The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-02
a BOLD BURGLAR SHOT
VITA TWO BULLETS IN HIM HE
WAS ALLOWED TO ESCAPE.
But the Police Now Know Where He
Is and Will Arrest Him. Had
He AccempIices

A negro burglar was shot Sunday morn
ing about 4 O'Clock by Messrs. j. ID.
Turner and c. Ed Birdsong, prorrietors
of the North side drug store and grocery
ON Halifax and Johnston streets. They
fired simultaneously, both hitting him.
He had just broken into Mr.. Turner'S
grocery store and was coming out when
shot
His name, the police say, is Tom Burt,
a professional burglar and sneak thief.
They claimed last night to have him
located and expected to have him under
arrest within the next twenty-four hours.
1t is almost certain that he had ac-
completes in the work. There is the
strongest possible evidence of this, but
the authorities have not succeeded In
locating any of the parties except Burt
Perhaps he too would have escaped had
not dis wound been so serious.
The store was entered by break
ing one Of the glass panels out of the
front door with an axe, which was after
wards found about fifty yards away in
the yard of a Mr.. Snugg After break
ing this glass it was an easy matter for
the burglar to put his hand inside the
door and unfasten it. This he did.
1t was the crashing Of glass that n
reused both Mr.. Turner and Mr.. Bird
song. who sleep in rooms adjoining their
stores. which are in the same building
and divided by partition. At first Tur
ner thought it was Birdsong in the drug
store and Birdsong thought it was Tur-
ner in the grocery store. But the noise
was such an unusual one that they listen
ed intently to be sure that it was not
some one breaking in. The deep stiffness
that followed the crashing glass was
suspicious.
Turner partially dressed, left his room
and went around to Birdsong's. Knock
ing on his window he found him awake
and dressing also. They took their pistols
and went through the drugstore and open
ed the front door. In doing this they
made noise and Burt came running out
from Turner's grocery with something
in his hand. They fired and he tumbled
into the middle of Johnston street, some
% yards away from where the men stood
Here he bled profusely.
Turner and Birdsong feared to APP
proach the wounded man, lest they be
shot by accomplices. They could hear his
groans and later thought they heard him
crawling off. 4 policeman was tele-
phoned for. When he arrived the bur
glar was gone He was tracked some
distance toward Peace Institute, and
then all trace of him was gone. 1t is
believed that he was taken away by CON
federates, as he was too badly wounded
to have travelled alone.
Sunday morning all the physicians in
town were notified of the shooting and
requested to report to the police if they
were called in to dress a wound made by
pistol balls.
The police at once began to follow up
all possible clues for the right man. Now
they know where he is, and they are try
ing to find out who his accomplices are
When the burglar was shot he had in
his hands package of butter, and it was
believed until yesterday that nothing else
had been taken. 1t was then found that
a sack of -four, a ham. a lot of coffee.
sugar, lard and the like were concealed
in barrel in the rear of the store This
could hardly have been the work of
Burt Besides, after going to bed after
the shooting, Turner and Birdsong heard
someone slipping around in the back
yard. This they believe to have been
Burt's accomplices trying to get the arti-
eles there concealed when Burt was shot
Before shooting the man Mr.. Turner
ordered him to halt. AS he ran out he
left dingy, greasy cap ON the floor. He
was man Of medium height and ran
out OF the store in STOPPING attitude,
tipping along ON his toes.
Another store, Conn's, in the same
neighborhood was broken into just about
an hour before this, and number of
articles stolen. 1t is supposed that both
burglaries were committed by the same
parties.
One or more of the guilty parties will
probably be arrested to-day.