Camden Courier-Post, December 13, 1930View transcription
[Portrait photograph of MRS. HELEN McLAUGHLIN. Header text reads "Outwits Burglar". No article text visible in this image portion.]
Camden Courier-Post, December 13, 1930View transcription
Burglar Robs Woman of $3 in Hour of Terror
Smokes Cigarettes While Demanding More Money; Suspect Is Held
A masked burglar, who menaced her with a rifle and a coil of rope, as, terrified, she was aroused from sleep beside her 5-year-old son, sat at the bedside of Mrs. Ernest McLaughlin, 30, of 1226 North Twentieth street, for an hour after 2 o'clock yesterday morning and smoked cigarettes, tossing match sticks on the bedroom floor.
Disappointed, angered, when the woman told him that there was only $3 in the house, the intruder, alleged to be William Murphy, 46, a neighbor, of 1221 North Twentieth street, vowed to wait and kill her husband. McLaughlin is an employe of the composing room of the Morning Post.
Within an hour after the accused neighbor is said to have left the McLaughlin home, Mrs. McLaughlin was telling her story to police. Murphy, held without bail for the grand jury, is charged with breaking, entering and threats to kill.
Murphy, short, thin, a carpenter, denies knowledge of the incident. He is identified positively by Mrs. McLaughlin.
Mrs. McLaughlin was disturbed by noise of someone trying to force open a door or window.
Soon after the sounds became distinct. She saw her bedroom door thrust open. A man entered. He switched on the lights, when it was noted he was wearing a white handkerchief over the lower part of his face. He carried a long rifle and coiled about his arm was a quantity of cord.
Intruder Gets $3
According to Mrs. McLaughlin, the man walked about the room demanding money. He was directed to a bureau drawer, where he found the $3. The burglar again threatened her.
Taking a seat the man reached for a cigarette, Mrs. McLaughlin said. He tossed the burned matches to the floor and continued to question Mrs. McLaughlin as to the whereabouts of money. Then Mrs. McLaughlin noticed that the handkerchief-mask was on fire. She warned the intruder, fearing that a disastrous blaze might result. Her son awoke to hear the burglar's further demands and then pluckily informed him that:
"Daddy never leaves any money at home. He always takes it to work with him."
This heartened the intruder, who apparently had knowledge of the usual time McLaughlin returned home. He ended the 50-minute ordeal, Mrs. McLaughlin said, by declaring:
"I'm going down to waylay your husband, and if I hear you scream or holler I'll come back and kill you both."
According to the details gained by police the man left the house. That was at 3 o'clock.
Meanwhile McLaughlin, en route home, drove north on Twentieth street about 3:15 a. m. and noticed a man dashing across the street. He stopped his car near the corner and gazed toward his home to see the front door opened. He picked up an empty milk bottle, as the only weapon available, and approached his home. He paused at the door, suspecting that someone might be concealed inside, but upon failing to hear a noise he rushed in and switched on several lights.
Intruder Makes Escape
Proceeding to the rear of the house he saw the figure of a man at a door leading from the back porch. He still carried the bottle and when the man made a feeble excuse and raced off the porch McLaughlin followed. The intruder raced around the side of the house before McLaughlin could capture him. As the burglar fled McLaughlin hurled the bottle, narrowly missing the man's head.
McLaughlin, enraged, was determined to continue pursuit but a neighbor, George Watson, who had been aroused, advised him to summon the police.
Sergeant Edward Hahn with Policemen Wilbur Prentiss and Oscar Botta, of the Third District, responded. McLaughlin insisted the police search the house at 1221 North Twentieth street. Twentieth street and knocked loudly upon the door, after he had been told by Mrs. McLaughlin that a light had switched on and off in the house across the street.
An elderly man answered the repeated pounding on the door. After entering the house, McLaughlin said he noticed a large strip of rope and a heavy hammer on a table. He urged police to determine whether the man carried matches similar to those he found in Mrs. McLaughlin's bedroom and also to note whether his handkerchief had been burned. The man produced a blue handkerchief, and when taken before the frantic woman he was cleared of suspicion.
Identifies Suspect
Returning to the house Sergeant Hahn located Murphy, who then was taken to Mrs. McLaughlin. She immediately identified him by his peculiar manner of speech and before the police began to search him she told them to look for a burned white handkerchief.
A piece of cloth taken from the man's pockets was exact, in every description, to that which Mrs. McLaughlin said the intruder wore over his face when the robbery was committed. Matches found in the man's clothes also compared with those gathered about the floor of the woman's bedroom.
Murphy declared he had been asleep until aroused by police. He was booked at city hall shortly after 4 a. m. and arraigned before Judge Pancoast yesterday morning.
City Detective William Boettcher was the only witness to appear against Murphy.
