Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1914 — SEVERAL BURGLARIES IN CITY [ARTICLE]

SEVERAL BURGLARIES IN CITY

Supposed Carnival Followers Got in Their Work Here Monday Night. The houses of Elizur Sage, George Reed, Michael Kanne, A. P. Burton and D. M. Worland, with perhaps others that we did not learn of, were entered by burglars Monday night and the interiors pretty well ransacked. The burglars were evidntly on the lookout for money, and in this, they were very well rewarded. At George Reed's they* secured S2O in cash and stole a watch and some minor articles at each of the other places, except at Worland's w’here they got nothing so far as the family could determine. At Sage s they got a gold watch and several dollars in money. They entered through lower floor windows in each case, and were perhaps frightened away at some of the houses entered before making as thorough a search as they would otherwise have done. Mr. Kanne saw three men in the rear of his place, hear the barn and Chicken house, at about 10 o’clock at night, thinking they were after his chickens. They finally left and he went to bed. When the family got up Tuesday morning they found the screen partly open at the reception room window’ and an investigation showed all the drawers in the buffet open and ransacked and the watch and fob of Arthur Kanne had been taken off the chiffonir in his room. The fob, however, was found in the parlor downstairs. It is thought something had frightened them away before the clothing was ransacked, as no money was taken from them. Bare footprints were found on the lawn, which is practically newly made, leading from the reception room window to the northeast corner of the yard, where the tracks could no longer be followed, as the party took to the w r alk there, presumably. ; Entrance was made to the Burton home about 3 o’clock Tuesday morning. Mr. and Mrs. Burton sleep up-' stairs, but were awakened by the noise made by the burglars and they were evidently frightened away before attempting to go to the upper part of the house. Drawers were ransacked and a lady’s gold watch, an old keepsake left Mrs. Burton by an aunt, and 40 cents in change was taken from a handbag hanging in a ' coat closet. A $5 silk plush hat of Mr. Burton’s was also taken. No! silverware was taken, although the thieves had access to and ransacked the drawers where it was kept. The thieves entered by the kitchen

window at George Reed’s and proceeded to ransack the whole house, as the buffet drawers were left open and everything in general disorder. Mr. and Mrs. Reed retired about 11 o'clock and left the house locked, yet Tuesday morning found the front door unlocked, it having been unlocked from the insise by the thieves who hid no doubt left the house from thife entrance. Mr. and Mrs. Reed always waken quite early and get up about 6 o’clock, but yesterday morning they did not waken until 8 o'clock, when they heard Miss Price, .who rooms with them, walking about the house. When Mr. Reed went to reach for his trousers he found that they were not on the foot of the bed, as he left them, and on looking about found them and also another pair in the hall at the front of the house, where they had been ransacked, and his purse lay bn the floor wide open and empty. It had contained S2O and some change. They have a small dog which sleeps under their bed, and Mr. Reed thinks it quite strange that not even the dog was aroused, and thinks that they were given some kind of “dope’’ to insure their sleeping. D. M. Worland s house was entered, and the house left somewhat disordered, but they have not found anything missing. A baby’s jacket was left behind in the coal bucket in the kitchen, by the the thieves, a garment which they had probably picked up in leaving some other house in haste, thinking it something of value. At Eliztir Sage's entrance was made by a window and went up the front stait-s, which had just recently been oiled, leaving the prints of the burglar s foot on the steps. Mr. Sage states that the print is that of not more than a numebr six foot and .says that it is shaped like the foot of a negro. Mr. Sage's trousers that were hanging on tfce bedpost at the head of the bed were removed and taken' to the hallway and ransacked. Mr. Sage is not quite sure how much money he had in his purse, but there was somewhere be*tween $8 and S2O dollars therein. A large traveling bag which he had was found near the door, wide open, and it was evident the thief expected to pack some goods in it. Some of .Mr. page’s clothes had evidently been tried on, but were probably not the right fit, as none were taken. A tine fur coat of Mrs. Sage’s was also near the open bag, but so far as they could discover, nothing but Mr. Sage's gold watch and the money was taken there.

The burglaries were all evidently committed by the same parties, one or two probably remaining on guard outside, while the barefoot member of the party, entered the house. It was evidently the work of some of the carnival followers, and a close watch will be kept by the officers rand citizens generally for the rest of the week. It may be that some of the farm houses near towh will also be visited, and it behooves everyone to be on their guard. Some think the burglaries were the work of local talent who took advantage of the carnival being here to get in their work, believing that it would be charged to the carnival followers.

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