The Washington times., 1911-11-02
HOUSES ENTERED
BY BOLD ROBBERS
WHO MAKE ESCAPES
Great Confusion Caused BY
The Intruders In Two
Sections OF City.

Two unusually bold housebreaking
cases occurred In different sections OF
the city early today. and although in
both instances the presence of the In
truders was discovered, they escaped
before an alarm could be given.
An attempt to rob the apartment of
Mrs. John Phifer 800 Second street
northeast caused much excitement II,
that section about 1880 o'clock. The
blowing of police whistles by Mrs.
Phifer and others in the apartment.
aroused the neighbofnood.
About 4 o'clock a burglar with a
mask over his face and carrying q dark
lantern. was discovered In the colored
boarding house conducted by Maud
Duvall. at 800 T street northwest. The
roomers are all Howard University
students. The man entered the house
by cutting pane of glass from a rear
window.
Awakened By Noise.
Awakened by. an unusual noise about
1890 o'clock, Mrs. Phifer saw the man
in her bedroom He was examining the
toilet articles on the DIRE ssing table and
WAS about to rnnsack the contents OF
the drawers when Mrs. Phifer sat up
AZ DeCl anu UeH,anueu'
What are you doing hereT"
Without answering or even turning
around. the thief made a dive for tho
window. climbed down the fire-escape
and got away. Mrs. Phifer Jumped out
of bed. got a police whistle from her
desk and started blowing It, The noise
aroused others in the neighborhood,
who, knowing something wos wrong.
got their own police whistles and COM
inenced blowing them without asking
any questions.
When Policeman Tice, OF the Ninth
precinct, arrived, the noise resempled
that Of factory town at the noon hour
when the whistles are blowing FOR
lunch. =
Mrs. Phifer said that she believed the
man was In her apartment several
minutes before he was discovered. She
said she was partly awakened by Q
noise but supposed 1t was some one n
the hallway and paid no attention tc
1t. Later she was convinced that the
noise was in her room, and opening
, her eyes saw the coIored man stand.
ing in front Of her dressing table.
Heard Police Whistle.
DR.. w. H. Bradfeld, a druggist, who
lives across the street, was awakened
by the blowing of the police whistles
and looking out the window, saw a mar
standing In front Of the apartment. A
moment later two other men CAM
running down the street and the frs
| man disappeared.
The police believe the attempted rob
berry was the work Of the same mai
who has been discovered in numerou
| other apartments, during the last fev
weeks, but who has successfully elude'
! the police Although he has. been, seel
| q dozen times, he always has manage'
4 to- escape, leaving nothing behind tina
would give the slightest, clue to hi
| Identity. In each case he. has entere,
by q window leading 70 a fire-escape.
An attempt at housebreaking by
| duplicate key worker was thwarted yes
| terday afternoon by a rusty lock. Tn
thief tried to get In the home Of VIII
liam F. McMurray. 72 Randolph stree
northwest, and probably would hav
succeeded had not the lock of the from
| door been rusted, causing the breaking
| of the skeleton key.
| Mrs. McMurray went out calling yes
terday afternoon. and when she return
ed about o'clock she was unable t
get her key in the lock In the from
| door. When Mr.. McMurray came hom
| he took the lock or and found a Dor
| ton of the skeleton key In the lock
! Neighbors did not see any one at tn
door during Mrs. McMurrays absence.