The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-14
A pOLD ROBBER.
Stole Nearly a Thousand in Broan
Daylight.

A Boston Incident of Sensational Charac
ter-Thief Pursued by Scores Makes
Good His Escape.
Boston, June 12.-Delia Lally, q
years old, bookkeeper for the firm Of
Barker g. Starbird, photograph supply
dealers, at Sc Bromfield street, was hello
up by a thief at the corner of Washington
street and Spring lane just before moor
today and robbed of $729. 70, which she was
taking to the New England Trust com
pany to deposit.
The crime is the boldest to occur in
Boston for many years. 1t was com.
mitted in the very heart of the business
section of -. Boston and on the
most crowded section of Washington
street. Near the girl at the time of the
robbery there were at least 500 people.
Miss Lally, though only 20 years of age,
has been employed by Messrs. Barker &
Starbird for some years. She was the
trusted employe of the firm and always
went to the bank. At II O'Clock this
morning she got her checks and cash to-
gether and at 11.30 started for the trust
company's office. She was delayed few
moments at the door of the store and then
started down Bromfield to Washington
street. She carried the money and checks
done up In brown paper in her right
hand, which she held close to her breast.
In the package were $4s5 in cash and
$24479 in checks.
| She went down Washington street hum
ming popular air to herself. At School
street she crossed to the other side of
Washington street and came into the
crowd at the corner Of Spring lane.
Up to that time she had not noticed
anyone following her, but just as she got
to the corner of the lane man stepped
up behind her, grabbed her by the
shoulders and exclaimed:
| "Here, give me that bundle?''
AS he spoke she felt his hot breath on
her cheek and his strong grasp on her
shoulder. He wheeled her half round and
grabbed at the bundle which she was
holding.
| She held on for dear life and screamed
at the top of her voice for help. But the
thief had grabbed the bundle and was
trying to twist it from her grasp.
Releasing his hold on one of her
shoulders he tore at the bundle with the
other hand. His long finger nails tore
the flesh on her hand.
| Then she grew dizzy and almost fell
| RI tha cidoxuo1ly Che 1i1od tbof +Io
man had the bundle, and she grabbed at
him. Her fingers touched his coat, but
before she could grasp it he was off like
a deer, flying down the lane with crowd
following him.
With hop, skip and jump he was over
Devonshire street. He swung to the left
and circled to the right into Water street
at breakneck speed, humping into sew
eral people, who wondered what the mat
ter was.
Joseph H. Green, a youth, was well in
advance of the pursuers. He had been
standing at Devonshire street and Spring
lane when the robber dashed by, and got
a good look at him.
HE was well dressed young man.
said Green to reporter, land should
say he was not over % years old. You
would never take him to be thief He
was perhaps feet inches tall and rather
slim built He wore a black suit of
clothes with a sack coat. His hat was
a2derby and it had rather wide brim.'
With Green there were some 25 young
men who chased the robber into Water
street. All the rest had either given up
the pursuit or were following leisurely
not knowing what the affair was any
how. Three or four electric mail cars
were standing on Water street at the
time and the street is dug up. This oc-
casioned additional confusion, but Green
saw the robber turn in to the covered
passageway through which the mail
wagons run under the federal building.
The passageway runs through the
building, one entrance being on Water
street and the other on Milk street. AS
Green and the crowd came up to the
Water street entrance three or four special
messengers from the post office rushed
out and blocked the way, demanding to
know what the trouble was By the
time it was explained to them the robber
was half way through to Milk street.
| The curiosity of the messenger boys
being satisfied the chase was again taken
up but the robber was out on Milk street
by the time his pursuers was half way
through the buildings. Seeing that the
street was crowded with people and that
the robber would quickly mix in the
crowd, Green and some more of the prlr-
suing party set up the shout:
Stop thief! He's robbed a woman
Stop him!'
| The people on the street heard but they
did not heed The robber still keeping
up his high rate of speed, lodged in to
the crowd on Milk street, and when last
seen was making his way toward Devon
shire street. When the pursuing party
reached Milk street the robber had disap-
peared, and was not seen by any of the
party again.