up Twice by Footpads
Nkile Gang Three Blocks.
ROBBED OF CASH AND DFFEE
a War Department Clerk EncoHn-
1ers I've SS4s OF HiSiisva yt2hesi IA
2Nick Succession --EseileNea ol sais
lunch A.4sls E1astening 10 ssepora
the Ioes of Ills purse.

While walking from wiIlare's Hotel, at
Foar6ee.l.4 ssassl<A4ei S.Iilis wanna avenue
To No pseoi.oe station on IweIftn sUreel,
u distance less .Aaa Uiilee ulocAs, ABOUT <
O'Clock Iass H.5l,, john Bergen, an Army
veteran ana d oleTk IA ne War DeparC-
meat, iesidus at. 10. 500 4 slreet noftn-
wesG, Was ls.l 4lj anu iooDed ,wice wi1lhn
the glare OF d dozen elec,nc lamps sAld
with scores ol 4stlaNeo pedestrians GPon life
stree s. sac llssl .si liEs a 4ls--.l s2cccCslod
in getting away with something over $40
ana a bs1suae Ui exculson Gickels, while
those who made the second attempt sue
ceeaed in o.sOsl1.ing 40 .lti84s- Dut d toti4e of
coffee, ana TINS, IA oOnaealpt and angered
al uisapPo.si 1Inent, they threw into lhe
street
Ma bergen is about fifty-tyvo years of
eEC and an acJiye member of the ". "A. *.
ESeIy morning wifen ne goes 10 his ottice
Ia the War Department Ire carries with
lin. besides his lunch. big bottle of
cgifee which hls wife puts nd3 Tor ham, and
this at night resembles very much a whisky
FLASK. aad great was the chagTin of the
second l-asiti OF Iobbers when they dis
covered their mistake.
Yesterday tie clerks III the War De
pas1meag were Te;1-s s-d at > Clock. Mr.
Bergen instead OF going home at that hour,
remained IN the office uhtu after > O clock,
ard then traIsssSSed some private business
he did mol go home TO dinner butremanled
downJo wa J0 attend meeting OF a corn
nittee Of the G. a H., held at Wizards
Hotel on June s several of the local
g a K EcsDs gave m excursion losvn
tile river TO Marshall Hall, and Mt. Bergen
was ri;;Irn4an C1 the entertainment com
mistee ard had charge OF the sale Of
tickets and tile cash.
Last nigslt 5he committee met at the hotel
To turn in Their money and ADJUST accounts,
and something over $40 was paid TO Air.
Bergen, which ne put into an envelope
and placed in his inside pocket During
tHe evening he took a number OF drinks,
but was stIli able to transact his affairs.
When the committee had left and the
chairman started TO go honae. he met
young man with 6 blonde mustacAe in
0he hotel hobby, wio invited him TO play
a game OF billiards. Mr. Bergen. being
ion OF TIE game, consented, but the
ySsung man insisted that they so down
Ube street 10 a place " here he said the
tables We're in better condition.
The two started out together and were
joined on iileiT way by d ihiTd man, a
friend OF the man with the blonde massache.
They engaged tie g. a 4. rlan in con-
versa ti0n, and owing 10 has condition
slzed him up as an easy mark. When
in front uf The National Theater one of
tlleG reSChed into AIr- BeIgen's s pocket
and snstoised the envelope Containing The
excursion ticket money. an instant later,
when Nj. BeIEen TUNED 10 speak 10 me
men, he fouad that they had suddenly
vanished, and with them had gone en-
velOpe, money and lickets- IT VAS iCsf
aasout midnight, when the police were
making their nightly shifts, and conse-
ql1enily t2sete Was nc officer WITHIN two
Eocks.
Alr. Bergen decided to report the Egaaifer
at No. ] station, and started for the place
on doubIe-quick. be, unfort unaLely
turned into Thirteenth street. thinking 10
make short cut, and two men standing
On the corner Of j. street, saw his es,-
cited condition lsAd made inquiry as TO
the cause BE told them hmriedly. and
they replied that they We're special Of
ficers, and would assist him They fol-
lowed behind him. and half block further
On seized Tim, and hastily went through
has POCKETS. The bottle Of coffee in lis
hip pocket was the first thing they hit
upon, and uhiRkiHg il 10 be liquor, con-
fiscated it,
The frs swallow oonvinced the rohltr
OF has mis- AIKEN 5udEEEe8t, ana, oursfng
his luck, he threw the bottle into the
street While tins was going on, the
vict ina tore himself away and the high
waymen dared off iii another direction.
Then Mr.. Bergen found Good SaInarit an
vino conducted hiln 10 the station, " here
he told the s5sTy OF his exciting adventure
along three blocks Of the most Travelled
thoToughfare OF Washington.
Mr.. HerEcn was able 70 give quite a
conpie-e description OF higfwsyrzan No
L, who sole his mercy, but was 700
much exci- cd 20 describe TIE makeup Of
the coffee thieves.