The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-10-21
THEIR AWFUL CRIME.
Two Men Caught in The Very Act
of Stealing Coal.

Even the phlegmatic nature of Justice
Robertson, of the Southern Police sta
ton, vas stirred 10 its p~rofoundest
depths by the Nervousness of the crime
with which Albert Watts otherwise
known as "Hoppy" Watts) and Arthur
PettengiH were charged when they ap-
peared before him for a hearing yester-
day morning. They were aid TO have
committed a no less high act of crime
against the peace of the community
than the larceny of three bushels of coal
actually coal.
The full details of this remarkable Of
Tense appear to have been as follows;
Just as the shades of evening had fallen
Tuesday and the nearby water had CIV
en- back to the sky it's borrowed bright
ness, the bold robbers had stolen TO the
yards of the Baltimore Coal Tar Com
pany, fronting Spring Gardens at the
foot of Leadenhall street, and taken
from a car standing in the yard as
much coal as a bag which gave both all
they wanted to carry would coItain.
This, too, though the ~watchman on
duty over the precious stuff had pres
ented a pistol at their heads and de-
clared that he would shoot. The watch
man did not shoot, however.
When he found that the desperation
of the men made them willing to brave
all perilS, he went to a telephone and,
calling up the Southern Police station,
notified the officials there of what was
being done. The report of the great
crime filled the commanding officer with
ann ~ q finr orrp Nc
Govern and Patrolman Story were
hurried to the place and captured the
men, taking from them the bag of
priceless booty and gravely returning
it to the Waterman. Then, with Ser
geant McGovern at the side of one and
Patrolman Story at the side of the other
the men were escorted to the lookup
and put under key, to listen through
the night to the turkeys whispered
wonderings as to what would be done
with them in the morning.
| When Watts and Pettengill and Jas.
Brothey, the Waterman who threatened
to shoot, and John Appel, ano her
Waterman, who apparently did not APP
pear in the case until yesterday morn
ing, were lined up before the justice, he
moved with such sudden and quick in
terest that the air cushion which he
uses suddenly became fiat.
"Stole coal eh?" he said. Where
i ulO thSy get II. Dlu tuey DTedk through
the thick walls of a safe? Did they in
wade the sanctity of the upper room of
some dwelling? Was it in the jewel
caSket?'
mo, sir" answered Waterman
Brothey. "They climbed into a full car
in our yards and threw the stuff Off"
The watchman's words evidently
made a deep impression upon his Honor.
"A car of coal." 1t does not seem
possible!"
Yes, sir" continued Brothey. We've
been missing coal from the place for
some time. Last night the men were
caught throwing it off. l drew my pis-
toll and pointed it at them: If you don't
go away I'll Shoot / said. But they
didn't seem to hear me and kept On.
I didn't like the thought of having blood
On my hands and 1 called on the police"
The justice turned with lowering
looks to the men, the precious lust on
their faces shining darkly through their
W pallor. They seemed to quail be
"Hoppy" Watts shifted the weight OF
his body from his good leg to his wood
en- one as he said:
W were not stealing it. Judge. We
were Just taking it. Some man came
tn US On the street and told us that
there was a lot of coal down there. and
we went and got some"
And We didn't see the watchman,'
chimed in Pettengill.
Justice Robertson seemed to mediate
between life Imprisonment and the
death penalty while he regarded the
criminals, and then he announced that
as the laws did not provide sufficiently
for the dealing with such fragrant Grim
inals. he would change the charge from
larceny to that of being on the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad cars without
authority. The expression of strained
anxiety on the faces OF the two as, he
announced hat he would send each &c
the house Of correction for two months
gave p'lce to one Of pleased surprise.
It is believed hat had the coal beer
of ne anthracite variety. known to
eld Baltimoreans. that his Honor
VIC u have held the prisoners TO the
Or nal court without bond.
ktter they had been k from the
sta ion house in the afternoon. Turn
key Heldleman is said TO have carefully
scraped up the deposit of the carboni-
ferrous material left on the benches of
their cells and to have placed it in his
pocket with a sly wink at himself
Baltimore Sun.