Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-02-14

Sergeant Met One OF Thein ut the Door
who Was Placed Under Arrest After
Thrilling Enrounier-The Accnsed Hell
In $4,000 Bail for the Court Of General
Sessions.
House Sergeant Joseph w. Howgats
covered himself with glory last night week by
arresting man giving his name as JOSEPH
Riley, who, the police think, is q pro
Fessional burglar, from either Philadelphia
Or New York; The arrest was made shortly
before II O'Clock, just as Riley was attempt
ing to escape from Nathan Levy's loan
office, In the building ut the southwest
corner of Seventh and Market streets, ailt
only after Riley had made several attempts
TO shoot the officer. The prisoner is be
lleved to be a member of gang OF saft
crackers who attempted TO loot the loan
office. Their operations in the building
caused the burglar alarms there and at u,
police station to ring, and as soon as tint
police gong sounded Capt. Kane anc
Sergeant HowRate started on run for the,
loan office. Just outside the police station
they met Sergeant Kelleher and Capt. Kant
sent him with Sergeant Howgate, the latter
returning to the stationhouse, A short ttnr
afterward Sergeant Howgate returned with
mis- prisoner.
In the City Court Thursday Riley wa.
arraigued ON three charges breaking and
entering building with intent TO commit
pointing revolver and was held In 81. 20c
| nail for the Court of General Sessions. h
had nothing to say. On the first charge thu
maximum punishment is one hour in thu
| pilory, Is lushes and three years imprison-
lnept; on the second, 81, coo fine, one hour
| in the piory, 20 lnshes and five years i'm
4 prisonment, and on the third, SlO0 fine ana
| six months imprisonment. He can be
| tried on all charges and punished for all II
| convicted.
| When the prisoner was arraigned in the
/ City Court, Sergeant Howgate testified that
| in response TO the burglar alarm, which
| went off about 10. % o'clock, he and Sergean
| Kelleher went to MIR. Levy's place ant
began an investigation. Seeing nothing
4 suspicious from the outside and the front
door being fastened. Sergeant Kelleher wen
TO y. ]. II. Beckett's restaurant, at Seventh
and Shipey streets, and telephoned to Mr..
Levy. While Sergeant Kelleher WIS in thu
restaurant Riley appeared at the door, evi-
| IDENTIFY having been frightened by the alarm
bells which we're ringing in he building
| and not knowing officers were about. Ser
geant Howgate asked Riley, who was an
entire stranger to him, what he was doing
in the building, He replied that he had
been there to see his lawyer, to which the
officer replied that there were no lawyer
there at that tins, and instantly the Officer
caught hold of Riley. The latter grapped
with the officer and struck at him with q
Il
sergeant was unable to get hold of his
hand Seeing that he was being over
powered, Riley pressed his revolver at The
sergeant's breast and snapped IL severa
times, but 1t missed fire. The sergeant
threw Riley down, after the two men had
volver from him. Riley gave up the
struggle and Sergeant Howgate marched
him to the polics station and locked him up
Abou. this time Sergeant Kelleher, who
had been at the telephone in Beckett's cafe
arrived ana a search OF the building wal
| instituted. complete and apparently ner
set of burglars tools was found, including
a tempered jimmy, in sections, severa
| braces and drills. some powder, or a similal
explosive, a buttle of oil ana coil of fuse
The thieves had not stolen anything, and
with the exception OF the holes In the cell
ing, door and wall, the place did not SHOW
any sign of having been disturbed.
From the appearance of things, tn
burglars were professionals. They hat
evidently hid themselves in hallway, ant
after MIR. Levy closed his place, at ga
O'Clock, they went 70 work. They wer
evidently afraid to attack the door, be
lieying it was equipped with an alarm out
lit. Accordingly they went to the foo
above the loan Office and ma1e hole il
the floor, and with the aid of rope ladder
were enabled to descend to the loan Office
Finding two rooms and that they were no
| III lue one cOutdlHiilB tHb hhles Which, wa
| their objective point, they began to make
hole in the wall to get to the room wher
, | the safe was. This was very tedious wor
and trusting to luck that the inner door wa
not equipped with an alarm, they turne
their attention to it, and after borin
! several holes kicked a panel out an
entered, They had made miscalculation
! however, as the alarms at the police static
I and in the loan office began to ring as 500
] as they went through the door. Thi
! frightened them and they began plannin
escape. Riley was the first to reach Tn
street door, which he unfastened from tn
insi e, and as he was about TO step outsid
he was confronted by Sergeant Howgatt
and his attempt to kill the officer, th
1 struggle and arrest followed.
4 1t Is believed that there were at least tw
4 other men with Riley aud they probab
: escaped while the sergeant was strugglin
: with him. The police all over the city wei
instructed to be on the lookout for thel
ard there is some hope of eflectiug the
: capture.
When Riley was searched at the poll,
station some powder, oil and whiting We
found in his ps ckeis, as was also the follow
ing letter, addressed to Joseph Hanson,
;, care OF II. Dillon of No. 1909 Federal stree
It Philadelphia:
Il "Dear Rialto: How are you getting alonl
il old man. am still tinkering and solceriI
is away about the same. 1 suppose you ha
L
n anybody ] knew at the Court House tn
10 night, although they may have come aft
y / left. | was up to see mother on Saturdl
y and Sunday. She does not remember n
" ut all; she has lost her memory.
" | expect to see you coming in some day
most dilapidated specimen of humanit
overcoat gone and shoes out. l will
I glad to see you whenever you come, wheth
Il | IL be as tramp or with coach and four
l The letter was signed 'Andrometus" al
was dated February 9Th and postnark
l New York." 1t was written on railro
blank, the head of which had been cut o
1 A return ticket to Philadelphia on the
w. & b. railroad was also found in Rifle!
4 pocket. II had been purchased yesterday
II South street station, Philadelphia.
Il Riley said he was 66 years OF age. He h
a short beard, which is gray, as is also
M hair. To reporter he said he was 81
"a penter and that his home was in Brookly
II where he has wife and children
4 showed his hands as an evidence that
II known hetter,'' he said. "why did col
down here, and this is the only State VIII,
\ they have the whipping post and piliol
- but 1t serves me right. They can't char
me with burglary, as did not get al
on thing"
as When one of the policemen mention
what the punishment would be, he saI
well, will have 10 take IL +" Again
appeared to be amused at the police "
ZEN were trying TO find out how many had tax
IS part In the attempted robbery. He laugh
ity at them and said: "Well. you cops
SIS puzzled. You don't know how many We
ig- in the game, do you?' He was pho
hn graphed 4 thursday for the rogues' gallery
per Chief Massey has communicated with OF
cities ~ see il he can he identified.
The police are partly inclined to bell
that the thieves had a watcher out, Ho