Milford chronicle., 1924-05-02

The store of c. D. Abbott and Com
pany, MilfOrd's largest retail mer-
chants, was entered about two o'clock
Wednesday morning and loot to the
value of approximately $4,000 was
stolen. The owners of the store had
not discovered their loss when they
we're notified by the Wilmington
Police Department that the men had
been captured in that city, and that
goods evidently belonging to the Abb
bott Company had been found in their
rooms. AS soon as they were notified,
investigation started by Charles D.
Abbott and Charles H. Abbott result
ed in discovery that the ladies dress
department and the mems clothing de-
partment had been visited by the
thieves.
Entrance had been gained to the
store by chiseling open a window on
the south side of the store. 1t is i'm
possible for persons on Walnut street
to see the window and the men had
every opportunity to gain an entrance
without being discovered. Once en-
tering the store they went to the
ladies' dress department where the
view is likewise Obscured from per-
sons on the business street. Here they
took a quantity of silk dresses, which
they packed into a steamer trunk, TWO
suit cases and a bag, also stolen IN
the store. They also visited the mems
department where they took SILK
shirts, OvercOats and garters. They
took their loot out a side door and
carefully closed the door and shutters
to the window before leaving. A per-
son walking in front of the Abbott
store should have an opportunity to
see persons working in the mems de-
partment, but it is more than likely
that they watched Nightwatchman
Davis as he made his rounds, and en-
tered this department while he was
working his beat at the northern END
of Walnut street.
Officer Davis noticed a Hudson
speedster parked in front OF the
Draper Canning Factory on West
Front street, South Milford, between
twelve and one o'clock, and took the
license number of the car. This was |
later found to be the automobile IN
which the robbers had made their
triD to and from Milford.
The story connected with the arrest
of the guilty men is interesting ana
shows that the police of the city OF
Wilmington are on the job. The Hud-
son car was reported as having Deen
taken from a garage in Wilmington |
tuesday night. Suspecting that 1t had
been taken for the purpose OF Joyrld-
ing the police detectives assigned to
the case hid themselves in cemetery
across from the garage and awaited
the return of the car. In this they |
were rewarded, for shortly before day
LIGHT it was returned. The occupants,
Row Willman, son of Frank M1llman,
Of near Robbins, Delaware ,and Paul
Vandertrak, of Wilmington, were ar
rested and charged with having driven |
off the automobile. When the men
were taken to the police station they /
rave their Wilmington addresses, and /
the police went to their rooms. Here .
they found the lots above mentioned.
rbev then got in touch with the own
ers in Milford.
Rov Millman is the young man VINO
q few wears ago broke into the Pierce
Hardware Company's store in Milford
and stole a quantity of merchandise.
For this he was sentenced to the
wOrkhouse at Greenbank, from which
weeks ago. Vandertrak was released
from the wOrkhouse at about the same
time. Both are musicians. Millman
has been making his home in Will
mington since his release from prison.
Both C. D. and C. H. Abbott went to
Wilmington Wednesday morning and
identified the stolen property. The
following was recovered; 81 silk
dresses, 80 mems silk shirts, 2 mems
spring Overcoats, a. steamer trunk, 2
suit cases, a travelling bag and gar
ters. The Abbotts in checking over
their loss think that possibly 68 dress
es were stolen and 40 shirts. When
confronted by the Abbotts at the Will
mington police station, Millman frank
lv admitted the thefts. ,
When the police apprehended the !
men in the garage they saw Millman I
hide something in another car. In 7
vestigation disclosed an automatic re- l
volver and a blackjack. He was ar :
raigned in Wilmington police court c