The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-21
CHAPTER XII.

Opportunities for theft in garrison
are or were illimitable. People never
Thought Of boiling their doors by day,
and, as to money, silverware. jewelry
and the like, women who possessed
such property rarely placed it under
lock and key. Once in long while
some servant was caught peculating and
was escorted beyond the limits of the
military reservation and forbidden to
retnrn. But never before in the history
of the cavalry had the officers quarters
been entered by professional burglars,
and there was no question that profes,
SIGNALS only could have done the deed
with the neatness and dispatch evident
in this case.
Yet what was there to prevent it?
The garrison proper was far afield. One
attenuated company Of infantry was all
that was left to do duty at Russell.
Only two sentries were posted on each
relief. Seven privates constituted the
daily guard, and even then the men
were growing because they "only had
three and sometimes two nights abed."
One of these sentries was stationed at
the guardhouse, where quite a number
Of prisoners were confined. The other
paced the long east front of the post,
trying to keep an eye on the coal piles,
the ordnance, quartermaster's and COM
missary storehouses, the post generally,
which he couldn't see, and the front
gate. All the north side Of the post
back Of the hospital and surgeon 81 quar-.
ters and all the northwest and south
west sides Of the lozenge shaped inclo.
sure lay open to marauders for there
were not two back gates along officers
row that would readily close or that,
being closed, could not readily be forced.
1t was perfectly practicable for any par.
ties intent on pillage to drive out from
town and, keeping we'll away over the
level prairie, to make wide circuit and
approach the post from the north OR
northwest They could then be beyond
sight or hearing of any sentry, could
run their wagons back of the quarters
to be entered, load up with their booty
and be off again with no fear of capture
and little of interruption. Even should
some Of the women or children be
aroused there were not five houses
where menservants or strikers" slept,
and they knew, did these shrewd pro-
fessionals, how to manage suddenly
awakened women.
But how did they know just what
houses to rob and just where to find the
valuables in each case? The tracks
showed that two horse wagon had
been used and that two men besides the
driver were engaged in the work.
Every body in town was aware of the
fact that the well to do or fairly wealthy
officers at Russell were Colonel Ather.
ton, Major Barry, Captains Freeman,
Gregg, Truscott and Ray, the latter
having married an heiress But the ma
rauders never disturbed the colonel's
house. All the silver had gone to the
bank in town and her ladyship to Chi
cago, and there, besides, Mrs Ather-
toms coachman and two other servants
slept and, Furthermore, the band quar-.
tiers were but short pistol shot away
They stored clear of Truscott's 8, where
Baby Jackwas teething and keeping his
anxious and devoted mother awake long
hours each night and where by her bed.
side hung crafty little Smith & Wes-
son she knew we'll how to use. They
steered clear of her devoted friends and I
next door neighbors; the Rays, for there
dept doughty 'e1.trooper, Hogan by !
name now their ooanhmap and map Of I