Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-02-10
CHASED OVER ROOFS
Des Moines Officers Have An Exciting
Experience With Burglar.


Des Moines Feb. "a desperate ne
gro. giving the name of Roy Coleman,
who had climbed over a block of roofs
and had entered Baker-Trisler Com
panys store, 400 Walnut street, where
he secured a lot of marked money left
for him in the cash register. was cap
tured by Detectives HedriX and Broth
ers last night after chase which
nearly wrecked the book store and in
which several shots We're fired, the bull
let's perforating the burglars hat and
skipping past his ears. The capture
ended a mystery which has been puz-
zling the police department. for months
and resulted in the solution of one of
the most systematic, daring and con-
tinuous robberies In the history Of the
department..
The detectives had laid in wait for
their man for many nights and bad
attempted before to land the bold rob
Der. Last night Detective Hedrix was
stationed inside the building at o.
clock, and by 80 there was enough
action to satisfy the most impetuous
officer.
Almost Wrecked Store.
Hedrix was crouching near the front
of the store when he heard the signal
gong attached purposely on the cash
register ring. He flashed his light in
that direction. and big negro was
standing by the desk pocketing the
money from the drawer. He spied the
officer and started thru the store. Up
stairs he ran, running blindly thru
the dark; he turned thru the rear ball
e,to, ,,r;t lie
in it, turning book shelves in every di-
rection and leaving course of des-
truction in his wake.
Halt, or I'll fire!" yelled the officer.
The negro ran the faster. upturning
everything which came in his way.
The officer shot. the bullet burying it
self in the wall near the Negroes head.
A door locked from the inside lead
ing out into the hall over the Hurlburt
drug store was opened and the negro
dashed thru, the officer reopening it
and darting down the hall. Several
more shots were fired and the negro
was heard to yell once. He kept on
going, however, and landed in a heap
at the foot Of the stairs. There Detec-
tive Brothers stood with a big gun in
his hand and the burglar dropped limp
and exhausted at his feet.
The fellow was taken to the police
station and searched. A lot of money
marked and placed in the drawer was
found on his person and he admitted
to the officers that he had been sys-
tematically enriching himself by
climbing over roofs and entering sky
lights.
A Unioue System.
Since before the holidays the Bak-
er-Trisler Company have reported
thefts to the police. Men had been
stationed in the building and outside
the front door, the only natural means
Of egress, but the thefts continued.
Fully $500 was taken at different
times
Officers have been on duty in the
store for several weeks, but not until
last night did anything occur to aid in
the solution Of the mystery.
Examination of the building after
the robbery occurred revealed that the
negro entered the building thru the
skylight. He had dropped thru onto
shelves and had climbed down to the
main floor where he helped himself to
money and goods. Mostly money had
been taken.
The tracks of the fellow were trace
able thru the snow and it was seen
that he had walked up the steps of the
Central bank building and from the
landing next to the office of Justice
Roe had swung himself on a tele-
phone pole and climbed to the roof.
He made his way over roofs and high
partitiOned wallis until he reached the
Baker-Trisler building, and there cas-
lily opened the skylight.
Coleman claims that he used to work
in the book store and that he learned
Of the easy access while working there.
The police believe that they have a
man much wanted for porch climbing
and think that thru Coleman they can
unravel a number of mysterious rob
berries which have been reported of
late.