Evening journal., 1910-12-13
HEARS THIEF
in HIS HOUSE
PrOwIer In COnneII Residence
ImpsrSOnateS Servant When
Family Is Awakened
MADE FRIEND OF DOG
THEN CARRIED OFF COATS

The boldest robbery committed IN
Wilmington for sometime was report
ed to the police to-day. A burglar
broke into the home Of Alexis S. Con-
nell, at No. 2105 Lancaster avenue,
between and 4 o'clock this morning
and got away with two coats, one of
which was fur-lined and belonged to
j. Il. Saville. a brother OF Mrs. Con-
nell, who, with his wife, was spend
ing the night with the family. This
coat was valued at SIPS, aud the
other, which was MIR. Connells prop
erty, cost S75.
The thief entered the house by
using a jimmy on a parlor window.
He had no sooner gotten into the
room when a collie dog belonging to
the family, hearing the noise. came
bounding down the stairs. Then a
strange thing happened The thief
and the dog at once made friends and
when members of the family later
searched for the animal they found It
secured in a closet on the first floor.
The thief did not molest the electric
light switch board, just within the
front door, fearing probably that he
might push the wrong button and
light the upstairs portion Of the
house
Making his way to the upper floor
the burglar came across a telephone
on a stand just outside the door lead
ing to Mr. Connell's bedroom and he
promptly cut the phone from the
wires connecting IT, He then pro-
ceeded TO the bathroom. There he
found a large bottle of talcum powder
and It is supposed that he took it, as
Mrs. Connell was unable 90 find it this
morning.
Reaching Mr.. Connell's door the
thief tried the knob and made the
least bit of noise, but II was sufficient
to awaken Mr.. Connell. He saw that
it was almost O'Clock and thought
perhaps a servant was prowling
around
rs that you, Elizabeth" he called
out, that being the name Of the
domestic.
Yes. this is Elizabeth" replied a
mans voice, disguised as much like
woman's as possible.
Mr.. Connell repeated the question
and again came the same response.
You are liar" shouted Mr. Con-
nell, "and you had better get out of
this house"
The thief started for the stairway
and all the way down the stairs he
kept repeating yes this is Elizabeth.
After he had left the house Mr. Con-
nell found his revolver, for which he
had been searching. and he shot out
the window several times. Two police
men appeared but the thief had disap-
peared.
Mr. Connell at first decided to sum-
mon the police by telephone and OPEN
ed the door as the man was going
down the stairs to get the telephone
which he drew into the room. Il was
then that he learned that the burglar
had cut the wires.
Nothing but the coats and the bottle
of talcum powder were taken. The in
truder had taken everything out of the
pockets of the two coats and laid the
articles on a chair. His shoes contain
ed heavy nails the imprint Of the heads
of which were found on the heavy car
nets on the stairway and in the par
lor..
The only clue left by the thief was
a button which was found lying on
the floor I'm the parlor Il is presumed
that this was torn off while the thief
was climbing through in making his
escape
Mrs. Connell was much excited over
her experience. this morning. She said
a brother William c. Saville died this
week and she had invited another
brother and his wife to sDend the
night with them. II was this brother
that lost the valuable fur coat.
Members Of the family cannot un-
derstand the action Of the collie dog.
He Is vicious and as a rule makes con-
siderable noise when n stranger an
pears around the house How the thief
managed TO quiet him however. and
then shut him I'm a closet is a mystery
TO them