The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-01-13
BURGLAR CAPTURED.
Warren Nelson Makes Bold But Un
successful Effort to Rob 0'DonneII &
Co.'S Store.

Co.'S Store.
Warren Nelson, a young negro man
who was raised in the Stateburg neigh
borhood but has been living in this
city for some time made a bold and
cleverly planned attempt to rob the
store of O'Donnell + Co., last Friday
night but was discovered while in the
store by Policeman Pierson and cap
tured. Nelson entered the store by
breaking into the engine room on the
south side of the main building and
went through the belt bole in the wall
into the store. The belt hole is about
26 long and le inches vice, but has
iron bars acress it six inches apart
and Nelson had such tight squeeze
to get through that he stripped to the
skin and left all his clothes in the en-
CINE room, except his trousers which
he pushed through the hole ahead of
him and donned after getting inside
the store Even after removing his
clothing be had difficulty in squeezing
between the bars and part of the
skin on his back and chest was scrap
ed off.
Once inside the store he proceeded
to make big haul and before he was
discovered had collected Sl18.05 worth
of clothing and other goods and 81. IS
in cash which he found in the till. A
part of the goods he lad thrown
through the belt hole into the engine
room and the balance were piled on
the floor.
Policeman Pierson deserves much
credit for the capture. it being due
entirely to his watchfulness that Mel
son did not sucrceed in getting away
with the goods. He was making the
rounds on his beat about 2 O'Clock
and after having inspected all the back
lots on the stores on Liberty street
was on Main street in front of
the Horn Dry Goods store, when
be heard noise like something
falling inside store. He walked on
VI, Main street as far as the corner OF
Liberty locking carefully into each
store as be passed, but neither seeing
nor hearing any ything suspicious he re-
turned to the Horn store and then
went to the door of O'Donnell's dry
goods department.. The store being
! brilliantly lighted he had an unob-
structed view to the back door. There
was no one in sight and he then went
to the door of the grocery department
and in moment he saw Nelson COM
ing down the stairway with nothing
on except a pair of pants. There was
Kitson light within few feet of the
stairway and Nelson was in full view
of the front door showing that he was
not only bold thief but discounted
the watchfulness of the police. Officer
Pierson called Officers Gallagher and
McKagen to his assistance and sta
tiouiug Mr.. Gallagher at the front,
went with Mr. McKagen to the back
door. Nelson was in the act Of break
ing the lock Of the back door and they
stood there for several minutes while
he worked at it. Mr.. Pierson started
to slip around to the engine room and
in doing so made slight noise which
alarmed Nelson and be ran upstairs.
Mr.. O'Donnell was notified and he
came down and opened the store Mel
son was found after long search, hid
ing up stairs in the middle of pile Of
clothing over which sheet was
spread. Before hiding he had put on
several coats having become tired OF
his airy costume.
Nelson was put in the guard house
and was on Saturday committed to jail
by Magistrate Wells, afer preliminary
hearing.