The Saint Paul globe., 1900-04-20
SNEAK THIEF PLAYS A PRACTICAL
BUT SUCCESSFUL JOKE ON
A POLICEMAN
ESCAPE IS NOT DIFFICULT
When n Crook Has Wits, with PO-
lice Force Organized, or
DiserEnnized, as at
Present.

merry ha-ha. And they are certainly
entitled to the amusement they can get
out of their experience, for one of the
burglars walked about the street half
an hour, arm in arm with the policeman,
under the pretense of assisting in finding
| the robbers, and after making sure that
] his pal had gotten safely away sent
! Patrolman Bathke on a further wild
| goose chase while he also made good his
| escape. Fully realizing the ludicrous
blunder made by Patrolman Bathke, an
| effort is being made in police circles to
| keep the story out of the papers, but 1t
| has leaked out and Patrolman Bathke is
! running the gauntlet of a WhirlWlnd OF
"joshing," both among his b.other Off
| GERS and from the residents whose prop
erty out West Seventh street he is sup
posed to guard. He is much chagrined
| over the trick played on him and declares
| he will sooner or later run down the
! crooks wine 'made a monkey of him
and bring them to justice. Chief Getchell
! has fired other policeman lately, no o4ever,
for much less serious blunde-s, and it
may be that Patrolman Bathke will have
to hit the trail" in citizens clothes if he
makes good.
The burglars showed by their opera
tiOns that they Were two as bold daylight
| fiat workers as have ever operated in this
! city. They tried to get into the fiat oc'
cupied by Mrs. Daniel Doyle, in the
same building where Mrs. Schicbar lives,
| but weIe ordered away by Mrs. Doyle.
Instead of being frightened away they
went to the third floor of the building
and tried another fiat. Here, too, they
found the occupants at home, and max
ing an excuse about looking for Miss
! Smith, a dressmaker, returned to the
second floor. Here they found the doors
| of Mrs. Schieber's apartment locked, and
believed the premises to be vacant, al
| though Mrs. Schiebar was at work with
| in, cleaning house. Working with the
most improved burglar tools, the robbers
| quickly removed the lock from the sitting
| room door and admitted themselves to
| the flat. Mrs Schieber was in the parlor
! and knew nothing OF the burglars pres
| ence. One of the burglars proceeded to
search the bureau, lying at full length
| on the floor in a darkened corner of the
| room, while the other kept watch in the
Kitchen. Having occasion to go to the
rear of the house, Mrs. Schieber was
startled at seeing the guard in the kitch-
/ en-. He whistled as he caught sight of
| Mrs. Schieber and ran out the door, lock-
| ing 1t after him. Mrs Schieber called for
help and started through the sitting
room. The second burglar had not stirred
| when his pal gave the warning whistle
and Mrs Schieber knew nothing of his
/
! on top of him. The burglar caught her
about the body and threw her heavily to
| the floor, then jumping up, ran into the
| hall. Mrs. Schfeber, badly frightened, re-
| gained her. feet, and started after the
| burglar. The robber had become con-
fused in the hallway, and Mrs. Schieber
| managed to grab him by the arm as he
started down stairs. Clinging to the thief
| and calling for help at the top of her
voice, Mrs. Schieber was dragged down
| the stairs to the Seventh street entrance.
| Here, after a short struggle, the burglar
| got away and dashed out into the street
/ Not fifty feet away, at Seventh and
| Douglas streets, stood Patrolman Bathke
| resplcndent in leisurely repose, rays Of
| the setting sun reflected from his highly
polished brass buttons, his club swinging
idly by his side. Officer Bathke's helmet
| fits something like a tin can over a FIRE
| cracker, Sc probably ne did not hear Mrs.
Schieber'S screams as the burglar ran out
of the building. The visor did not entire
| ly obscure his vision, however and he
saw the burglar dashing toward him. He
| evidently thought the robber was playing
| tag with a juvenile brother, though, and
| evidently decided not to interfere with
| the game for he made no move, accord
| ing to Mrs. Schieber, when she, In dis
| heVeled attire and nearly faint from
| fright and the efforts Of her struggle
with the burglar, ran out to the street
and cried to the policeman that the man
| approaching him was the thief. ''Stop
| that man. he is the thief is what Mrs
Schieber says she called out to Officer
| Barhke, but the burglar took in the situ-
| alton and adopted a clever ruse that
| saved both himself and his confederate
! Continuing running, he rushed breath
| lessly to Officer Bathke's side and grab
bing the policeman by the arm cried
| robbery, the robbers went this way, we
| will catch them Before Officer Bathke
realized what was happening he found
| himself racing along at the heels of the
| burglar, going in the opposite direction
| from that taken by the robbers pal
| For three blocks the burglar urged Of
hcer Bathke on the wild goose chase,
| sprinIing along Douglas street to Smith
| avenue, with the policeman, until GER
tain that his pal had ample chance to
get eafely away Finally, completely
| WinGed," Officer Bathke came to a stop,
and leaning against a fence began to
ask the burglar questions. The burglar
| said he was certain the guilty parties"
came the way he had brought the police
| man and seemed worried because no trace
! of them could be found. Finally the
burglar suggested plan that commended
itself to Officer Bathke as brilliant con-
| cepticn.
You go around the block, that way"
advised the burglar, "and I'll run around
this way" starting off in the opposite
| direction, "and if either of US catch the
! thieves we will hold them until the other
| comes"
The burglar darted toward Seventh
street and boarded a car for down town,
| while Officer Bathke made the first lap
| about the block at record-breaking gait
| OF course he missed the burglar who was
so kindly assisting him. Once more the
| policeman deshed around the block and
| then 1t dawned upon him that it might
| be well to go back and inquire what was
| the cause of the screaming he had heard
| and how it was that the woman who had
| called to him thought that the accommo-
! dating young man who had helped him
| chase the burglars was really himself one
| of the crooks. When he learned what
| Mrs. Schieber had to say ne realized that
he had been duped. He telephoned to
| the central station and half a dozen de-
| teetives hurried to the scene, but no
trace of the bold and cunning burglars
| could be found.
The burglars secured no booty, but
roughly used Mrs. Schieber. who is in
delicate health, SO badly frightening her
that an attack of nervous prostration is
feared by her family.
/