Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-06-01
BURGLARS HAD ROPE
officer Fox's discovery After the Attempted
Eobbery at Ho Lee,s Laundry.


After the arrest OF Howard Hinton,
Elmer Coyle and Joseph Dugan.
Tuesday morning, on the charge of
breaking and entering tho laundry Of
Ho Lee, No. 81 East Sixth street,
Officer Fox made discovery, while
making an investigation Mt tho laun-
dry, which indicated that the burglars
intended to resort to desperate meas
ures to accomplish thor object. Tho
officer found about 20 yards of clothes
line which had been taken TO the place
by the intruders and left there, and
the superstition is that they intended
to tie Lee and the other Chinaman in
the building to prevent them from
Offering material resistance. This plan
was not carried out, however, as Lee,
who was sleeping on the first floor, saw
one OF the men soon after the place
had been broken into and offered much
resistance and made such noise that
they lost their heads and their plans
were shattered. The Chinaman's cries
evidently frightened them so that they
were glad to get away before they had
an opportunity to get any plumber.
The officer took the rope TO the police
station, where it awaits an owner.
The discovery of the rome gave some
the impression that tho laundry was
entered by some of the men who were
connected with the robbery at the
Bavarian Brewery, as at the latter place
the employees were tied before the safe
was attacked, but Capt. Chambers,
who was spoken to about the matter,
places little credence 10 the report. He
thinks it possible, however, that the
burglars may have taken the rope to
tha Io,r o., th. - 81,
Cinnamon and giving the impression
after their departure that the brewery
robbers had been there.
1t was evidently the intention Of the
men who entered the laundry to rob
the place on Monday morning, but the
vigilance of tho police frustrated their
plans. On Monday morning shortly
after midnight Capt. Chambers made
q tour of the lower part OF the city,
and while walking up Market street he
saw two men near Third. He thought
at the time that they were Coyle and
Dugan, and as they were strolling
about at an unreasonable hour decided
| to have them watched. He followed
them to restaurant, where they re-
manned for short time. and after they
left the restaurant it was noticed that
they went toward the eastern part OF
the city and the police on the Second.
Fourth and Fifth districts. being that
part of the city between Market street
and the Christiana River south Of Ninth
street were instructed to watch the
men. They were followed on all Of the
districts and at about O'Clock in the
morning Sergeant Evans men saw the
two men he had been instructed to
watch meet two other men. The four
were then followed from place to place
and about an hour later two of them
were seen to go to the rear Of the laun.
dry which was entered Tuesday morn
ing and try the gate. They evidently
realized that they were being watched
at about the time they made an effort
to enter the place and fled. They were
frightened and it is presumed that
they went somewhere to sleep the bal.
ance Of the night.
The suspicious of the officers were
confirmed Tuesday when one nf the
mon under arrest remarked as they
were being escorted to photograph
gallery to be photographed for the
police records that they knew Officers
Solomon and McGillen were keeping 4
close watch for burglars the night be-
fore. c3H
The police believs they have thu
right men and are working up the case