Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-29
Robbers at Dubuque Continue
to Work In Spite of Many
Mishaps to Their Plans
FELL ON THE PIANO KEYS
Family Was Awakened and Went
Screaming from the House, but the
Burglars Kept on in the Search for
vaIuabIcs = They Made Pretty
Good HauI-Iowa News.
Special to Times-Republican.


Dubuque, March 29.IA very bold
burglary was committed at the resi-
dence of Mrs. Johanna Meisner, 712
Lincoln avenue. Three burglars at
first attempted to effect an entrance by
raising one of the bed room WIN
dows on the east side of the house,
but, falling In this they went down
into the basement thinking that they
could get up stairs. AS they were
trying to find stairway they came
in contact with u chain which con-
trolls the radiator up stairs and the
noise awakened Mrs. Meisner, who
called her daughters attention to it..
She said that some one was trying
to get into her house, but her daugh-
ter, who Is the widow of the late DR..
Merritt tried to calm her fears by
saying that she must be suffering from
nervousness, and Mrs. Meisner then
went back to bed.
Gagged the Dog.
The burglars, after being baffled In
the basement, concluded to try one
of the windows in the front Of the
house. On the way out, they saw
dog belonging to Mrs. Meisner. He
growled at them. but they caught him
and bound and gagged him, putting, a
small portion of stick in his mouth,
the gag being held in place by pieces
of wire which were wound around the
dogs neck. They then proceeded to
the front and. after opening the shut
ters. cut out with piece of flint a
pane of glass. The latter fell and was
broken into fragment and Mrs. Meis-
ner was awakened again. She again
went into her daughters room and
said that there was some one In the
house. The daughter made another
attempt to quiet her, but Mrs. Meisner
called her attention to a Tapping noise
and, after listerling moment or two,
Mrs. Merritt said that the noise that
her mother heard was the Hopping of
the storm door, which, she said, must
have been left open when the front
door was closed. In a few minutes
more Mrs. Mei.sner's fears that there
was some one In the house proved
true.
Fell en- the Piano.
AS the two ladies were about to re-
tire they We're startled to hear sounds
coming from the piano, and jumping
out of bed and screaming at the top of
their voices, they ran out the back
door in their night clothes and went to
the house of a. neighbor. The sound
of the piano was caused by one of the
burglars tripping on a large dumb bell,
that was on the floor near the instru-
ment and he fell onto the keys.
Plumber Taken.
Immediately after the ladies had left
the house, the burglars began opera
tons. They searched all the bureaus,
closets. sidebcard, trunks and every
place where they supposed valuables or
would be found. They secured
two sold watches, fine diamond ring,
$3.50 in gold and certificate of de-
post for $50. There was $135 in Mrs.
Merritt's handbag, which she placed
behind trunk before going to bed,
and this was saved. She had no idea,
of course, that the burglars would visit
the house.
The police are unable to say whether
the burglars were professionals or
home talent. 1t is considered one of
the boldest jobs of the kind ever per-
petrated in Dubuque.