The herald., 1897-09-18
THIEVES IN PRIESTS ROBES
They Lighted the Church and Robbed
It in Full View Of the Street

While belated btcycllStS were nurry-
ing home on Friday night in the brilliant
glare Of the electric lights on the Coney
island cycle path and Fort Hamilton
boulevard, past the Catholic church of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary, at Windsor
Terrace, Brooklyn, vandal robbers were
holding high carnival inside the sacred
edifice, and, masquerading as priests,
pursued their search for booty in full
view of the unsuspecting wheelmen and
neighbors.
The street lights brilliantly Illuminated
the front of the church through the
night, but the rear is in deep shadow
The thieves took advantage of this to
gain entrance. They broke in basement
door and procured ladder, by which
they were enabled to mount to window
through which they entered the east
sacristy.
Along the wall of this room is built
large closet. Costly ld-embroidered
vestments, surplices and expensive gilt
and plated cardelabra are kept there
The robbers disturbed nothing but some
white surplices. These they put on anu
then boldly lighted all the jets in the
sacristy and began their work
They were after more valuable poo'y
than plated candlesticks, so after thor
oughly ransacking the closet they pro-
ceeded to the west sacristy.
IT was then 130 o'clock in the morning,
and the wife of a neighbor in the rear
of the church noticed the sacristles Drill
liantly lighted and wondered at 1t. she
saw several white robed figures pass the
window. Presently one Of them came
and leaned out for several minutes as II
to enjoy the cool night breeze. Inc
neighbor returned to bed satisfied that
the priest and several assistants were
performing some ceremony IN the
church.
In the west sacristy is fine satin wood
cabinet containing large closets ana
MANY drawers. Altar cloths and orna-
ments. valuable gilt vases and the costly
missal stand were locked in the closet.
The lock was broken and the ROBBERS
hauled everything out and threw them
nrom;scuously on the floor. The only
thing that took their fancy was small
s;lver-plated lunar in which the lunette
of the ostensorium is kept
Then they invaded the altar, bent on
securing the large ciborium in which the
sacred bread is stored. This is always
securely locked in the tabernacle in the
middle of the altar The thieves had no
hesitancy in desecrating this holy place
for when they found the tabernacle
locked they procured chisel from the
cellar and tried to pry it open.
After chopping off large piece of the
wooden door they discovered they would
have to break through small steel safe
in the interior of the tabernacle before
they would be able to get the ciborium
Then they apparently gave up the jot
| in disgust.
Then began a hunt for the chalices
but these Father McAteer keeps in his
house. and they were foiled again. 1r
the search, however they ransacked the
repositories in the altar, scattering theii
contents all over the floor.
On leaving they took off the surplices
threw them into a closet and went ou
by the window. The only property they
took with them was small lunar and
bicycle belonging to Sexton Breen.
The robbery was discovered the mex
morning when the sexton opened TN
church for early mass.-New Yorl
World