The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-05
HOW Mr.. WALSH HELPED
CAPTURE THE BURGLAR.
Railroad Men Had Exciting Ex-
periences With "A House Breaker.

railroad Wen Had Exciting tx
perienees With "A House Breaker.
Residents of Hall street near the
park were aroused at an early hour
yesterday morning by cries of police,
police" Those who felt enough in
terested to look promptly in the direc-
ton of the Park Extension could see
a shoeless, sockless and coatless figure
chasing itself in the moonlight.
Subsequent events identified the
source of the frenzied calls as Mr.. NJ.
Walsh, travelling passenger agent Of
the Coast Line. Those who saw him
have reported that his title is well
earned.
The whole commotion. which finally
involved five white men. a detective,
two negroes and the neighborhood, in
a turmoil of excitement, was caused
by drunken negro who had wandered
into an clubhouse in the yard next to
Mr.. Walsh's room. 1t was in mad
search for the police that Mr.. Walsh
did a hot foot" that is rarely equalled.
When the cause of the trouble was
finally surrounded and his hiding place
entered, his presence was only dlscoY-
cred by the sound of stentorian shores
which told that the negro had been in
nocently sleeping during all of the ex-
element
Unfortunately for the drunken negro,
his advent into the yard of Mr.. w. H.
Leahy of No. 100 Hall street, was OBJ
served by a negro man and woman.
Instead of stopping in the yard of Mr..
Leahy the drunken negro climbed
fence into the next yard and disappear
ed from sight.
The negro couple were convinced
that the drunken negro was about to
rob the house. and tried to arouse the
inmates but without success. They
We're. however, successful in arousing
Mr.. Leahy and Mr.. Walsh. Opening
the window the men inquired what the
trouble was and were informed that a
robbery was imminent.
Hastily Selling a pair of trousers,
Mr.. Walsh descended the staircase and
ran out into the street. With cries for
police assistance. Mr.. Walsh, though
barefooted ran over the freshly grav-
eled streets and into the Park Exten-
sion.
Though he did not find copper"
he attracted the attention of three
countrymen. who were doing the town
by the light of the moon. and these
men rushed to the house, drawing
weapons as they ran.
BY this time Mr.. Leahy had de-
cded that the ferocious burglar was
hiding i'm the servants house, and
after assuring himself that the rein
forcements were friends instead of
enemies, the clubhouse was surround
ed. three pistols being ready for in
slant use should the penned-up rob-
Der make a break for liberty.
Sundry admonitions were shouted to
the robber to the effect that there was
no time like the present for him to
give himself up and that if he at
tempted to get funny with the party
his lifeless corpse would soon be all
that was left of him.
No response. The situation became
more and more strained. Somebody
proposed that the building be search
ed, but each seemed willing for some
one else to have the honor. After
waiting for half hour for some
signs from the building. Mr.. Leahy.
began a mild form of accommodating.
Without exposing his person to the
him of the supposed burglar, Mr..
Leahy got near enough to hear the
sounds of heavy snoring.
With a rush that looked like rank
racklessness to the watchers, who
still labored under the delusion that
the robber was waiting to slay the
entire bunch. Mr.. Leahy closed in,
and as no shots were heard the
others followed.
Lying on the floor in the darkness
they came upon a negro fast asleep.
Detective Davis came along about
that time, and took charge of the
desperate William. The negro was
charged on the police blotter with
slaepiney in an outhousp and with he
ing a suspicious character.
Mr.. Walsh was slightly lame from
1.-THE wounds inflicted by the cruel
gravel and his voice was hoarse from
the extra work of the early morn
ing.