McLaughlin said the intrusion marked the second time his home has been entered. The first occurred about the same time on Saturday, September 13. The rope found at Murphy's home was different from that which the intruder left at the McLaughlin home. The elderly man who first was aroused at the house where Murphy was seized is said to be the suspect's father-in-law.
Smokes Cigarettes While Demanding More Money; Suspect Is Held
A masked burglar, who menaced her with a rifle and a coil of rope, as, terrified, she was aroused from sleep beside her 5-year-old son, sat at the bedside of Mrs. Ernest McLaughlin, 30, of 1226 North Twentieth street, for an hour after 2 o'clock yesterday morning and smoked cigarettes, tossing match sticks on the bedroom floor.
Disappointed, angered, when the woman told him that there was only $3 in the house, the intruder, alleged to be William Murphy, 46, a neighbor, of 1221 North Twentieth street, vowed to wait and kill her husband. McLaughlin is an employe of the composing room of the Morning Post.
Within an hour after the accused neighbor is said to have left the McLaughlin home, Mrs. McLaughlin was telling her story to police. Murphy, held without bail for the grand jury, is charged with breaking, entering and threats to kill.
Murphy, short, thin, a carpenter, denies knowledge of the incident. He is identified positively by Mrs. McLaughlin.
Mrs. McLaughlin was disturbed by noise of someone trying to force open a door or window. Soon after the sounds became distinct. She saw her bedroom door thrust open. A man entered. He switched on the lights, when it was noted he was wearing a white handkerchief over the lower part of his face. He carried a long rifle and coiled about his arm was a quantity of cord.
Intruder Gets $3
According to Mrs. McLaughlin, the man walked about the room demanding money. He was directed to a bureau drawer, where he found the $3. The burglar again threatened her.
Taking a seat the man reached for a cigarette, Mrs. McLaughlin said. He tossed the burned matches to the floor and continued to question Mrs. McLaughlin as to the whereabouts of money. Then Mrs. McLaughlin noticed that the handkerchief-mask was on fire. She warned the intruder, fearing that a disastrous blaze might result. Her son awoke to hear the burglar's further demands and then pluckily informed him that: "Daddy never leaves any money at home. He always takes it to work with him."
This heartened the intruder, who apparently had knowledge of the usual time McLaughlin returned home. He ended the 50-minute ordeal, Mrs. McLaughlin said, by declaring: "I'm going down to waylay your husband, and if I hear you scream or holler I'll come back and kill you both."
According to the details gained by police the man left the house. That was at 3 o'clock.
Meanwhile McLaughlin, en route home, drove north on Twentieth street about 3:15 a.m. and noticed a man dashing across the street. He stopped his car near the corner and gazed toward his home to see the front door opened. He picked up an empty milk bottle, as the only weapon available, and approached his home. He paused at the door, suspecting that someone might be concealed inside, but upon failing to hear a noise he rushed in and switched on several lights.
Intruder Makes Escape
Proceeding to the rear of the house he saw the figure of a man at a door leading from the back porch. He still carried the bottle and when the man made a feeble excuse and raced off the porch McLaughlin followed. The intruder raced around the side of the house before McLaughlin could capture him. As the burglar fled McLaughlin hurled the bottle, narrowly missing the man's head.
McLaughlin, enraged, was determined to continue pursuit but a neighbor, George Watson, who had been aroused, advised him to summon the police.
Sergeant Edward Hahn with Policemen Wilbur Prentiss and Oscar Botta, of the Third District, responded. McLaughlin insisted the police search the house at 1221 North Twentieth street and knocked loudly upon the door, after he had been told by Mrs. McLaughlin that a light had switched on and off in the house across the street.
An elderly man answered the repeated pounding on the door. After entering the house, McLaughlin said he noticed a large strip of rope and a heavy hammer on a table. He urged police to determine whether the man carried matches similar to those he found in Mrs. McLaughlin's bedroom and also to note whether his handkerchief had been burned. The man produced a blue handkerchief, and when taken before the frantic woman he was cleared of suspicion.
Identifies Suspect
Returning to the house Sergeant Hahn located Murphy, who then was taken to Mrs. McLaughlin. She immediately identified him by his peculiar manner of speech and before the police began to search him she told them to look for a burned white handkerchief.
A piece of cloth taken from the man's pockets was exact, in every description, to that which Mrs. McLaughlin said the intruder wore over his face when the robbery was committed. Matches found in the man's clothes also compared with those gathered about the floor of the woman's bedroom.
Murphy declared he had been asleep until aroused by police. He was booked at city hall shortly after 4 a.m. and arraigned before Judge Pancoast yesterday morning.
City Detective William Boettcher was the only witness to appear against Murphy.
McLaughlin said the intrusion marked the second time his home has been entered. The first occurred about the same time on Saturday, September 13. The rope found at Murphy's home was different from that which the intruder left at the McLaughlin home. The elderly man who first was aroused at the house where Murphy was seized is said to be the suspect's father-in-law.
