The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-09-12
FIVE OTHER CASES IN
NEIGHBORHOOD, REPORT
Same Criminal Believed ia
Have Entered Home and
Frightened ChiId-Wom-
an Screams and FrightenS
Away Man Who Was Try
ing to Pry Open Window.

A burglar beat Mrs. Rachel
Steffey, 10, of 1928 N. Dear
born St., on the head with a
hammer and a chunk Of con-
crete so severely early today
that she may die.
The burglar also struck J. b. Stef-
fey, %, the husband, on the head,
but injured him less severely.
The Stefreys were in bed on the
ground floor Of their home when the
attack occurred. Both are in city
hospital.
The meager description Steffey
was able to give police led them to
believe that the colored burglar who
has terrorized two widely separated
residence districts Tor months is
back at work. They blamed the
same burglar for five other cases
near the StefYey home last night.
Recent Residents
Mr.. and Mrs. Steffey have been
married but n month, moving into
their present residence Sept. Z.
Steffey said n terrific pain in his
head awakened him. He heard Mrs.
Steffey groaning. Then he saw the
burglar flash a light in the room
and started to rise.
Lay down and be quiet or III
kill you." growled the burglar.
Instead, StefTey, still groggy from
the blows on his head, lunged to.
ward the burglar.
The intruder ran, with Steffey hot
in pursuit through the darkened
house. burglar overturned a floor
lamp and paused long enough to
push a table into Steffey's path.
Steffey rushed on to his porch.
but the burglar was gone. Robert
Reese, a milkman. 44S Manlove Ave,
saw Steffey and called the police for
him.
Weapons Found
Lieut.. Claude Johnson reported
he found a rusty hammer and two
pieces of concrete on the floor Of
the Steffey bedroom. The burglar
had placed a small ladder against a
side window and climbed into the
kitchen, leaving a footprint in the
sink.
The Steffey residence had been
ransacked. Two looted purses were
found in the back yard.
Elizabeth Lindenberger, a. daugh-
ter of Eric Lindenberger, 3016 e,
Twenty-Ninth St, awakened to find
a mans fingers at her throat. She
screamed and the man escaped.
About a month ago, the girl said,
she started to retire early in the
evening and found negro in the
bedroom Of her sister. Gertrude, 10.
The intruder ran. Neither Of the
girls We're harmed in either case.
Frightened Away
Mrs. Jennie Shots, 1886 Dearborn
St., heard noise at her bedroom
window early today She saw a
colored man trying to pry the
window open. She screamed for her
husband and the burglar ran.
Albert Shots. 1866 Parker Ave,
discovered his trousers, with his
pocketbook containing 81 and keys
gone, and that the burglar had
blown out an oil lamp while he
worked.
Police link these cases with the
smashing OF the front window of the
Schaller & Cole drug store, Thirtieth
st. and Sherman DIR. A pay tele-
phone was taken.
Auto Is Taken
Officers also believe that the bur
glar concluded his night of terroriz.
ing by stealing the automobile Of
Guy r. Martin. 2441 N. Dearborn st.
The colored burglar who has been
an enigma to police for months has
worked first in the district between
Northwestern Ave, and Parkway
Blvd. north of Twenty.Fifth ST.,
and then jumped across the north
side to terrorize women in the ter
ritory generally east Of Sherman DIR.
and north Of Sixteenth st,
At least a dozen cases of brutal
attacks upon women have been re.
ported to police. who say that they
have heard indirectly of that many
more cases upon which the families
avoided publicity.
Hospital authorities said Mrs. Stef-
fey was not harmed other than by
the beating on the head.
CHu0OI HIQI MhDDIEN