Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-12-09
'RAFFLES DYING IN
HOSPITAL; WIFE
DENIES BURGLARY
Man Shot by Contractor as lie
Forces Entrance Into
Rich Home.
Especial to tn. Newark star.1

PASSAIC, Dec. 9.-Shot down in a
Raffies-like attempt to rob the house
Of Theodore Lapley, a contractor of
this city, according to the police; held
ZIP and shot by two negro bandits, ac-
cording to the story Of his companion,
a. well-dressed man Of "a. said to be
James Hanley, of Jersey City. is lying
unconscious in St. Mary's Hospital,
and is expected to die before night.
The woman, who came, here with him.
and gives as her name e Murray.
is attractive, and confesses to % sum-
mers. She is locked up in the jail here
without ball for the grand jury. held
as an accomplice in the alleged at
tempted robbery.
When she was arrested early today
the young woman first declared herself
the wife Of Hanley. Today, however,
she changed her story, and now admits
that although not married to the al
legged gentleman burglar, whom she
says she met In Boston several months
ago. they have since lived in New
York city, Philadelphia and Jersey
City as man and wife, according to
her confession. The woman denies that
she knew Hanley as a burglar, ana
declares she annot account for the
presence of a fine set of burglars tools
in his trunk. She Is a native, she
says, of st. Johns. N. B.
Unless the police of Passafc and Jer-
sey City are mistaken, this young
couple, both we'll educated n with
every appearance of refinement, are ex-
pert burglars, and 1t is believed they
have been operating successfully
throughout New Jersey and possibly in
Pennsylvania and New York for
months.
According to his story, Contractor
Tapley was alone In his handsome
home, 10s Pennington avenue. last
night, when he heard someone at the
front window on the ground floor. Sc
curing his revolver, he waited. Inc
window was forced and a man stepped
into the parlor. AS he did so the con-
tractor began firing. Three shots were
fired.
struck Man on Temple.
The first bullet struck the man near
the right temple and he fell back Out
of the open window. The other two
bullets entered his body. The man
reeled from the porch and toppled into
the arms of a woman. She a been
seen by Mr.. Tapley when he went for
his revolver.
The woman assisted the ma to the
street and then. holding her arms
about him, she guided him down the
street. Mr.. Tapley telephoned the po-
lice, and ten minutes later several de-
t~ectives were at his home.
81 know the man was shot" said Mr..
Tapley. Detectives were sent out and
soon met Christian Carney, who told
them that a couple, the man badly
wounded, had asked at his store for
directions to the nearest physician. He
directed them to DIR. Darboro, he said.
Officers rushed to the Doctors office
and found the man badly wounded. He
was rushed to the hospital. His COM
panion was placed under arrest.
"HeId Up,' Declares Woman.
I'VE have just been held up by high
waymen,' said the woman, calmly.
They didn't get Jul money. but they
have nearly killed my husband. We
live in New York, and / am trying now
to get an automobile to take US there
The man was taken to the hospital
and there said he was Hanley and gave
his address as 237 Grove street, Jersey
| City. When told he was dying he did
not deny that he had tried to force his
way into the Tapley house.
I'VE came cut here for a trolley ride"
declared the woman. w were walk
ing along Pennington avenue-I think
that Is the name Of the street-when
Mr.. Hanley stepped into the yard for a
minute. 1 saw two forms approach
aim. / heard words and then shots.
r. l-----I - 49, .rt, a~A 49,
toward him. The men, negroes, ran
away"
Find Burglars Tools.
Detective Town. of Passaic. and Po-
lice Captain Larkins. of Jersey City,
searched the Jersey City house and
found a trunk and a number of hand
bags.
In the trunk was found a kit Of up
to-date burglar tools and also a lot Of
melted gold, some jewelry of value and
clothing of handsome texture.
A burglars jimmy. found in the col
lection. was brought to Passaic this
morning ana found to exactly fit jimmy
marks in the windows of two homes
recently forced open n looted.
In one of the handbags found In the
Jersey City room was a marriage no.
tice which may identify the couple in
case they have given fictitious names.
1t was from a newspaper in September.
1909, and read:
"Mr. and Mrs. Augustus r. Berner
announce the marriage of their daugh-
ter. Florence May Berner, to Raymond
Edwin Martin, September /. 1909, at
Seal Cun. L.. J."
Pinned to this advertisement was a
newspaper account of the wedding,
which told of the prominent persons of
Sea Cliff who attended the ceremony
and the r~eception that followed.