New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-11
CATCH KID GLOVE ROBBER,
Police Say He Quit S35 Job to
Follow Hobby.
HAD LIBRARY OF CRIME
Four Brooklyn Detectives Upset
His Theories on Easy Way
to Get Money.

In the last five months the Fourth ave.
| nue. police station, N Brooklyn. has re-.
ceived at least twenty-five complaints O,
robberies having occurred in that prccnc,
while the housewives were ont shopping.
| In each instance the robbcr took only
| money or jcwcIry, or both. Some Of the
| thefts ranged as high as 500
Detectives Dietmann, Tfylsnd. Dwyer and
Dc Martini were put on the case. For
long time ii looked as II they were on a
useless hunt but they had their work cut
out for them, and they were determined
| 10 run the intruders down. Although the
detectives had one thing to work on-the
burglars only taking money and jeuelry-'
yet they were puzzled by the fact that Diff
ferent ways we're invariably used as 10 tn.
method OF entrance.
One thing that greatly helped the detcc-
tives was the fact that all the jobs were
what arc known as daylight robberes."
After everybody who had been robbed mad
| been intcrrogatcd the detectives decided
that the robberies could not have been COM
mitted by any person other than ono who
did business In some way with the victims.
The grocery man was watched for long
time: also the ice man, the butcher, the
baker and the mkman
Henry Melting. twenty-four years oin'
who lives with his wife and two-year-olI
son. at No AZ Sta nhope street, NiltiaihS-
bIrg. had been driver up 10 last Satbr-
day for the Mehlin Family OIL Company
3, subsidiary Of the Standard OIL Company
at Oh and Bond streets. His route was
along the Bay Ridge section, from 40 10
e,,, etroo, and from New York Bay
IN Now Utrecht. and it was In the I'm
mediate vicinity OF this route mat Tue 'oO-
berries were committed.
Satisfied by the process OF ehnllhauon
,h,, vclling Was tho man they wanted. the
detectives started out for him. aho jnS' ~
Lo was sbou. 20 enter his house placed him
under arrest. At first Nelling saln thdt
great mistake was being made, but la'er
tho detectives said Melting admitted that
they had him ri~ht.
According to- the detectives, Melting CON
tossed TO two burglarIes. They "er" AZ NO
homes OF John Wensley. OF No. 40 5'th
street Brooklyn. on April 10. and on me
following day the home Of Joseph W. Al
ion of No Sc; AID street. Brooklyn Melting
GAS locked I'D in the Fourth avenue police
station on a charge Of burglary
So far as could he learned. Melting had
q good Job with the oil company, his pay
boinr rs a week. week ago he resigned,
saving that he had a good offer from
milk company and thar he was very anx-
ioue 10 make tho change. The police sag
that Melting was we'll thought OF by hls
former employers.
Last night the detectives went 10 tho
home OF Nelling, where they made care
full search There they said they FOUND
ieyelrv and several dozen pawn tickets.
The detectives said the jewelry was idenu-
fed hy Mr.. Wensey and Mr. Allen as hay-
ing been stolen from their homes. Besides
this. the detectives say they also discoT-
cred one of the finest libraries dealing with
crime that they had ever seen.
When Melting was asked what he needed
with such fine library no broke down &C.
cording 10 the police. and went on 10 OK
plain how many years he had spent IN
studying the various books in the hope q
becoming an expert in the business.
Every spare minute I had" Melting y
said 10 have told the police. II st'id'"d
those books to make sure that everything
was properly covered before tackled any
thing"
Melting. the police said, told them thai ha
had worked carefully and always MADE
sure that his tracks were thoroughly COW
cred before he would leave tho house. lie
told the police. they said, that he always
used kid gloves.