Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-11
THIEVES BUSY TIME food FOR NATIVES F0R BETTER TRAFFCG
Robberies Reported Almost
Outnumber Detectives.
BURGLARS WORK WATCHED
Edwin E. Vrooman Has a Novel
Experience.

/ Edwin E. Vrooman of 1i01 Hamilton
| street watched a burglar pick up his
! watch and other valuables on the dresser
of his room about $50 o'clock this morn
| ing. But he made no move to prevent
because his revolver was in a drawer of
the very bureau over which the thief
was leaning. Neither did he wish to
| arouse his wife. who was asleep in the
room. by a struggle with the thief.
For ten minutes he watched the burglar
| moving about the room and examining
| the articles on the dresser But he made
| not a sound, only raising his head a
| little from the pillow in order to watch
better the movements of the nights call
er. Between wondering how much his
| losses would be Mr.. Vrooman thought
| many times of the gun not fifteen feet
away-and yet thousand and one miles
| away, as far as any good it would do him
at that minute.
When Mr.. 'Vrooman awoke from a
sound sleep and noticed that 1t was
still dark he heard slight noise and
raised his head from the pillow. A
man standing over the bureau was the
sight that caught his eye. What
should he do? he wondered. Then he
realized that his revolver, intended to
meet just such an occasion as this,
was in that bureau. Concluding that
discretion was the better part of valor
he lay absolutely quiet.
Watches Burglar at Work.
He saw the visitor pick up his watch
from the bureau and walk stealthily to
the window. The burglar gave it a
close examination and discovered the
monogram on the case. Then he
walked back to the dresser and put it
down. He looked over other things on
the bureau, and once, when Mr.. Vroo
man made a noise by moving his arm.
he stopped the search and stood per-
fectly still.
But the intruder resumed his search
a minute later and after a ten-minute
stay tiptoed noiselessly out of the
room.
When Mr. Vrooman was satisfied that
the burglar had departed he crawled out
of bed and armed himself for an attack.
To insure her safety he told his wife he
was i'll and asked her to accompany him
out into the hallway. When she was safe
from injury in a possible fight in the
bedroom he returned there and looked
around for the burglar but he had left
the premises. Ladders left by painters
and an open second-story window told
how the intruder got in tothe house. A
pocketbook containing IS that had been
in Mr.. Vroomans trousers pocket when
he went to bed was missing, and Mr..
Vrooman thinks the thief went through
his pockets before he awoke. Nothing
was taken from the bureau.
Many Other Robberies.
This was only one of many robberies
with which the police are dealing today.
The number of robberies reported to have
been perpetrated yesterday and last night
IL tha of
bers of the detective force.
Other complaints than that of Mr.. Vroo-
man describe daring robberies at the
homes of residents of the northwest sec
ton. a hold-up in the northeast, the op-
Grafton of thieves among shoppers in the
business section and numerous petty
thefts. Only in one instance was a pistol
brought into play, and that was at the
house of DIR. Harry w. Kenner druggist,
I'LL 18th street, shortly before o'clock
in the afternoon.
Intruder Displays Pistol.
A pet dog at the house of DIR. Kenner
probably prevented the intruder. COL
ored boy about seventeen years DID, from
making a big haul Sarah Kinsley, the
colored servant in the house, heard the
dog making such a fuss on the second
floor that she went up to investigate.
When she reached a partly open closet
door she saw pair of tan shoes at the
bottom of a pair of trousers and she knew
that such articles did not belong there.
She fairly dragged him out and started
him downstairs with the pet dog snap
ping at his heels
Mrs Kenner, who had been away
from home, had just stepped into the
hallway when the colored boy descend
ed the stairs Thinking she would
make it easy to get rid of the intruder
do
to open the front door. Her move was
evidently taken by the negro as an
effort to block his way, and he drew
a revolver and pointed it at Mrs. Ken
ner.
No effort was made by Mrs. Kenner to
interfere with the negro boy. and he
finally passed through the open door
and disappeared.
\ pearl and ruby ring was later
found missing. A description of the
thief was furnished the police.
He was not more than sixteen or
seventeen years DID," declared Mrs.
Kenner. land he can be easily identi-
fed"
Other Houses Entered.
Between IL and l o'clock yesterday
the house of David Chamberlain, 1853
FairrNont street northwest, was Wis
tied by an intruder. Entrance was
gained by Sutting the screen from a
rear door. TSe house was ransacked,
but nothing was taken.
About 2 o'clock in the afternoon a
negro was seen at the rear of the house
of William r. Andrews. 1854 University
place. He entered the house through
window and searched for valuables,
leaving without taking anything.
At the house of Mrs Mary w. Colman.
14OS Girard street northwest, yesterday
afternoon an intruder took a pistol, silver
watch and gold ring. The police think
he is the person who later appeared at
the house of DIR. kenner and exhibited a
revolver.
The theft of a bicycle from the base
ment of 2141 Wyoming avenue northwest
was complained of by Berkeley Summers
of the Kellogg building.
Mrs ]. G.. Rycknall and Miss May
Campbell, residing at AT eth street south
east, complained of thefts committed in
their rooms yesterday. Mrs. Rycknall
said she was robbed of 81, while Miss
Campbell lost a dollar.
Frank Catlett, 1900 B street northeast,
was robbed of his watch and chain last
night while he was visiting in South