Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-16
ROBBER ESCAPES UNDER FIRE
Single Handed Burglar Makes Spec.
tacular Run for Liberty.
STRUGGLES WITH AGED WOMAN
At window ON Fire Escape, with BuI-
lets Flying, lie Breaks In Against
Her ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Hotel Clerk,

Here's a cue for the melodramatist.
A lone burglar. with rare daring and
courage and a sense for the molodra-
matte, outwitted and outran a squad Of
police officers, escaping under fire from
the Walter g.. Clark company's store, 1I14
Harvey street, early Saturday morning.
At a window on the fire escape in front
Of the store, the robber stood for a tense
few moments struggling against the efforts
Of Mrs. M. u. Smith, an aged woman, who
occupies this room in the Paxton hotel
annex. above.
Keep out" she screamed, hanging onto
the lower sash OF the window with all her
feeble strength. o.
An officer stepped off to a point where
the wall protected the struggling woman
and fired twice at the desperate burglar,
but missed.
The woman on the inside had the win
dow blocked successfully.
The man at bay drew back his fist and
the SCATTERING glass fell on the floor within.
He leaped through the opening and burst
out Of the room on the other side.
The robber was seen climbing over the
transom at the front door Of the store
by Homer Marvin. night watch for the
block at about 8 O'Clock. He called the
officer on the sixteenth street beat and
another policeman from the station hap
pened along. ON took a position in front,
while the other blocked the rear OF the
store.
Police Call for Help.
They called for re-enforcements from the
station and an automobile load of officers
responded. The burglar was forced out of
an upper story window onto the cornice
ledge. .
atSf Nd aAnl -. TsTN - $3.50. "a 4
there" shouted Officer Chapman, covering
his man with a revolver.
Meanwhile the police called fire truck
No. 8, with which they hoped to get the
robber down.
Get over to that fire escape and climb
down" ordered one of the officers of the
four who were then holding their guns on
the prisoner.
Edging along the coping slowly the rob
Der complied, but, on gaining the fire es-
cape he surprised them by springing up to-
ward the next floor. They fired, but with.
out effect, and the fugitive came to the
window in Mrs. Smiths room, where he
finally gained entrance.
Dashing past Mrs. Smith he entered the
hall and almost came face to face with an.
other detachment of policemen coming in
from that side.
lie lodged about a dark corner until they
passed and made his way to the elevator.
which they had left standing on the second
floor.
The elevator operator had gone with the
officers to guide them through the long
hallway of the Paxton.
Stepping into the empty car the burglar
pulled the starting lever and ran the car
to the first floor, where he sauntered out
leisurely.
Who are YOuF They Ask.
Who are you? asked a cab driver and
the night clerk in one voice.
"Oh, Pm looking for the officers-Tm try
ing to help them catch that man on the
roof" was his reassuring reply.
The robber then stepped out on the
street.
His f~ieetlng footballs on the pavement
told the story OF the escape, but too late.
The burglar caused little damage in the
Clark store.
II dropped two pearl-handled revolvers
when he was making his getaway" said
F. L. Goodrich, president. "All the guns
checked out all right this morning, so ]
guess so will cover .he loss"
The police are inclined to the belief that
the burglar was working with one or more
confederates, who escaped before their ar.
rival, or were waiting on the outside OF
the building.
The disposal of such loot as would be OBJ.
: tanned in a robbery of the Clark store
D would require the operations of a gang anc
> the very useful fence to whom it might
be sold.
That the burglar was probably an old
5 hand and experienced criminal is indicated
= by the fact that he so strenuously resisted
capture at the risk of his life and with
! such an apparently detailed knowledge Of
E his ground.
. The officers engaged in the little melo.
drama were Detectives Maloney and Hsi