The record-union., 1898-03-21
BURGLARS FIENDISH WORK.
e. j. CROLY SHOT DOWN IN
HIS HOME.
Not Expected to Live-The Burg
lars Succeeded in Making
Their Escape.

A few minutes after 9 o'clock last
night ex-Street Commissioner E. j.
Croly was shot and probably mortally
wounded by one of two burglars who en-
tered his house at Twelfth and 4
streets.
Mr.. and Mrs. Croly retired about $50
o'clock. Their sleeping apartment is
in the attic, which is reached by a mar
row flight of stairs in the rear of the
house and thence through short hall.
They had not been in bed long when
Mr.. Croly heard talking in the vicinity
OF the stairs, and inquired of his wife
whether or not the servant girl had COM
pany.
An instant later two men arrived at
the bedroom door, and one of them
struck a light Mr.. Croly realized at
once that the men were burglars, and
springing from the bed made rush for
them.
He overlook one Of the men in the hall
and struck him three times, when the
burglar turned and fired two pistol shots
into his breast one entering the
right side, below the collar bone, and
the other the left side, the wound COR
the right.
The wife Of neighbor in an adjoin-
ing house heard the shots, and waking
her husband told him that shots had
been fired in Croly's house. He started
to investigate, and as he was leaving
his house Mrs. Croly came out on her
rear porch and told him that somebody
had shot her husband. The gentleman
ran to Hanlon's store, just across the
street, and gave the alarm. There
were several men in the store at the
time of the shooting but they had heard
nothing.
Mr.. Hanlon Immediately started
across the street to Crolys house, and
when about halfway across saw a man
dart under the passageway leading to
vacant lot east of Croly's residence and
disappear in the gloom.
Mr.. Hanlon found the wounded man
lying in the hall, perfectly conscious and
able to talk. He said that when one Of
the men struck the light he realized that
he had burglars to contend with, and
springing from his bed he closed with
the men, who was apparently taken by
surprise and did not expect to find any
body in the attic.
He said he struck one robber three
times, and that the latter then thrust
his revolver against him and fired two
shots.
To Mr.. Hanlon Mr.. Croly described the
robber who did the shooting as a man
about five feet eight inches in hight,
and weighing probably 40 pounds. He
was fairly we'll dressed, but he could not
ST that time recall his features.
Mr.. Hanlon rang up for the police ami
had stimulants brought for the wounded
man. The latter was cool and collected,
and when the liquor was offered him
said:
You'd better save your whisky. Billy,
for I'm going to die, but this floor is
awfully hard, and if you can get some
blankets l viii lie easier
Everything possible was done for the
suffering man, and in the meantime Dr..
G. c. Simmons, who had been sent for,
arrived. The physicians examination
showed that there was small hope for his
patients recovery. 1t was found that
one of the large arteries had been sew
cred and that the internal hemorrnage
was quite severe.
DR.. Simmons sent for his father, DR..
G.. l.. Simmons, but it was after 10
o'clock when the latter arrived, and in
the meantime Mr.. Croly had sunk
rapidly.
Within ten minutes after the shooting
Officer Bailey arrived and Chief Dwy
er, with a half-doZen members of the
force. were on the ground a few mo-
ments later The Chief went to the
front and east of the house on P street,
and as he did so he saw a man hur-
riedly climbing the fence between the
vacant lot and Samuel Katzenstein's
yard. He fired point-blank at the man,
but he disappeared over the fence, and
q subsequent search failed to reveal a
trace of him.
It was thought the robber, after leav-
ing the house, had waited until he
thought the coast was clear and then
made his successful break for liberty
The police made a thorough search Of
the premises, but no trace of the rob-
bers could be found Mr. Croly told
them he thought the burglars We're still
about the premises, but he was mis-
taken, for they had evidently run
downstairs and escaped by the way
they had entered.
District Attorney Ryan, who lives op-
posite Mr.. Croly's house, on P street,
was also present, and listened to Mr.
Croly's statement To him and Chief
Dwyer the wounded man told about the
same story as he had first related to
Mr.. Hanlon, but recalled that the man
who had shot him was heavy-set, had
a heavy dark mustache, and was fair
" we'll dressed. The other robber was
a short. heavily built man, but he could
give no very accurate description Of him
Mrs. Croly was nearly prostrated
with grief and excitement and was
unable to give a clear account of what
had happened.
Sheriff Johnson and Deputy Sheriff
Kelly arrived at the scene of the shoot
ing before 10 o'clock. but Chief Dwyer
had meanwhile disposed his force so
as to close the avenues of escape as
we'll as possible