The morning news., 1899-04-24
BURGLAR CAUGHT IN THE ACT.
CAPTURED WHILE FITTING A KEY
TO LUDDEN 4 BATES STORE.

Policeman BIumberG Was on the
watch and Arrested the WOuld-Be
Thief After Hot Chase-The
Robber was Equipped With "A
String of skeleton Keys and n
Bulldog RevOIver-DOuble Charges
Preferred Against Him.
An unsuccessful attempt to burglarize
the store of Ludden & Bates Southern
Music House was made az an early hour
yesterday morning, and the would-be thief,
a negro who gives his name as Ned Will
hanson, is under arrest at the station
house. He was captured after a hard
chase.
Suspicious happenings in the neighbor-
hood of the store had aroused the man
agement TO the advisability of taking
measures of'extra precaution for its pro-
lection. The police were requested to keep
a sharp lookout on the premises, and these
Instructions were transmitted to Patrol
man Blumberg when that officer went on
duty at II o'clock Saturday night He
was directed to give special attention TO
the store, and to arrest all suspicious char
acters who were seen prowling around in
its vicinity.
About 2 O'Clock the officer came out of
York lane. from the direction of Whita-
ker street, and remembering his instruc-
tions, looked across Bull to the door of
Ludden & Bates store. He saw negro
man in the act of fitting a key into the
lock, rejecting this after an effort or two
TO make it enter the key hole. and trying
another This apparently fitted in the
lock. but the negro. before entering the
door turned to see if any one was watch
ing him-and met the ardent and expect
ant gaze of Blumberg
Without waiting for further develop
ments the negro started down Bull street
turning into York and going toward Dray-
ton, with the policeman all the time in
hot an close pursuit While going along
York street Blumberg called 10 the man
TO hat, without producing any other sf-
feet than 10 accelerate the fellows pace
When the officer saw that the escaping
burglar did not intend TO slacken his gait
he fired at him one shot from his revolver
which served TO increase the rapidity OF
the negro's fight TO a still higher and
equally well sustained rate of speed.
AT Drayton the negro turned 20 the
flght and at the corner of that street and
Oglethorpe avenue ran square into the
arms of Policeman Monahan, who, with
two of his comrades. was coming from
the barracks, had heard Blumberg's shot
ana waited to see what was the matter
Just before he ran into Monahan's arms
the negro dropped a bunch of keys. which
Blumberg saw and picked up. Two of
these are of the patent skeleton" variety
and evidently constructed especially for
the sort of work to which they were be-
ing put when their owner was scared
away from Ludden & Bates store.
Al the station house the negro gave his
name as Ned Williamson. When he was
searched a loaded revolver of large caliber
was found on his person, so that besides
the charge of attempting to commit
burglary, The offense of carrying concealed
weapons Is also registered against his
name on the books of the Police Court
He VIII have to answer both charges be-
fore Recorder Hartridge this morning.
The arrest reflects credit upon Patrolman
Blumberg, and Is an evidence of the vigi-
lance and attention to duty that character
ize the work of that officer. There have
been plenty of burglaries In Savannah in
recent years. but this case is the only one
now recalled in which the burglar was
caught in the act by a policeman and
arrested before he had a chance to COM
plete the crime or make away with the
plunder. II is possibly fortunate for the
officer that the negro discovered that he
was being watched before he entered the
store, as otherwise, had Blumberg follow
ed him in, as he would, of course. have
done, he stood more than a fair chance to
get a shot in return for his trouble.