Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-27
ALEX CAMBRIA AFFAIRS
COLORED MAN ARRESTED WHILE
RoBBING STORE.
Admits That He Committed Other Rob-
berries and Lot Of Booty Found
at His House.

at His House.
Evening Star Bureau,
701 King Street.
g Bell Telephone 100.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. March n, 1908.
An arrest Of more than ordinary import
ance was made by the police this morning
when Perry Shields, colored. who later
confessed to having committed several dar-
ing robberies. was captured by officers
Smith and Sherwood while attempting to
burglarize the dry goods store of Charles
Adams, In King street. After his conf1ne-
ment at the police station evidence was
secured by the officers which led him to
admit having robbed the dry goods store
of Jonah Bernheimer. at King and Lee
streets. twice during the winter. AS these
robberies. in which several hundred dollars
worth of goods were taken. had proved
particularly mystifying, the apprehension
of the perpetrator has relieved the police
department Of much perplexity.
The arrest Of Shields followed his dis
covery creeping surreptitiously across the
roof Of back building connected with the
jewelry store and residence Of Henry Wildt,
1O6 North Royal street. Edward Wildt.
hearing a noise on the roof, looked out,
and seeing a man creeping across, at once
supposed that he was aiming for the rear
of several stores opening in King street.
Reaching the edge of the roof the burglar
swung himself down fifteen or twenty feet
below'in an inclosed space just back of the
stores Of Messrs. Charles Adams and Geo.
Young.
Wildt then aroused his brother, William
Wildt, who went to the station house and
informed the officers Officers Smith and
Sherwood effected the capture of Shields
a few minutes later. Shields was in a trap,
from which there was no escape, except
through one of the stores: Officer Smith
climbed down the way the man had gone.
and, reaching the ground, he found Shields
crouching in corner. Shields made no
resistance when the policeman. pistol in
ton of Shields at the station house led
Officer Smith to connect him with the Bern
heimer robberies.
Suspicious Were Confirmed
His suspicious were confirmed when. go
ing to the house Of Shields, ia Prince
street. he found secreted there an accu-
mutation of clothing Of every description.
jewelry and hardware. The stuff was
taken to police headquarters and the con.
fession of the prisoner followed.
When his case was called before Mayor
Simpson in the police court Mr.. Bern
heimer and an employe testified that almost
every article In the collection had been
taken from the formers store. The prisoner
made a statement, In which he said that
everything ne naQ SlOlen from beTnh6lmer S
had been taken during two visits. He said
he had gained entrance to the building by
raising a window on one of the upper floors
which he reached by making a bridgeway
with plank from the roof of the adjoining
stable.
The goods which he secured, he said, were
thrown out on the roof and later collected
by himself. He denied that any one had
had heard that others had burglarized the
same store. The police. 1t is said, will make
other arrests in connection with the case.
About q score Of pawn checks were discOv-
cred in Shields house. He admitted hav-
ing kept in stock at his premises large
quantity of goods, which he disposed of at
pawnshops in Washington and Baltimore
from time to time. Most of the checks were
went to Washington this morning to visit
that place in the hope of locating more OF
the stolen goods. After hearing the prison.
er's confession Mayor Simpson referred the
case to the grand jury.
During the last three months the police
have received repeated reports of robbertes
at Bernheimers store Every expedent to
detect the thief was adopted. but without sue
cess. Mysterious robberies at other places
were also reported. The police are con-
WINGED that Shields was assisted in his work
and that the other burglars will be appre-
hended.
Inquiry Concerning Bride.
In reply to letter received from the
mother of Miss Katie Pugh. asking for in
formation concerning her marriage in this
city last Tuesday to Mr. Benjamin Frank
lin Of Baltimore, Mr.. Nevelle 8. Greenaway,
deputy clerk Of the corporation court, has
written that the age Of the bridegroom.
who did not appear at the clerks Office,
was given as twenty-three, while that of
the bride was given as twenty years. 1t
was stated at the clerks Office by the young
man who accompanied Miss Pugll that she
was an orphan. and that he was her guar
dian, and on these representations the IL /
cense was issued. The Rev. ]. A. LETTERS
of Trinity NJ. E. Church, who is said to
have married the couple, is out of the city.
: In her letter to Mr.. Greenaway the
mother Of Miss Pugh says the groom is
only sixteen years old, and that her daugh-
ter IL not yet eighteen. 1t is not known at
the clerks office who the young man is who
procured the license 1t is said that Mr..
Franklin, the father of the bridegroom, is
making efforts to learn the name of this
person, with a view of prosecuting him.
Young Franklin, 1t is stated, claims that
he does not know the name of the person
who went to the clerks office with Miss
Pugh.
Brief Mention.
In the proceedings of the Baltimore con-
ference OF the M. f. Church South at
Fredericksburg yesterday the Rev. ]. Fred
Peake Of Braddock Heights Alexandra
county. who served as Junior preacher on
the Fairfax circuit last conference year.
was discontinued as preacher at his own
request. 1t is said that he win become a
teacher and that he will be connected with
one Of the prominent Methouist institutions
of learning in Virginia. Mr.. Peake Is well
known In this city. where he formerly re-
sided.
An attempt was made last night to rob
the store OF T. F. Burroughs & Co., at
Franklin and Patrick streets. Officer
Young, who inspected the place soon after, |
found that some one had bored holes In
two street doors, but had apparently been
frightened on before entering.