Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-11-23
Robber Attempts to Enter {. l.
ford's Home.
SCARED OFF TOO SOON
While Superintendent Of Terminals
Telephones to Police Station, Burg
lar Quits work on Window and De-
parts-Fruit.ess Search OF Section.

After leaving the West avenue sec.
ton alone for three weeks. the bare
foot burglar"-at least IT. Is believed
that il was the barefoot burglar -
made an attempt 10 enter the home OF
Mr. Z I. Ford. superintendent OF
terminals for the Chesapeake < ONO,
at West avenue and Thirty first street
Yesterday morning shortly before !
O'Clock. A safety window lock gave
the robber trouble, and while he was
at work Mr. Ford awakened and tele-
nhoned to the police station-and
while Mr.. Ford was telephoning. or
while he was awaiting the arrival OF
officers. the man quietly took himself
on
When Sergeant Webb and officer
Parrish, responding to Mr.. Ford's call
at a run from the police station. ar
rived on the scene the only traces
of the burglar to be found were chisei
marks on the frame of Il iirst'fioor
window on the Thirty first street side
Of the house Apparently the burglar
had attempted to force the sash-iock
py prying the bottom OF the sash on
first one side, aud then the other with
q chisel.
vain Search Of Section.
Sergeant Webb and Officer Par
IRISH approached the house from diff
ferent directions and they think they
would have seen something of the
rcbber had he remained at the window
auy length of time after Mr.. Ford
'nhoned Several ether otncers were
at the scene few minutes later and
around
secured, but without result.
Mr.. Ford stated that he heard the
man working on the window for fiye
minutes before he telephcned TO the
police. He could not tell from the
sounds Just which window the rohber
was attempting to enter. but ne
though. u was at the back or the
house. There was nothing TO indi-
cate that any of the rear windows had
! been tempered with, however. and 1t
4 supposed that MIR. Ford was mis-
taken as to the direction.
Near Arc Light.
The window on which the marks
were found is only q few feet from the
front of the house, and within hfteen
CIR twenty feet OF the West avenue
sidewalk, which is lighted by an are
light In the middle of the avenue.
While at work on the window the
man might have been seen easily from
West avenue, but he was located so
that he could see west avenue and
the approach from Washington ave-
nue.. so he probably could have re-
treated unseen to the darkness of the
alley in the rear of the house II any.
one had approached. IL is supposed
that he heard Mr.. Ford moving about
or at the telephone. and probably de-
parted about the time the officers
started from the station.
Officers Much Chaerined.
The incident created no excite
meut In the neighborhood, as no one
knew anything about it except the
polieemen. The officers were greatly
chagrired to find that such fine OPP
3ortunity to capture the much sought
barefoot" man had come to naught
and they are still grieving because
Mr.. Ford didn't take shot at the
robber while he was az work on the
window.
The barefoot" man made his last
tau, three weeks ago Sunday night,
when he entered the home OF Senior
Soils. the Cuban consul. on Twenty
ninth street, and several other resi-
dences.