Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 July 1899 — Bold Boys And Bad Burglars. [ARTICLE]

Bold Boys And Bad Burglars.

There was an exciting incident in town about 11 o’clock Friday night. A lady who lives near to Hiram Day, in the east part of town, heard sounds in the upstairs rooms which oonvinped her that at least two burglars were there. She hastily locked the door to the stairs, to keep the burglars from coming'down, and then summoned Mr. Day. Very naturally, he did not want to tackle two, presumably well armed, burglars, and help was telephoned for at the oentral office. Geo. Hopkins, of Hunt Bros., was at the central, as usual at that time, and he bravely sallied out and gathered as recruits, Veraice Cressler, Bert Brenner, Louie Fendig and Glenn Grant. The boys all got their ‘‘guns” and marched to the scene. Louie Fendig’s weapon was only a 22 caliber, loaded with blank cartridges, but he made up in ferocity of expression what he lacked in efficiency of armament. Arriving, they found Mr. Day, and Crowfoot Smith awaiting outside. The chamber door was unlocked and the boys marched upstairs, with Cressler at the head, with a light in one hand, a revolver in the other and blood in both eyes. They looked through all the rooms on that floor and found no-one until they opened the door of the last room, andin that they found — no one either, and no evidence that anyone had been there. Concluding and probably correctly, that some noise from outside had caused| the alarm the hoys retired in gtfod order, and just as they started away, the ambulance arrived in the shape of the hotel hack, in charge of Policeman Childers. But no dead or wounded boys or burglars were to be carried Half ’way down town they were met by the medical department, in the shape of Dr. Berkley, hurrying in that direction, but he too was informed that his services would not be needed.