New-York tribune., 1903-01-31
ENTER WEALTHY HOMES.
POLICE IN FORTY-SI1.
". X. TanderbiH's One-Lant'y
lFished to Shoe Them Unguarded.
In five of the six the funers

One of the most remarkable police feats ever
accomplished was made yesterday i'll a single
hour by Captain Lantry, of the East Fffty-hrst-
st. station and seven of his detectives. So many
robberies have taken place of late in the wealthy
residential district in that part of Fifth-ave, and
the side streets which are in the captains pre-
cnct that the residents have complained that
the police are lax. Twenty rObberies have oc-
Cured on the square block bounded ny fllth
and Sixth aves,. and Fffty-sXth and Fltty-seN-
enth sts. To show that the police are not lax
and that the residents and their servants are at
fault Captain Lantry sent the seven detectives
10 some of these homes to see how many they
could enter without being detected. The men
got into forty-sfx houses. in some cases as far
as the second floor. before being stopped
The E. ParmaIee Prentice robbery. at No. >
vrest F,iftv-third-st led to the determination
of CAPTAIN Lantry. Many of the robberes IN
the neighborhood have taken place in day
light, and the victims wondered why thieves
could so easily effect entrances into the MONIES
they believed we'll guarded.
Report after report was made to the captain
that homes had been robbed and he sent de-
tectives to investigate each time, with the re-
suit that the would find a sneak thlef hao
done the job. getting in by the front or base
ment door, one or the other being unlocked
Lantry took Detectives Heaney. Martineau,
him. He also took book to keep a record,
and he had the men report they went up and
down each block AS each finished. Captain
Iantry gave him another block to try, and the
man would enter house after house and return
and report.
Byrnes got into the house of William X. Van
derbilt on the northwest corner Of Fifth-aVe
and Fifty-second-st. This has a front entrance
in the avenue and a side entrance In FIFTY
second-st. Byrnes found the iron gate at the
side open and walked into the basement hall.
He peered about and heard voices, but no one
asked him what he wanted He examined the
hall and rooms and then walked upstairs.
COULD HAVE STOLEN PICTURES.
In the first room he stepped into, the art gal
lery the nearest things to him were two small
paintings so small ne could have put them un-
dec his coat and walked out with them. He
saw many such pictures. of which Mr. Wander
bilt has some that cost thousands of dollars
apiece Small but costly bronzes were here and
there, and Byrnes could have had several of
item. and been in the street in less than sixty
seconds He wandered into the room, con-
tanning dainty miniatures, marbles, bronzes,
lace curtains, costly bric-a- -brac and beautltul
furnishings, and gazed on them all for what he
thought must have been quarter of an hour
Then he walked out into the hall again. No one
was there Down into the basement hall again.
No one. Then he stepped to the basement door
and pulled the bell A butler came out and
asked what he wanted. Byrnes told him, as he
had peen instructed by Captain Lantry to tell
what ne had done, announce who he was, tell
what he had seen, and how far through the
house he had gone, and then the butler said:
You amt been in this house a'tall'
Detective Martineau got into the house at NO
43 West Fifty -fourth-st, occupied by John
Witmore. He found the basement gate open and
ne walked into the lower hall. He inspected the
hall and front room below and then leisurely
walked up to the parlor floor. He looked about
at the costly furnishings and art works and
then went to the living apartments on the sec
ond floor. In the hall here butler encountered
him. Martineau says He got excited and looked
wildly at Martineau. On recovering from his
lstonishment, the burly butler almost shouted:
..What're you doin here? You lookin' for
trouble?"
Martineau displayed his shield to the butler
and told him who he was and his mission
Mrs Witmore was at home. had heard the
talking and went out to see what the trouble
was She heard Martineaus story and then. ac-
cording to Martineau, told him he ought to be
ashamed 10 invade IA private house in such a
manner that he had entered sacred precincts
those of a home and that he had no right to do
as he did.
But madam it necessary, protested
Nartiueau Look at all the robberes of late
and your homo was not guarded. l got IN
/ easily"
1T was wholly unnecessary for you lake such
steps" said Mrs. Witmore, Martineau declares
and he then departed He said the home con
tanned many costly articles which might easily
have been stolen had he been d sneak thlei.
WANDERED ALL OVER HOUSE.
Heyer and Martineau visited handsome
dwelling in West Forty-sixth-st, the owner OF
/ which they did not know. Martineau entered
the basement the iron door being open, ana
Continued fourth pnGc
All the great trains of the Middle West connect
with the Now York Central lines. Superior dssng
Ii TRIM