The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-03-31
ATTEMPTED BURGLARY.
JOHN PENROSE, FORMERLY OF
RiCHMOND, NOW IN JAIL.
lie wanted Money with which to Buy
Cocaine, SO lie Entered the Home OF
Alfred v. Genung. In Newark. Nd.

John Ienrose. burglar and cocaine
fend. formerly of this city, now Ian
cuisines In Jail In Newark. n. j. He Is
charged with attempted bui glary. on
Sunday morning he attempted to rob the
house OF Alfred V. Cenung. OF No I6
Eleventh street. Newark.
Several years ago Penrcse married a
Richmond woman. who is now dead. The
shor, time he lived here he worked at
tie trade OF a printer
The Herald of Mcrday prints the fol-
lowing about Penrose.
with a black mask made out OF n
dress that belonged to his dead WIFE.
with shoes ingeniously soled by himself
so that no ciew might be left for the
police. and crazed with a desire TO oD-
tain money to buy cocaine. John PEN
rose. thirty years old. turned burglar
was discovered in the home Of Alfred
V. Genung, at No. 116 north Eleventh
street. Newark, at o'clock yesterday
morning, and. after daring leap lot
liberty from 4 bathroom window, was
chased and captured as he crouched,
still masked, under the stoop of his
fathers home. He surrendered to a po-
Aceman who revolver in hand, threaten
cd TO kill him If he resisted.
AwOKE MIR. GENUNG.
Mr.. Genung was awakened at O'Clock
by noise in 4 room adjoining MS Sleep
ing apartment, got quietly out of bed,
seized a revolver, went into a hallway
and there saw man moving noiselessiy
toward the rear of the house. Stepping
10 a window. Genung fired several shots
through il. The thief lodged into bath
room Genung waited, and In a few min
ut,s Policemen Lappre, Early. Lindsey
and Crane reached the house. He let
them in and told them that he believed
the burglar was probably still In the
bathroom. which is on the second floor
and has only a small square window
about fifteen feet above the ground. A
pair of heavy shoes were found in the
hail. and the policemen were convinced
that the burglar had not jumped. They
entered the bathroom door, but the fell
low had vanished. They hurriedly search
cd the rest of the house, and returned
90 the bathroom just in time 20 see the
thief jump from the window.
LEAP. CHASE AND CAPTURE.
He landed safely on the ground. AS he
clambercd over fence .nto an adjoining
yard Policeman Lindsey fired a shot at
him. but did not hit him. Policeman
crane Hd0 gone INTO the street, anu ut
saw the burglar jump from the window
and gave chase. He found the thief
crouching under the back stoop of 4
house two doors away and dragged him
out. He still had a black mask over
his face Crane threatened to kill him
IL he made a move. and the fellow sur
rendered. He was taken TO the Second
precinct police station, where he described
himself as John Penrose. son OF John
Penrose. a well-known Newark printer.
lie lived In the house from under the
stoop of which Policeman Crane pulled
him out. 1t is his fathers home. In His
pockets were found a keyhole saw.
chsel. a small hammer. glass cutter.
three plyers and three small bottles, one
OF which was filled with ChlorofOrm.
TO Chief of Police Hooper. later in the
day he freely admitted his guilt. lie
said, however. that while he had always
been maynard. he had never before
turned burglar.
-" Il wish TO God that the policeman who
shot at me when l was escaping from
Genung's house had killed me- he said.
Il do not care for myself, but / feel deeply
the disgrace l have brought upon my fam
iiy who are respectable
AWFUL CRAVING FOR THE DRUG.
ITO Chief Hopper Penrose declared that
his awful craving for cocaine had led him
20 attempt the burglary. lie has been
married twice-the first time in Harris
burg. Pa. and the second time in Ricn-
mond. Va. Both wives are dead. The
second died about a year ago. Then he
went to Newark. and has since been
working as a freight brakeman on the
Delaware. Lackawanna and Western
Railroad.
"Penrose used cocaine in inordinate
quantities. and also took a great deal OF
elixir OF quinine. Recently druggists who
knew him had refused him credit. and
limited the quantity of the drugs which
they would give him even for cash. lie
wanted money. and knowing Genung to
he a well-to-do business man, believed he
would have money in the house on sat
urday night. and that it would be easy
40 rob tie place ana get enough to keep
him in drugs for a long time.
MASK OF DEAD WIFES DRESS.
Gle made the black mask from piece
of a dress that belonged to his dead wife.
and then gathered up around the house
what tools he thought would be useful
TO him. Tie got tho chloroform from
druggist by saying he wanted 1t to use
in a rubber cement. He intended TO sat
urate a rag and place II over the faces
OF the members of the family into whose
sleeping rooms he went. lie bemoaned
the fact that he did not have Few
seconds more time alter jumping from
Genung's bathroom window.
'' In five seconds IL that policeman had
not been so close said he, L would have
gotten into my own house and you could
not have caught me. Even with my shoes
YOU could not have traced me, as no shoe
maker has ever handled them. L put on
the heavy soles myself
''Penrose has a weak, emaciated smooth
sbaven face scanty light hair blue eyes,
and voice that indicates pulmonary
trouble"