Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-16
Intruder Supposed to Have
Been After $25, 900 in Safe.
MYSTERY HOW HE ESCAPES
Pay Money for Department of Com.
merce Clerks Not Touched.
TWO BULLETS FOUND ON FLOOR
Man Guarding Willard Building
| Bears Wound as Evidence
of Attack.

!. Was there a burglar in the offices of
the Department of Commerce and Labor
in the Willard building. on 18th street, last
night?
II it was a burglar. was he after $4,000
: in the safe of the disbursing officer?
And how did the intruder escape?
: The police of Washington have tried to
: determine these problems, detectives have
been assigned to find out and the secret
service division of the Treasury will no
doubt seek to solve the mystery.
Waterman w. B. Cade. a night guardian
of the building. bears slight abrasion on
: his breast and bullet hole in the lapel
Of his coat. He asserts that two shots
: were fired at him by an intruder on the
; fourth floor of the building shortly after
midnight Two bullets found in the vi
cinity of where he says he was standing.
the evidence of his fellow-guard, H. E.
Lees. that he heard the shots. and Code 8
wound bear out his statements.
; A piece of pipe filled with sand. found
on the fourth floor near where Code says
> IL. all happened" is another exhibit.
: Neither guard was armed. and although
Cade gave chase valiantly. he was un-
able to participate in duel of firearms.
: according to his statement. and the man
who fired at him escaped.
Cade saw the intruder in the darkness,
running away. but was unable to dis
tinguish his features and does not know
: whether the man is white or black.
So far as the police are able to learn,
, the reports of the pistol shots were not
; heard by persons on the streets. The
: two watchmen. however. showed much
alarm. and were anxious that the in
truder should be apprehended.
A search of the building was made by
the police. but no traces Of the supposed
burglar could be found.
Fired Upon Without Warning.
Cade, who lives at 20 Q street north
east. was on duty on the upper floors of
the building. Lees of Alb New York ave-
! nue. was performing guard duty on the
lower floors.
|; Waterman Cade was making his rounds
Of the fourth floor just after midnight,
and was about to unlock one of the room
doors to enter. He was startled. he says,
by the report of pistol shot. The shot
was so unexpected that he was hardly
able to get himself together ana start in
pursuit.
His assailant he espied running through
the hall after firing a second shot. The
man managed to get out of the building
J before he could be overtaken. How he
escaped the police could not determine.
The only avenue to open air and freedom
they could find was through the unfas-
tened trap on the roof and thence by the
fire escape leading down the nine stories.
Nothing had been seen of the armed
man by Cade until after the first shot
had been fired. That was the bullet that
tore the lapel Of his coat and inflicted
bruise on his chest.
; Lees was at a loss to understand the
meaning Of the shooting. His first thought
was OF burglars. He hurried to make
certain no intruder make escape through
the front door Of the building
Cade called to him. telling him of what
had occurred. Cade then sent hurry
einct police station, on 10Th street. The
phone message was received by Police
Lieut.. Hartley. 1t informed him there
was burglar in the government build
ing and the intruder had fred two shots
from his gun at Cade.
Police Find No Burglar.
The reserves from No. 1 were aroused
from slumber. and. headed by Lieut.
Hartley. hurried to the department. A
J few minutes later the police were on hand
making an investigation.
1t was regarded as certain that the man
who did the shooting had not descenGed
the stairs. None of the windows on the
! lower floors was found open It seemed
that the man must have escaped by go
ing to the roof and descending the fire
> escape.
: Both bullets were found on the floor
The bullet that is supposed to have in
Hicted the slight injury to the watchman
was found near where he was standing
when the shot was fired. The bullet was
, in perfect condition The other bullet.
which had struck against the wall, was
1attened.
Lieut.. Hartley said he could hardly I'M
derstand why the first bullet had not done
more damage or been f1attened unless It
was that the charge of powder was ex-
ceptionally small. 1t is regarded as GER
! tain that an intruder must have been in
the building for the purpose of committing
robbery Some officials have an idea he
, was merely sneak thief. while others
are of opinion he was doing a piece
Of investigation preparatory to making
an attack on the department safe.
Today is payday in the department.
Cash used for that purpose is kept in
big safe in the Office Of William L.
| Soleau. the disbursing officer His office
Is on the second floor. however, and not
| on the floor where the shooting occurred.
1t is argued that If the intruder
perry and he had entered through the
trap door on the roof he was on his way
| 10 the second floor when he saw the
Waterman approaching. Stepping to one
| side. the intruder put himself where he
was In the way of the Waterman. The
| only thing left for him to do, he probably
| thought, was to use his revolver in order
to make his escape.
| An investigation made by the police
| showed that the room of the dsbursing
| ohcer had not been reached. In the safe
| In his room was the money used today In
paving off. more than $500
| This morning Inspector Boardman de-
| tailed Detectives Weldon and Burlingame
| to make a thorough investigation of the
| sion of the Treasury Department will also
| take hand in the Investigation