Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-12-20
Thieves BUSY ON
MONDAY NIGHT

burg lars were aDTOdu III DdHVlIle
Monday night Such visits of nocturn-
al marauders are not of frequent oc-
curreuce in our town. The visitation
Monday night, however, was charact-
erized with such boldness and possess
ed 50 many mystifyIng features that it
stands as first class sensation and
shows that DAnville, like neighboring
towus, is likely at any time to fall u
prey to expert robbers.
Four houses, three of them adjoin-
ing properties, were burglarized. At
neither place is it kn 'wn to a certain
ty just how the thieves effected en-
trance ;neither did they cause alarm at
any of the houses entered They left
unmistakable evidence of their pres
ence, however, and at two places car
ried off considerable booty. That they
were experts is pretty evident.
Tie fact that robbers had been about
was first discovered by Mrs. f. W
Howe, East Market street. She arose
shortly after six o'clock Tuesday
morning and was walking through the
hallway leading from her bed cham
Der, when she stumbled over some oh
ject on the floor. which she found to
be her husband s trousers. These had
been left hanging on a clothes tree at
the head of the bed. By the side of the
trousers lay Mr., HOwe's p0cketbook-
empty
\ moments thought convinced Mrs
Howe that the house had been robbed
and she lost no time in arous ing her
husband. Downstairs everything was
turned topsy turvey. The drawers of
the sideboard were open and while the
silyerware and other articles revealed
signs OF having been handled, yet so
far as could be discovered yesterday
nothing was missing. About eighteen
dollars in cash were taken from the
purse contained i'll the pocket of Mr..
Howe's trousers, which seems TO be all
that was stolen from the premises
That the thieves were expert and
bold Is proven by the circumstance
that in order to reach Mr.. Howe's
pautaloOns they were Obliged to enter
his bed room at one side OF the bed,
pass around the foot to the other side
Of the bed, at the head of which hung
his clothes. That they ran a desperate
risk in this is apparent when it is ex-
planned that Mr.. Howe is very light
sleeper, that twice during the night
once about one o'clock aud again about
three o'clock-he was awake for long
intervals.
On the bureau only couple of feet
from where Mr.. HOwe's clothing huug
lay two diamond rings and valuable
breast pin containing eight diamonds
belonging to Mrs. Howe, neither Of
which were disturbed by the burglars
Tuesday morning all the doors and
windows were found securely locked
with the exception OF the front door,
which was merely unlo ked; 1T was
closed and there was nothing to show
that any force had been applied. The
family is willing to concede that the
front door might have been left uu-
locked by mistake on Monday night.
When the family of Z. J. Price,
whose fine residence adjoius Mr..
Howe's on ths east, awoke Tuesday
morning the discovery was made that
the house had been visited by thieves.
Down stairs every thing was turned
upside down. but fortunately nothing
was stolen. While ruusackiug the low
er story the thieves had taken great
precautiou not to disturb the family
sleeping on the upper floor. That their
footsteps might not be heard one of
Mr. Price 5 oveTcoats was laid on the
floor to cover the margin left bare by
the large rug in one of the rooms and
Dver this the thieves walked back
wards aud forwards.
One of the rear doors at Mr.. Prices,
although closed, was found unlocked
Tuesday morning The key had been
removed aud was found lying on the
table in the dining room. How the
robbers managed to get the door open
is a mystery. The lock was perfectly
intact. The fact that the key had been
removed might be taken to Indicate
that false key of some sort was used
by which the true key was pushed out
of tho lock. All the windows were
fastened. Whether tile robbers were
frightened away before they made any
selection or did not discover anything
that constituted the kind of booty they
were after, Of course is not known.
The house occupied by Henry Trot-
ter, adjoining Mr.. Howe's premises
on the west was also invaded by the
thieves, although nothing was stolen.
The burglars here gained entrance III
the same mysterious way, leaving no
marks whatever upon the door which
was found 9nlocke |, although closed,
yesterday morning.
The residence of W. II. Miller, gen.
eral manager of the Danville and
Bloomsbury trolley company, on Pine
street. was also robbed on Monday
night, the booty consisting of a new
oyercoat AM a pair Of gloves. Here
the same mystery exists As to how Gu
trace was effected, as the family is
perfectly sure that every door aud
window was locked on retiring. Yet
on arising yesterday morning the side
door was found unlocked, although
closed None of the windows had been
disturbed. There was nothing to iu-
dcate that the key hau been removed,
nor was there any sign about tue door
TO show that force had been applied.
The lower story was pretty well ran
II -. 1. l., 4