The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-10
FLED FROM BOLD BURGLARS.
MRS. RICHTER. WITH HER CHILD,
JEAPED FROM ROOF.


Men-Mrs. Richter Was Made
Aware of Their Presence by the
Noise of Their Voices and Foot
steps-They EndeavOred to Force
the Door of Her Room and She
stepped Out of the Window Upon
the Roof of the Vcrandn and, with
Her Child I'm Her Arms, Jumped TO
the GrOund-Lay There Twenty
Minutes Unconscious.
A bold and successful burglary, that by
a narrow margin only escaped being al
tended by a doubiy fatal accident. was
committed at a comparatively early hour
last night. The house burglarized was the
residence of Mr.. George II. Richter, at
Bull and Eighth streets. The criminals,
two unknown men, succeeded in making
their escape.
Mr.. Richter is a member of the Sayan-
nah Cadets and was in attendance upon
the meeting Of the company, at the armory
OF the First Regiment, when the crime was
being committed Mrs. Richter and their
child, little one of about years. were at
home and had retired early. Mrs. Richter
possibly few minutes after O'Clock,
when she received the first indication of
the fact that there were burglars in the
house.
Outside the door Of her room there is a
narrow hallway, that is reached by stairs
leading up from the rear of the house.
Along this hallway she heard the footsteps
of two men and. after short interval.
their voices. They came to the door Of her
room and attempted to enter. but fortu-
nately enough it was provided with a
Latch that could not easily be forced, and
they abandoned their efforts in this direc-
ton and started away, with the evident
intention of trying something easier.
Mrs. Richter, almost craZed with terror
and fright, and clutching her babe to her
breast, heard the two men as they de-
scended the stairs and came up again To
the second floor BY way of the stairs lead
ing from he front of the residence They
tried without success the latch of her
door, and she heard one of the men say
10 the other, There is no one here; letS
get to work" She heard them again, as
they tried and al last forced the latch OF
the door OF the front room, adjoining her
own. Against this door the bed that was
In the room had been placed, and this.
as the latch yielded TO their skilled eff
forts, was pushed across the room as the
door was forced open.
Mrs. Richter heard them again after
they had entered this room and as they
crossed the floor and tried the latch of
the door that connected ner room with the
one In which the burglars then were. As
was natural and to be expected, she was
terribly frightened, to such an extent thar
she could not utter the scream that rose
90 her lips. Her fright was added 90 by
the fear that her discovery meant her dea tn
and that the men who had already taken
such chances for the Accomplishment of
their evil ends would not hesitate at the
further atroclty of the destruction of an
innocent woman and child. She was afraid
perhaps rightfully, that they would have
added murder to their other crimes, If
by so doing they could facilitate their
purpose and prevent their subsequent de-
lection.
At any rate, she had not the courage to
make her presence known. She locked the
trunk in which. the very evening, had
been Placed sum of money amounting to
Sl0S, that had been paid Unexpectedly to
MIR. Richter, and that he had not had an
opportunity to deposit. In the excitement
OF the moment she forgot to remove The
money itself. Then, gathering the babe IN
her arms, she stepped out on the roof of
the veranda that runs around the front
and one side of The house and thence
jumped to the ground. 1t is a distance
OF at least eighteen or twenty feet and
the wonder is that both Mrs Richter and
the child were not killed outright As it
was, the mother was rendered unconscious
and stayed in that condition while the
burglary of the house proceeded to It's
successful conclusion. This must have
been at least twenty minutes.
When she came to herself. she walked
-.
that of Capt George u. Beach. a near
neighbor, TO whom, in great excitement
and trepidation, she related what had be-
fallen her. IL so happened that Capt.
Beach had in his possession a policeman's
whistle, that recent incidents had render
ed it a wise precaut,on 10 have about
and this he blew Justify for assistance
Mrs Richter had said that as she passed
her house on her way across the Tot she
had seen the lights still inside and she
was confident that the burglars were still
there. Subsequently she saw the light
move across the back yard and finally go
out. This marked the disappearance Of
the Burglars
First to arrive was Patrolman Coffee.
by whom thorough inspection of the
premises was at once made. He found
that the lock plate of the door of the front
room on the second floor had been remov-
ed, and that the lock of the door con-
hSctinB the Two rooms had been forced.
The contents of the apartments were
scattered about the floors in wild confu-
sion, and everything that could have con-
tanned money or vauables had been rihed
The lock of the trunk had been broken,
and the money was gone. Nothing else
though, had been taken
A telephone message brought Mr.. Rich
ter, and, some time afterwards. several
other policemen. Two men and two wo-
men, all negroes, some of whom were serv-
ants ON the premises, were arrested and
sent in to the station house, where they
were closely interrogated by Detective
Scully, TO reveal If possible, any connec-
ton they might have with the crime. They
could tell nothing, and il is not believed
that they are guilty. They are detained,
however. to await the result of a more
complete investigation than was possible
last night.
Detectives Scully and Stark went out to
Mr.. Richter's residence later in the night
and examined the premises closely After
gathering all possible information, the de-
tectives arrived at the conclusion that the
crime had been committed by a Dair of