Year: 1879

ROBBERS PLUNDER AN OCCUPIED HOUSE IN
EAST FOURTEENTH STREET AND ESCAPE WITH


THEIR BOOTY.


The cool efrontery of latter day cracksmen has
been illustrated quito wildly by few OF their
number last week at No. 800 East Fourteenth street
This is big brown stone house. occupied by Mr.. Will
lam Halladay. and its appearance doubt promised
plenty of booty to tho calculating eye of the burglar
BE that it may it is certain that the knights Of
the jimmy have been giving it their attention for
some time past About two months ago
the scuttle was shifted and an attempt to
force entrance from above was made.
which was only discovered few days
later when the rain began to leak through. On
Wednesday last. however. the plans Of the thieves
were better arranged. and at eleven O'Clock in the
morning the booty seekers all safe in the house
with their kit. outfit and all. How they got in has
not positively been determined. They left by the
roof, but skeleton or latch key may haye given
them access to the house from front or rear.


There were several OF the family indoors. but en-
gagged in the occupation of the moment they were
oplivious of the stealthy footsteps the stair
way, the covert movements in the rooms
above. Shortly after eleven o'clock Mrs.
Haaday, who in back room
the third story received the first ntimaton OF their
presence. but it came in way so strange and
startling that she unable to rightly interpret it.
loud crash, almost as sharp AZ pistol shot,
sounded quite close to her as she was busy
ing herself in the apartment but whence
il came she unable to determine. In
the furry of the moment she went down stairs to in
quire about it. The servant had heard it quite dis
fincty, aud gone into the yard fancying something
had fallen there. No explanation OF the sound,
however. could be had. and it had passed out
of the minds OF tho inmates of the house
til startling discovery recalled it. Miss Halla-
day on going TO her room found the drawers broken
open. the furniture disturbed and the floor Uttered
with silk dresses and u sealskin sacque, which
seemed to have been hastily abandoned. The young
lady hurried down stairs. her steps quickened by
subdued "Hist!" that reached her from the floor
above, uttered she knew. by no familiar voice.


THE THIEVES BEAT HAsTY RETREAT


Sne caea i"r @ caed ao'd , as she acenSea
1.-The police comlng! This evidently had
weight with the intruders for they believed to
have taken themselves Off ut that moment.


Before reaching the upper floor, which the
thieves had located however. dsagreeablc surprise
ing rooms open, and from each was missing
able q ''s val~aSles. 1' How the two eapacious
mystery, which visit to the topmost floor ex-
planned. There both of them were lying, broken
open and empty. The burglars had calmly trotted
about the house and removed their booty to
such places suited their convenience. The
big trunks they had conveyed up stairs;
them open. The marks of tine jimmy upon
them showed the forcible manner in winch their
which had 50 surprised Mrs, Halliday. Sc
curing such vauables the trunks con-
taincd. the burglars evidently turned their
attention to the the third floor.
Miss Hailaday's apartment had been turned
topsy fury and articles of jewelry carried OFT.
Doubtless the robbers were continuing their explora-
tions when the young ladys ascent had frightened
them away. The door leading to the roof was open,
but the scuttle had been tightly pressed down the
outside by the burglars, who evidently hoped in this
way to impede pursuit.


Little is known that would lead to their dentifca-
ton. lady in an adjoining house who
had a. distant view of three men passing
along the roof is the only person who
seems to have caught sight OF the iDtruders.
The police notified at once. but were unable
strike the track of the thieves and though detec
tives have examined the house from top to bottom.
scrutinized the broken trunks and uttered various
ingenious theories. they to be still at about