Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-04-04
THIEVES RIG CAPTURED
Strange Horse and Wagon and Some
Plumber in Possession Of Police.
GRANITE CO.'S 0UARRIES LOOTED
A Wagon Load of Booty is
Deserted. 3.
TUMBLED DOWN AN EMBANKMENT

NhBuut NtSibbu tu6 uudTTtbS Ul LQb
Brandywine Granite Co., on the north
eide of the Brandywine between Kent
mere and Rockford. Thursday night, and
carried off plumber valued at about
5000, but they received little or no
compensation for their trouble, as the
police have recovered all OF tie booty,
20 far as is known, and also an ap-
parently valuable black horse and a
somewhat dilapidated wagon.
The booty consisted of brass journal
boxes, valves and whistles, babhitt
metal and similar articles. The journal
boxes were taken from several cars
standing on siding of the p, W. &
b. railroad, which runs to the quar-
ries; the babbitt metal was carried off
in molds which the granite company
keeps for use in bearings on the
engines, orusher and other machinery,
and the whistles and valves were de-
tached from the boilers and pipes.
As soon as the employees of ths granite
company reported for work Friday
they discovered that the buildings
and cars had been ransacked and an
inventory of the missing articles was
taken, and as soon as Superintendent
Hamilton Stewart obtained the neoes.
sHry information concerning the theft
he reported the matter to the police
Almost as soon as the robbery was dis
covered it was learned that the plumber
had been recovered, together with the
horse and wagon and by 8 O'Clock the
whole outfit was at police headquar ters,
nearly three luiles from where it was
found The wagon and its contents
and the horse were found about G. 30
O'Clock Friday morning by employees of
the Jessup IL Moore Paper Co., near
the mills of the company at Augustine,
which is on the north side of the
Brandywine, just west of the Balti.
more & Ohio railroad bridge. The
wagon WAS pretty badly broken UP, the
horse was somewhat bruised and the
plumber was lying about, some IN the
wagon and some in the road. The
horse was detached from the wagon
and plac d in a stable. After the
authorities had been notified Park
Guard James Black took charge of the
rig, and as soon as he could attach q
fence rail TO the wagon, to take the
place of a broken wheel, he started on
his Journey toward the police station,
which he reached without further
mishap to his peculiar outfit. Owing to
the weight Of the stolen metal, he was
compelled to allow some Of it to remain
where it was found and it was sent in
by the paper company. Superintendent
Stewart Of the granite compsny's dt,ar-
RES identified the plumber, and 1t will
be used as evidence 10 the event Of an
arrest.
Judging from the place where the
horse and wagon were found, they had
evidently fallen from road on the side
of the high hill at Augustine, 10 the
road below, distance Of probably 40
feet How the horse escaped serious
injury is mystery, as 1t was attached
to the wagon when found on the road
at the foot of the hill. The wagon WAS
wreck. The top and one wheel we're
badly broken and the springs were in
bad shape.
.Che police are of the opinion that
the wagon and horse were driven to
this city and up the north side Of the
Brandywine, as near the euarries as
was possible to go, and after the
plumber had been placed in the wagon,
which was probably between mid
night and daylight, it was driven to
Augustine, where an effort was made
to ascend road leading from what is
known as the creek road to the top Of
the hill, preferring that route to the
one leading to Eighteenth and Market
streets, where the police would probably
have been encountered, and the load was
so heavy that the horse either baked
or backed, az il was ascending the
incline, and the wagon went over the
side of the road to the road below,
carrying the horse with, it. The tnsn
or men who were driving were evil
y M n dyau 40 mir
as the accident happened, fearing the
noise might arouse somebody and at
tract attention to them. 1t Is believed
they went in the direction of Chester
aud the police of that city have been
requested to be on the lookout for them.
The body of the wagon which WAS
found is painted dark red, with green
border, and the name "Steeple's, "
which is in the green portion, is
painted in yellow, rs Is also the
running gear. 1t has black top, and,
judging from its general condition, has
the appearance of having been in use
for some time.
The noise from the paper mills pre-.
vented the fall of the wagon from be-
ing heard and nothing was known of
the matter until $50 O'Clock, when
Fletcher Bennett, John Coverdale and
Frederick Mack, employees Of the paper
company, was leaving the mill to go
home, having worked all night. They
took in the situation and embarrassing
the horse, took 1t to the company'h
stables, where il RENAMED until z
O'Clock, when Police Captain Black,
Patrolman Mcdaniel and Park Guard
Black were notified, and it was taken
to the police station, as related above.
The Jessup a. Moore Go. sent the plum
der to the police station on one Of the
company's wagons. When William A.
Lindsay and William Lynch of the
office force arrived at the paper mill
they reported the matter to Uhief of
Police Massey by telephone.
In addition to the robbery at the
Brandy wine Granite Go. e quarries,
where it is supposed all of the plumber
In the wagon was obtained, it has been
from two cars of the New York Central
& Hudson River railroad, which were
standing on the siding of the Jessup Il
Moore paper Co., in Brsndywine
Village, and it is supposed that the
same thief or thieves operated there
that operated at the quarries aud the
theft in Brandywine village was proha-
bly, committed before the one at the
quarries.
much more lovely to the landsman are the
rosy cheeks of young ladies who use Glenn's
Sulphur Soap.
Glass of Ten Confirmed.
Special Correspondence OF Gazette and Journal.