Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-12-09

rambling remarks, threats of ven
geance and statements that he want
ed to go to the bughouse" caused APP
prehension in the Quaker Hill section
last Wednesday, is believed to have
been the same Individual who figured
in the breaks at five different mucous
pied summer cottages in the Best View
istrict, the latter part of the week.
He visited several houses at Quaker
Hill where he begged food and car
fare to take him to the bughouse"
Since his disappearance from that
sect<n five breaks have been discov-
cred in the summer colony in the inn
mediate Vicinity of the Bluffs, at Best
View. Entrance to the houses, in all
except one case, was gained by the
clever use of glass cutter on the pane
just above the lock. In no case was
anything of value carried away, al
though the cottages were thoroughly
ransacked. That it was the work of
mentally deranged man is the prevail
ing opinion. The loot consisted mainly
of can foods which were eaten on the
premises. Pantries and wine closets
were completely emptied of their con-
tents.
The cottages of the following were
entered:
E. D. Stone of the firm of Perry &
Stone of New London.
DR.. J. Otis Miner, of 2S8 Hunting
ton street, New London.
Mrs. w. H. Osborne of Granite
street New London.
Robert T. A. Bitgood of 10 Mason
| tc street, New London.
Mrs. Joseph M. Burdick of West
Main street, Norwich.
Discovery of the breaks was made
Tuesday afternoon by young woman
| of that section who went to the Bit
good veranda to watch the fight of an
aeroplane. She noticed the window
| but not until she was returning home
| and saw the window broken in the
| aroused. Then she notified the Os-
| borne and Bitgood families. Since that
| time the other breaks have come to
| liG|t.
Mr.. Osborne visited his cottage
Tuesday evening and found the inter-
| ior in topsy turvey condition.
Even the beds, which were made up,
! had been deranged Bureau draw
| ers which had been locked, were
| found forced open. Personal belong
| tngs of the Osborne's were scattered
| In every direction about the rooms.
When members of the Stone, Bit
| good. Burdick and Miner families Wis
| Ned their cottages, a similar state of
| affairs existed.
| At the Bitgood cottage, indications
! seemed to point to the intruder having
| remained over night The curtains
| were drawn. the bed disarranged and
| an empty can of baked beans las
| found on a table beside the bed. In
/ the can was a gravy 1adle which had
| been used as a spoon.
| Clothing, shoes bedding and silver
| ware in the cottages was not touched
| with the exception of two or three mite
| boxes, which in some cases contained
! coins of a small denomination nothing
| IS believed to have been carried away.
| The only clue to the probable time
/ - ,;.,J,o Nv
| Marion McNalIy, daughter of Rev
! Charles r. McNaIly of the First Bap-
| fist church, New London. who, while
! returning home early Sunday evening.
| noticed a light burning in the Bitgood
| cottage. The young woman believed
! that members of the family were prob
| ably staying there over Sunday and
| did not give the matter a thought. II
| has since been learned. however, that
| the members of the Bitgood family
| visited Bes. View Sunday. This fact
| leads to the opinion that the mauraud-
| er STAYED at the cottage Sunday night
A glass cutter was evidently the
| instrument used in gaining entrance tC
| The various cottages. Except in the
| case of the Miner cottage, a clean cut
| roud hole, sufficiently large to insert
the hand and unfasten the lock was
| found in the upper window pane OF
the window entered. AT the Miner cot
| tage a patent lock thwarted the sue
| cess OF this Scneme, ana one entire
| pane was broken.
The strange man who was seen ir
the Quaker Hill community Wednesday
first visited the mobe of Mrs. FREQ
| Cornstock about 11.30 in the forenoon
| His rough appearance caused Mrs
Comstock to hesitate about granting
| the request and at first she refused
| Then he said he was hungry and she
provided him with meal
His conversation with her wa:
ma rlzed by several very irrationa
statements, one of which was that ht
wanted to go to the bughouse." THAI
was after he asked for carfare to car
ry him to Norwich. She gave him II
cents and he inquired if that would
take him to the playhouse"
Then he inquired as to who LIVED
across the street She mentioned the
name of Mrs. Perkins and the mar
flew into a rage. "She's the one who
killed my brother" he said. Although
thoroughly alarmed by the mans
statements, Mrs. Comstock told him
who was accused of killing DAME
| Coatchaly. Even then the man ap-
peared not to be satisfied that Mrs
Perkins was not the woman to whom
he had reference, and inquired II she
was quite stout and dark complexion
| Mrs. Comstock's reply In the mega
tive satisfied him.
Departing from the Comstock home
The man went to the house occupied by
| Attorney John Lawless. Mrs. Lawless
had in the meantime been notified over
the telephone by Mrs. Comstock and
locking all the doors and windows or
the lower floor. she went upstairs. The
man knocked at both the front ane
back doors and finally Mrs Lawless
stepped out onto a second story bal
cony and inquired as to his mission
Here he repeated his request for 6
cup of coffee and carfare to Norwich
But when Mrs. ~Lawless told him she
had neither, he asked her for a cup OF
Tea or hot water. Finally he walked
away.
Later he is understood to have call
ed at other residences in that section
among thEm that of Mrs. Perkins. He
disappeared late in the afternoon and
has not been seen since. At one OF
tho houses visited he also queried as
to the whereabouts of a DR.. Perkins.
According to the best description
that can be obtained, the man was
very roughly dressed. medium COM
plexion, about five feet eight inches
in height and fairly stout. He was
probably not more than 30 years Of
! age.