The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-26
CONSTABLE AND BURGLAR.
WALLER WAS ALSO a HIGHWAY ROB-
Der AND A BOTTLER.

~ NNaA3 eAe@S
BER AND a BOTTBER.
His Gang, VINO We're Also Sometimes His
Employees, Got Into Jail and He Went ms
n Constable to Confess Them-The Con-
fessions Were Mutual-wnller Nabbed.
William NJ. Waller. a young man who started
q small bottling business in the little village Of
Milestone. Somerset county, n. j., a year ago
last winter. and has since been elected a con-
stable. is In the county jail at somerville. on
the charge OF having been the rlnEleader OF a
gang Of young thieves who have been cracking
safes In Somerset county for ayear or more.
His companions under arrest are Tom Shine.
Tom Wright and Jerry Washin Rton. the
latter a negro. Shine. Wrigh and Washington
were arrested last Tuesday night. charged
with highway robbery. and their bail was fixed
by Judge Bartine OF the Circuit Court at 81 900.
Shines father got bail for him and he was re-
leased. On Friday night Waller was arrested
on the charge OF highway robbery and bur
Rlnry. ana then all the others were charged with
burglary as well as highway robbery. Their
bail was increased to $4,000. Shines father
tried to get the second bail bond for him but
couldn't, and SO Shine Joined his companions
In jail.
Waller. before he opened his bottling works
In Milestone. was the LehiRh Valley yardmaster
at Port Reading. near Bound Brook. He is q
big. broad-shouldered chap, weighing over 200
pounds. and was well liked by the railroad men.
One day a new man came to Port Reading to
take charge OF the yard and Waller was seen
there no more. Why he had gone none
Of his associates on the road knew. For
months there had been robberies in the yard.
Freight cars had been broken into repeatedly
and many dollars worth Of goods stolen.
Bicycles. silks, shoes and clothing were pill
fered. Night after night the railroad detectives
watched the yard and arrested harmless
tramps. but the thief could not be found. A
new detective was told to, find the thief. Not
Waller was told he wasn't needed. there any
longer. The thefts there stopped after he, left.
stone River. and across the stream IL East Mill
stone, the western end OF a short branch OF the
Brunswick. Apassenger train runs over from
New Brunswick, in the afternoon and lies in
fni ydHr man HV Of ~ Years. hIe onEy in SG tRe service q EssS Of
shf the ps stati9n, H. busi tae hi n1seISi d %9fSsP the
night in sweeping out the coaches of the pas
senger train and cleaning the engine. He was
at work on the footboard, Of the engine. polish
urday morning a week ago. when four men
jumped out Of the darkness. two ahead of him
"Get off OF that engine damned quick p
SPOKE gpSoSDi UP a ., big telII9w' ghRS h. Tiy S9Re sb6 has +, si1 oTs
II will / wllp' the Waterman gasped. as
Waller tumbled him OIL the footboard TO the
Walters companions thrust a handkerchief
into the old mans mouth. snatched his own
tied 1t about his head to hold the gag, and then
bound his arms together behind his back and
the Inc Watchmsn,s keys and put the bunch back
in his pocket after taking of the key to the
railroad Is STATEN tasHGs 10 Jones . I;d;rg was nso carried fhs Rs dGwn
Canal and thrown into a box, car.
Walters gang went into The station. broke
safe; The hole was put in a poor place for safe
cracking. half way betTTeen the lock and the
awakened by a terrific explosion OF gunpow-
der e and ? moment later bsS some 81 the VILLAGERS
A piece of the lower half OF the safe door was
eno|rb 9 fo enable 1If the me qbR SnGIags W ~ reach 1at tEEe
money drawer, which, contained about 500.
An old brace was found lying on the floor Of the
ticket Office the next morning.,
Jones was found groaning from pain about
daySreak BY a T T;r m on his IVA way yr to es the
dollar notes which. he had possessed were
gone; He did not know who the men were
The town was ali stirred up over the. burg
larry, for this was only one OF a series OF such
Of afS Mnn,i 0Hly K q few m SRs Sr zee an me nee eo fhs of asis
cracked, and a box containing several hun
dred dollars in greenbaeks and several thou
some Of the villagers had their suspicious
Aren't you afraid they'll nab you, Tom ?"
one of his friends asked him In a joking way
the %G 3" eGc piis5 shf T6 62ld-% @Pwiel. III Jest tell
you dat de first bloke what says 1 done it will
Two days later a silver watch with the name
Henry Jones " engraved on. the back sud
denly grew out of the sidewalk near the rail-
road station. almost under Tom Wright's feet.
picked It up and kept it for the Waterman. who
had gone on n weeks vacation. That same
day Washington. the young negro. met Jones's
son on the street.
Say" he said. II found a key in de, street
to-day, Must be dat key de burglars took from
yer dad; Take it and civ 1t to i'm"
Then, the next daythe box OF notes and bonds
stolen from the coal office was found along the
railroad track. near the cattle. pens a mile east
OF the village. The money and two small notes
were gone. Walters confederates were ar
rested the same day by Detective Totten. who
had quickly picked up evidence against. them
after hearing OF the dropping Of the
negro had worked for Waller for a year. and
Wright spent much OF his time in the cellar
bottling works. Shine was working there until
three weeks ago. Both Shine and Wright have
served short terms in the Jail at Somerville.
Waller. in his capacity as constable, went up to
Somerville TO see the prisoners.
These men have been around my place. and
/ think l can worm q confession out OF them"
he whispered. Let me go in and see them"
he left the Jail q warrant for his arrest was
sworn out. The confessions. which had been
made in the jail. had been mutual, and they had
been overheard by the jail officials.
Gre OF THE FIRE HYDR1NTS,am