KinSource - Tale of the Week - The Burglar Capture

KinSource

Minnesota Tales

The St. Paul Daily Globe, August 6, 1890, p. 2

THE BURGLAR CAPTURE

A Correspondent Who Wants the Credit Properly Placed.

To the Editor of the Globe.

I wish to correct a few errors in the accounts given in the Dispatch last night, and the GLOBE and Pioneer Press this morning, of the capture of the burglar, Frank Donaldson, yesterday at 48 College avenue. The police had nothing to do with his capture, only that, after we had secured him and taken him from the house and placed him in the patrol wagon, the police drove to the station with him. This, however, casts no reflection on the police, for the wagon was out when telephoned for, but put in an appearance as soon as possible, which was just in time to take the burglar from our hands in the street. Many errors will always creep into newspaper accounts of cases of this nature, especially when the reporters are not on the spot, and have to get their information from some one in the crowd. Many things must have happened that I did not see, but let me tell you just what did happen that I did see: At about 10:30 a. m. I came out of the Boston bakery at 536 St. Peter street, and noticed a crowd of men and women at the corner of St. Peter and College avenue, and many others running in that direction. After a minute or so I started slowly along to join the crowd, and just ahead of me I saw John Distler on the run. On arriving in front of the vacant building 48 College avenue I saw perhaps 200 men, women and children very much excited, and Mr. Robertson, who lives at No. 46, was on the stoop holding the front door shut, calmly waiting for the police patrol. He told me that two burglars had escaped by jumping from the second story window in the rear, but that there was still one left in the house. It seems he had asked some one to go in with him and get the fellow, but no one had responded, so he said to me: "Come on with me and go in," so I quickly followed him, and Mr. Distler also followed us, making three of us. We searched every floor from top to bottom without results, until we got into the basement. Here Mr. Robertson went directly to the coal schute, which leads from a hole in the sidewalk, and is about eighteen inches square, and has a door to its opening in the cellar, which was shut. Robertson opened the door and stooped down, peeking into the schute, and said: "Here he is." Mr. Distler and myself were quickly at his side and Distler went head first into the hole, crawling up the schute nearly out of sight, and got him by both legs and pulled him out. As soon as his body came in sight Mr. Robertson siezed his left arm and myself his right. At this instant he began shooting his gun, and in short order we had him on his hands and knees and with two of us besides himself holding onto the gun. We stopped the fusilade at the third shot. I then got the gun away from him, after which I gave it to Mr. Distler, and he turned it over to the police after we had Donaldson in the patrol wagon. No amount of money would induce me to again take chances against a [burglar] who carries a gun.

The GLOBE's headline this morning said that the police had, with the help of the neighbors, captured the leader of one of the toughest gangs of burglars in St. Paul. This is entirely an error, for no policeman had hands on him till after he was safely inside the patrol wagon.

In justice to all I think it proper for me to make these corrections, therefore I hope you will give this a place in the GLOBE. J. M. (One of the three.)

No. 533 Broadway, Aug. 5, 1890.