The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-13
BOLDEST ROBBERY YET
THIEF STEALS $4,000 WHILE HIS
VICTIMS LITTLE DAUGHTER
WATCHES HIM
HE TOLD HER A FAIRY TALE


cited by Mrs. j. Bernstein's Loss
and the Detention of Her Step
daughters Husband, Charles
ROsen.
When Mrs. Fanny Bernstein, con-
Quoting small dry goods store at S54
Payne avenue. returned to her home
at $50 O'Clock last evening, after spend
ing the afternoon at the home of her
brother, in West ST. Paul, she found
herself poorer by $1,000. An unknown
thief had, during her absence, robbed
her of all Of her worldly possessions,
$3.50 in money, a gold watch and two
gold chains, valued at $500. While the
thief took the money and jewelry from
its hiding place. Mrs. Bernstein's ten
year-old daughter, Annie, stood watch
ing him, ignorant of the fact that the
stranger was robbing her mother OF
all she possessed.
The robbery was daring and well
planned and must, beyond doubt, have
been committed by some one who knew
Mrs. Bernstein kept the money about
her home. Mrs. Bernstein left home
to go to her brothers about noon. Her
daughter Annie remained to look after
the house. In a trunk in the dining
room, hidden among the contents Of
clothing and miscellaneous wearing
apparel, was the money and jewelry,
whose presence, Mrs. Bernstein de-
elares, was known only to herself. Part
Of the money she received from her
deceased husband, together with the
watch and chains. while little by lit
tie moEey had been added to the hoard
from the meager profits of her busi-
ness, Until, in the bundle containing
the money. were 81, 230 In crisp bills and
$500 in gold pieces. Little Annie did
not know she was guar1 ling such
wealth, because, Mrs. Bernstein says,
even the child was unaware that the
money was in the trunk
Just as it began to grow dark Annie
heard a knock at the store door When
she opened the door a strange man
confronted her. The child asked him
what he wanted, when the stranger
answered that Mrs Bernstein had sent
him to get ring, which she wanted
at the home of her brother, out of the
~ LIN. Al lAS SdHlS lliHG the uldIl
crowded by the timid child and went
into the dining room. Annie followed
him. Picking up a hatchet lying be-
side the stove, the stranger, according
to the child's story, quickly broke open
the trunk and began ransacking it's
contents. The girl says he soon ap-
peared to find what he wanted and
hurriedly placed something in his pock-
ct. Without word to the child the
stranger hurriedly left the house.
The girl, in childish way, thought
the strangers conduct unusual, but
attached no Importance to his visit un-
til her mother returned about $50
O'Clock. She told her mother what had
happened. When she saw the broken
trunk lid, Mrs. Bernstein feared she
had been robbed and a hasty search for
her money and jeWelry confirmed her
worst suspicious. All of the money,
together with the watch and the two
chains, was gone.
Mrs. Bernstein at once notified the
Margaret street police of the robbery,
placing the authorities in possession of
information which led to Charles Ros-
ell, living at 235 Fairfield avenue, be-
Ing taken into custody. Rosen married
Mrs. Bernstein's stepdaughter. When
Mrs. Bernstein's husband died and left
his money to her, it is said that the
stepdaughter was dissatisfied. Rosen
was taken to the Bernstein home for
possible Identification by the girl, An
nie, but the latter declared positively
that he was not the man who visited
the house. The only description the
child can give of the stranger is that
he was of medium size and had a
beard