Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-02

What appears to have been a desperate
and unusually persistent attempt to enter
the house of Colonel C. H. Ingram, 9cS
west Grace street. was made by gang
of negroes shortly after s o'clock last
night
Colonel Ingram left for Louisville, KY.
on Wednesday. to take charge of the Of
fee of the revenue agent there. He left
his wife and three daughters behind him
10 the care Of friends until such time as
he Will be permanently settled, at all
events, with a fair chance of remaining
stationary for some time.
It was known to servants about the
house. and to other that there was
strong box containing about $4,000 worth
of family jewels and other valuables, and
it Is believed that the attempt Of last
night was made by an organized pand or
burglars to secure this strong box.
The tire for the raid was chosen to a
nicely Colonel Beach. who was one or
Colonel Ingram's deputies In tie revenue
agents Office here, Mr.. Dyer, chief depu-
~ collector OF internal revenue, and other
intimate friends of Colonel and Mrs. ln-
gram, were dining with the family. Short
Iy before dinner was served last night,
one of the servants rushed screaming into
the house. ard declared that she had seen
a negro in the yard. search was in
stituted. but no one was in sight. and
the Incident was passed over without an
other thought.
Miss Ingram Screamed.
a few minutes later, however, Miss
Grace Ingram was on her way down
stairs, when she saw the door to the up
stairs porch opened and caught sight Of
the face Of a negro She screamed, and
the gentlemen ran to see what was the
matter. On Leing told. they went upstairs
to investigate. and found cnlored man
of heroic size. The porch is sixteen feet
above the level of the ground. but the
leap was nothing compared to arrest, and
the negro jumped over the railing and
reached terra firma in safety. He climb
ed the fence. and apparently made off
towards the wes-
The party was now thoroughly on the
uui vive, and some amateur sleuthins was
successfully carried on by Mr.. Dyer, who
heard voices in a cooks room over the
stables. and saw through the partly closed
blinds a negro man in her apartment.
Colonel Beach teleplloned to the Third
police station. and asked them for officers
to be sent at once.
In the meantime, Mrs Ingram. a very
small but exceedingly plucky little wo-
man. became convinced that the coast
was clear, and That dinner might proceed.
In order tofconvince every one that there
was no further cause for alarm, she went
upstairs and out on the porch which
commanded a view of the yard and the
colored wornans room in tho rear. AS
she reached the porch, q big negro brush-
ed by her in an effort to escape. as his
predecessor had done. Mrs Ingram Crap
pied with him. and held him as long as
her strength would permit. but it was
an easy task for him to tear himself
away from her and he, too. disappeared
over the side Of the porch with its sixteen
foot drop to earth.
Saw Strong Box.
It was ascertained that the strong box
had been displayed during the day. and
that it had beer placed in drawer in a
room contiguous to the porch. Servants
about the house knew that the value of Its
contents was $4,000, and the belief is en-
tertained by the police that it was in an
effort to secure so rich a prize that such
desperate and repeated attempts were
made. when the fact must have been ap-
preciated that the household was thor
oughly aroused and alarmed.
The police arrived Just after Mrs. In
grams experience and went thoroughly
over the premises Detectives have been
detailed on the case, and it will be thor
oughly investigated, not Only by the po-
lice department, but by Colonel Migrants
friends. Mrs. Ingram and her daughters
were in a state of nervous collapse last
night.