The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-03-24

Thomas Grocery store Plundered
About Midnight Sunday-Chief Par
meless Men Kun the1hieves TO Earth.
Nearly All the stolen Property ~.


Chief Parmele's men were kept busy
yesterday afternoon rounding up thieves
and recovering stolen property.
About midnight Sunday tieves rand
ed the grocery store OF Mr.. j. h Thom-
as. southwest corner OF Fourth and
Campbell streets, and secured a large
amount Of booty. The robbery was a
bold one and accomplished in a cool
and deliberate manner An entrance
TO the store was made through a win
dow on the Campbell street side. and
al the time the electric light on the
corner was burning brightly and the
store brilliantly illuminated by incan-
descent lights. The window is in easy
reach Of a person on the street and was
protected by a heavy wire grating. The
grating the thieves priced from its fas-
tening n aid it carefully on the
ground; then the window was forced
up and the work Of plundering COM
| menced.
The large double doors, which per-
NIT a back entrance 10 the store and
which also open on Campbell street,
were unlocked from the inside, and in
this way the thieves made their exeunt
loaded down with stolan property.
Between midnight and l O'Clock yes
terday morning a young colored man,
| in passing the store, discovered the
| robbery and Informed the policeman on
the block of the fact. The officer in turn
notified Mr.. Thomas head clerk, Mr.. G.
S. Summerill, and then went TO the
scene. Mr.. Summerill soon reported at
the store. and commenced to investigate
the extent Of the robbery. He found
that the thieves had made a wholesale
haul. Hams, breakfast strips, a large
amount OF tea, quite a number OF boxes
of pockeJ knives, cans Of condensed
milk and other articles We're missing
besides the contents of a show case of
+. cigars and cigarettes.
Chief Parmele set his men to work
upon the case, and early in the after
moor a squad, was sent TO Dross Neck
10 search a number of houses where
ii was thought the stolen goods were
secreted. The chief and Captain Rob
ert Green Went with the squad, and
directed the search. Four or five houses
were raided, but nothing founr, and
finally the squad was about 10 abandon
its hunt When Captain Green, who had
been maneuVering around on his w
account, spotted" the right house. The
policemen surrounded the house, and,
as the doors were locked, an entrance
was made through a window. When
the officers entered a u negro man,
JOIN Stewart, darted out and, succeed
ing in evading the clutches of the police
on the outside, ran off like a race horse.
Chief Parmele was in a buggy at the
time and he Immediately put whip 10
the horse and ran Stewart down. The
chief turned his prisoner over to two of
his men, who took him to the station
house. A search of the house brought
TO light a quantity of the stolen goods,
such as cigars, hams, tea, etc.
When 1lASfinnp6 ar tha station hnI1Sa
Stewart implicated another negro, Phi
lander Hill. Policemen were on Hills
track and soon arrested him. They also
found a large amount more of the plum
der at the house of Satire Bunting. in
Paradise Alley, which connects From
with Second street, between Market and
Dock, where Hill had left it. The
Bunting woman was arrested, as was
also a woman, Julia Moore, supposed
to be the mistress of the house in Dross
Neck where the first aul was made
About 4:30 o'clock Mayor Waddell in
~vestigated the case. Both Stewart and
Hill admitted that they were connect
ed with the robbery, but each claimed
that the other was the ring leader while
he only stood watch. Stewart stated
there was a third party involved in
the raid. but Hill denied this.
The Bunting woman proved that the
stolen goods were placed in her house
by Hill without her knowledge and the
other woman proved that she knew
nothing about the theft and was moi
the mistress of the house in Dross
Neck. Both were discharged from GUS
tody, but recognized as witnesses.
The two young negro thieves were
bound over to the next term of the
criminal court in the sun of 800 each
They failed to give bond and were com
mitted to Jail.
Chief Parmele's men who worked uI
the case were Captain Furlong, Ser
geant Davis and Policemen Wood
George, Chadwick, Guy and Simmons