The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-16
THUGS AGAIN RAMPANT
FOUR CASES OF HIGHWAY ROBBERY
REPORTED YESTERDAY.
Three of Them in the Heart of
the City Early in the
Evening.

"Hold-ups," robberies and burglaries are
again growing numerous in the city. Sew
eral daring robberies occurred last even
ing. May Abbott was walking along Mary
land street, between Alabama and Della
ware streets, when a man grabbed her by
the throat and wrested pocketbook from
her. He ran north through the alley and
she followed him, screaming as she ran.
Her cries were heard by Patrolman Tom
linson, who drives the patrol wagon. He
pursued the thief, captured him in the
courthouse yard and recovered the stolen
purse. He gave the name of Harry Mitchell,
twenty-four years old, and Oak Hill as his
residence
This is the only case in which an arrest
was made, though number of others were
reported to the police. Shortly after
o'clock w. L. Piphers went to the City
Dispensary suffering with severe wound
on the head and cash in the jaw, made
by footpads. He is a Workngman and
boards at 225 West Maryland street. While
on his way home two men attacked him at
Capitol avenue and Pearl street. One struck
him on top of the head and the other
landed on his chin. He yelled at the top
of his voice, and Ghey ran without robbing
him. He thinks one of the robbers welded
a Sandbag and the other had pair of
knucks. DR.. Erdman, of the dispensary
staff, dressed his wounds and sent him
home.
An old man named Pegs, the father of
William Pegs, was "held-up' about the
same time by two men and boy at the
corner of Maryland street and Senate ave
nl1Q ha two mo- hi ont
ly tried to prevent him crying out while
the boy searched him. But he managed to
make considerable noise and the thugs
We're obliged to run to avoid being cap
tureu. There were many people upon the
street at the time and the holiness Of all
these robberieS is almost unprecedented
A. q. Bohanan, who has \ grocery store
at the corner Of Ramsey avenue and Tenth
street, reported to the police that he was
men. He lives at 566 keystone avenue, and
started from his home to open the store
at about o'clock. The men came up be-
hind him, a short distance from the house,
one on either side of him. He was hit on
the head with a piece of loaded rubber
hose and held while his pockets were emp
tied. The robbers secured $27. The police
think the men were familiar with his hab-
it's, and laid in wait until he should come
out of his house to go to the store ZOO
Sunday night Robert w. Miller, of 1888
Lexington avenue, was awakened by
strange sounds in the house. He slipped on
his trousers and carefully made an investt-
cation. He learned that the noise came
from a front room, He went outside and
looked through the window. He saw two
men, burglars searching the room. Hoping
to capture the burglars, he ran among the
neighbors and aroused several other men,
who came back and surrounded the house.
But the burglars were gone when he re-
turned, and they had secured all the booty
that was convenient. They had visited the
room in which Mr. Miller had been Sleep
ing and when he took an inventory of his
wearing apparel he discovered that the
coat and vest that he had worn during the
day were gone. His absence from the house
had given the burglars an opportunity to
make the search of the house thorough.
The night before the residence of b. H.
Shaw, on the corner of Lexington avenue
and Shelby street, was burglarized The
thieves secured a small amount of money
and some clothing.