The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-08-27
BABY BURGLARS
Small Army Raids an
Unoccupied Grove
Street House.
RICH LOOT CARRIED OFF
Detectives Gather in Silver,
China, Glass and Fine Lin
en- From Tenement, Ash
Barrels and Caches in
the Salt Meadows.
RESTITUTION WITH A RUSH
CuIprits and Parents Appear,
Some Hysterical and Some
Cool and Defiant.

OOIH0 F7ySlSTlCdl anu oOII10
Cool and Defiant.
A horde of thirty or forty children
broke into the residence of Mrs. George
w. Clerihew, No. 239 Grove street, yes
terday afternoon and looted the home.
Mrs. Clerihew had recently moved and
had packed her china and silverware pre-
paratory to having it removed from the
Grove street house. A dinner set of
Haviland china, some Japanese ware and
some Davis and Collamore black enged
china were still unpacked. These were in
a china closet built high in the wall
Together with them were some old pieces
of cut glass which had belonged to Mrs.
Clerihew's mother, Mrs. Buckman, and
some old heirloom crockery.
1t all began with teap arty. Two little
girls from Bright street, Mamie Gamble
and Annie Norton, eight and twelve years
old. knowing the house was unoccupied
yard. They had some bread and water
and We're playing tea party in the
yard. Some boys came along and jeered
and Annie, so Mamie says, said:-
Lets go inSide''
Thereupon Mamie broke the glass in the
basement door, removed the chain and
unlocked the door and went in. They
played awhile down stairs and became
curious, so wandered upstairs to see what
they could find. After looking through
the house for awhile they got scared and
ran out, leaving the door open. All this
happened in the morning.
Later, at about three O'Clock, they told
some other girls and some boys how easy
it was to get into that house and how
much there was to be had for the TAX
ing.
Just who started the loot the police
have not yet ascertained. All the boys
acuse the girls and the girls name in
turn each boy. Suddenly there wos an
onslaught. Boys and girls made rush
for the house and began grabbing all
which had been packed, threw the
excelsior all over the floor and began
carrying the china to their homes Two
or three heavy boxes they left intact and
some drawers that were hard to open
were left closed Upstairs tey raced,
opened bureau packed with linen and
Renaissance centre pieces, went through
some closets, took a silver water pitcher
from third shelf, carried off a bronze
lamp, took all the ornaments which, had
been left on the mantel except on onyx
clock which was too heavy, even grabbed
a box of black pins.
In and ort. of the hourse they. poured,
the crowd of young thieves growing wita
.'There's lots of things in that house.
Come and get some" they cried to all
Into houses on Canal street, Bright
street, Grand street, between Henderson
and Jersey avenues went odd pieces of
the china. No discrimination was dis
played. A soup plate, bunch of nap
kins. a cup without saucer was in one
batch, a vegetable dish, a silver salver,
All this time, though all the neighbor-
hood witnessed the wholesale robbery,
though the mothers of the forty children
We're receiving the stolen goods, no ore
interfered. no one ATTEMPTED to stop the
mob,
At five o'clock Mike Flood. Mr.. Robert
Grove street, appeared on the scene. He
cverhethr someone telling of the robbery,
and Immediately notified Mrs. Clerihew
that her house had been robbed and that
children on the block had seen people car
rying it up Grand street. She went into
the house and saw that a great deal h9d
amount of damage done she sent ner
daughter to notify the police.
Miss Clerihew. saw Chief Murphy and
told MIN that the house, which had been
put in the care of the police the week De
fore had been robbed. The Chief immedi-
ately sent Detective Prescott with Miss
Clerlhew to ascertain what had been
stolen.
When they were going through the
house the door bell rang and Mrs. Ford,
Are you the lady of the house?" she
asked the tears streaming down her
cheeks. Il have some of your, Things. in
away. My little boy, he's only five years
old brought them in and said a boy had
given them to him, and | says, Now
you've stolen them things and he says,
No mama, honest I haven't, boy gave
'en to me- And came around here and
found where they'd come from and I've
you can have your things and ! know
where lots more are and my little BOY
and a little girl that took some of them
Bring them in,' broke in Detective
i came five or six boys and girls.
"Were you all in it," asked the detec-
Eyes. sir.'
How many more?""
Jimmie Kelly, Annie Norton, Joey
Mamie Bamble, Mamie Sheen, Jimmie
/ Sheen -
here Glo now til 7p finish it, He took out pa
| per and pencil. Now give. EN- to me.
! When he had the names and addresses Of
half a dczen he. called Pauolman Sanders;
| the officer on that post, and said, Round
| 'em up
| Patrolman Sanders worked like a Tro-
| jan, Back and forth he came with batch
after batch of youngsters, in, most cases
their stolen property with them. Each
batch gave fresh list OF names, and
Detective Prescott. who, had had no din
ner. was kept working like a pack-horse
taking the names of the children, making
them tell all they know and constantly
| getting on the trail of more little thieves.
Then the mothers began to come. Each
| one would bring an armful of china as
sure the detective her child hadn't stolen
any and that was all she had in the house
| and then think she had won her right to
wander through the house and see what
was left or stand around looking at the
others returning.
Detective Prescott telephoned to- Cap
tain Cody and a squad of men in uni
| form was sen to the house The detec-
| tive gave the men list of names and
addresses and told them to go through
every house on Canal street and Bright
| street and search for the missing goods.
/ Off they started. From seven until ten
O'Clock a never ceasing stream of men,
women and children, some brought by
policemen some coming voluntarily,
poured through the house, their arms
| loaded with the stolen goods.
One girl who had promptly gone into