New-York tribune., 1902-06-18
LAND AND WATER CHASE.
ONE BURGLAR CAUGHT AFTER COM
PANION FIRES AT PURsUERS.

Wealthy summer residents in the Boston Post
Road and Milton Point Read, Rye. took part
early yesterday morning in three-mlle chase
on the Sound after two men. who had ro6oed
four country places, and captured one Of them
after his companion had fred several shots at
their pI.rsuers. The other man escaped For
some time thieves have been lCotiHg country
places en- the Sound shore, and despite sharp
lookout being kept have always escaped in
boat Yesterday morning Mrs. Birne. wife OF
the Rev Douglas P. Birnie. Presbyterian min
lister of Rye was awakened by burglar in her
room She screamed and ewoke her husband.
The burglar seized the minister's clerical suit
and ESCAPED from the house with a bag Of sill
verWare. After some delay Mr.. Birnie got INTO
another suit and aroused his coachman- They
went to the home Of Mrs Grace Thompson, IN
the Post Road and found that $500 worth of
siIverU.are and much Of her jewelry had been
stolen.
The neighborhood of the Milton Point Road
was aroused by this time, and burglar hunt
was begun Mrs Edward P. Cowles and David
s Cowles discovered that their homes had also
been robbed of $500 worth of silverware and
considerable jewelry and clothing. Justus A. 3.
Cowles and Charles P. Cowles, lawyers, sons OF
Mrs. CowIes, hastily hitched up a horse and
went with some of their servants to the Ameri-
can Yacht Club house There they discovered
that a roWboat had been stolen from Petersons
boathouse A large yawl was quickly manned,
and with Peter Johnson the helm the party
started out There was a stiff breeze blowing.
and the yacht made fast time. Half mile down
the Sound a rowboat containing two men was
sighted. When the pirates that they were
being pursued they fired two shots in the air
and rowed desperately. but the yacht continued
to gain. and after chase of three miles the
burglars put in at Van Amringe's mill, at Rye
Neck. When in shallow water the Pdrsuers
shouted Surrender or will shoot Instead
of surtenderng the pirates threw large guam
tity of the sverware into the water. When close
ly pressed they seized a bag containing at least
81 600 worth OF plunder and started 10 run for
the woods, followed by the angry members of
the Rye summer colony. The bag became too
heavy and the thieves tossed II into the bushes.
Then one Of them fired his revolver at the pur-
suers three times. He escaped, but his COM
panion, who had his pockets filled with silver
ware captured after a long run, and
marched to the Mamaroneck Jail, where he was
locked up.
He said that he Henry Hoffman, thirty
wears old, OF Brooklyn. Judge Kane held him to
await the action of the grand jury. In the
stolen rowboat a large amount OF silver plate
was found, while the silverware which was
thrown into the water fshed out with boat
hooks The pirates also visited the home OF
T NJ St John, in the Boston Post Road, and
tried to get In. Failing in this. they went 10
the ice chest in the basement and regaled them
selves with wine and delicacies. While they
were eating the dogs began barking, and the
men fed across the lawn, P. S. Forbes. father
in-law of Mr.. st. John, heard the noise, ana
rushed for his shotgun, but before he could
get the window open 10 shoot the thieves were
beyond range