Cool Burglars in Greenpoint
After yesterday’s chance meeting with a victim of caulk theft, I couldn’t stop thinking about how nice Greenpointers really are. They may lack the polish of their tonier neighbors to the south (Greenpoint is more Coors Light with a ciggie than grenache in a glass), but these people will give you the shirts off their back. What’s more, the more felonious folks who take the shirt off your back understand how truly bad if feels to be robbed. They will even tell you so. I learned the latter recently in the December 15, 1892 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
COOL BURGLARS IN GREENPOINT
Two of Them Arrested While Condoling Their Victim.
When it was learned today that the liquor store of John Hughes, 182 West Street, had been entered by burglars some time between 1 and 5 o’clock this morning, the police of the Greenpoint Avenue station were all more or less perturbed, for burglaries in that section of the city, although generally trivial, have been numerous of late and arrests have been few. This particular burglary small though it was, was of an aggravating nature. The burglars had smashed a glass in the rear window, pushed back a catch and made themselves at home. They stole bottles of liquor, boxes of cigars, packages of cigarettes and drank and smoked for some time, evidently, as signs of their festive raid were not wanting. They carried off the rest of their plunder.
Not until 10 o’clock was a report of the burglary made to the police. Immediately Detective Sergeant Donlon and Patrolmen Behlen were put upon the case. Half an hour later they arrested a man on the Freeman Street dock. He had been drinking from one the stolen bottles, and when he saw strangers approaching he threw the bottle into the river. He said he was Thomas Kiernan, 43 years old, a laborer at 61 Green Street. From information furnished by Kiernan the police set out in search of the other two men, and found them standing in the saloon which had been entered, coolly condoling with Hughes, the proprietor. They professed much surprise and indignation when arrested, but the police claim to have found some of the stolen goods in the pockets of all three men. The two men arrested in the saloon described themselves as James F. Gorman, ship carpenter, 25 years old, of 63 Freeman Street, and William Boyton, a sparman, 25 years old, of 51 Box Street. The police say that the three men are idlers, and have for some time been under surveillance.
So let me get this straight: these guys break into a saloon between “1 and 5 o’clock” in the morning and one is later found drinking on the docks at 10:30 a.m.?!? That’s one serious party.
Miss Heather