The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-12-03
Rifle Trunks Belonging To
Normal School Girls; Gems
Untouched.
KIND BULGAR LEAVES
GIRLS CHICKEN FEED
Dumps Rooms Contents in Mid
die of FloOr-Coed's Return
illustrates Work.


erations probably are unsurpassed il
the Cape for daring, entered the home
of DR.. ]. w. Berry at 300 North Pa
cific, between 2 and 3 o'clock yester
ola yafternoon, ransacked the rooms OF
the second floor and escaped, wher
frustrated at their work, with $50.
The money that was taken belonged
to Miss Jeanette Powell and Miss
Edith Mitchell, both students at the
Normal School, who roomed at the
Berry home. Their trunks had beer
pried open, the contents dumped into
the center of the floor and the money
rifled from purses locked inside the
trunks.
1t is believed the daylight thieves
or thief was frustrated at his ransack-
ing work on the second floor when
Miss Louise Taylor, another student at
the Normal School who also rooms at
the Berry home, returned to her room
at o'clock
DR.. and Mrs. Berry left their home
at ten minutes after in the afternoon
on their way downtown to do some
shopping. When Miss Louise Taylor
returned to her room at 8 o'clock, she
did not give the alarm of burglars at
once, because she did not know the
rooms had been rifled.
On entering the house, she went di-
rectly by way of the front staircase,
to her room. There she found the
trunk Of her sister, Miss Irene Taylor,
her roommate and fellow student at
the Normal School, with its contents
partly dumped on the bed and floor.
Nothing else in that room was dis
turbed. Miss Taylor believed at first,
she said, that her sister had been look
ing for something in her trunk in
hurry and did not suspect anything.
A short time later, Miss Powell and
Miss Mitchell together with Miss Mar
guer.te Berry and Miss Irene Taylor
returned to the Berry home. On en-
tering their respective rooms on the
second floor, the complete job Of tear
ing the place inside out was dis
covered. q.
1t is believed that the man started
his work at the head of the staircase
on the floor in the room of Miss Mar
guerite Berry. The contents of the
dresser and the closet were streWn
about the room. Boxes were opened,
but nothing was taken.
Adjacent to Miss Berry'S room is
that of Miss Powell and Miss Mitchell.
They found their trunks pried open
and virtually turned inside out. Miss
Powell Monday had cashed check for
$45 which she had received lately. She
placed the money, all bills, in her purse
together with 1925 in change, and
locked it in her trunk.
The thief was polite" gentleman.
He took the $45 and left Miss Powell
the $1.25 change.
Miss Mitchell had received a letter
from her home yesterday, containing
SIS. This she had locked in her trunk
with 50 cents. The SIS was taken
and 65 cents left as change.
Several jewel boxes containing cost
ly gems had been opened and inspect
ed, but the gems were untouched.
From that room, it is believed that
the operative worked into the room
occupied by Miss Irene and Louise
Taylor, which is in the front part of
the house. Miss Louise Taylor yeSter-
day morning had received letter con-
tanning a check for S25.
She had left the letter lying OH the
table in her room. The check was I'M
touched.
1t is believed that the man was sur
prised at work when Miss Taylor re-
turned home. There is but one stair
case leading downstairs. The police
theory is that he secreted himself in
one of the rooms upstairs until Miss
Taylor went into her room before at
tempting to leave by the staircase.
None of the windows on either the
first or second floors show signs of
having been tempered with as we'll as
all the doors. 1t is a mystery as to
how the thief gained an entrance.
On one of the lace waists that had
been dumped out Of the trunk belong
ing to Miss Powell, large number of
"beggar's lice" small weed seed,
were found clinging to the garment.
1t is believed these were brushed from
the clothing of the intruder.
Immediately on the return of Mr..
nn1 A,c porr1y af N'cInoirg tho pnlioo