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BURGLARY!
[Welland Tribune, 4 September 1885]
When Councillor Minnis arose on Friday morning last he found those most necessary articles of clothing-pants and boots-missing. The unmentionables were subsequently found in the kitchen, but the boots had walked away-on the burglar’s feet. The open kitchen window shewed the route they has taken. Further investigation revealed that the pocket of the pants had been gone through, and some $4 or $5 in all had accompanied the boots thence. Fortunately $65 in Mr. Minnis’s vest pocket, hanging on the bed room door knob has escaped the thief’s notice. Mr. Minnis, like most Wellanders in time of trouble has called on Chief Gilchriese who sent word to Constable Anderson at the C.S.R. to be on this look out. Mr. Gilchreise, himself, having heard that a suspicious-looking person had gone down the W.R.R. track early in the morning, went to Port Robinson but his search was fruitless. But Mr. Anderson had better luck. Examining a freight train about to move out of the yard, he found that a man with rather ill-fitting boots on had crawled in an empty car and pulled the slide-door to after him. Mr. Anderson called on the fellow to come out and give himself up. He pulled the door to and refused, apparently determined to stand a siege. Thinking better of it, and jumping quickly out of the car he pulled off the boots and attempted to make off, but was collared by the constable and lodged in gaol. The prisoner was found to be one Andy McCulliff, an old resident of this county but who has been away for some time past. When brought before Mr. Hellems for trial on Monday, prisoner stated that he did not know whether he was guilty as charges or not. He had been drinking and remembered nothing that occurred after leaving St. Thomas on Thursday with a satchel and $20 until taken in the car with boots on which did not belong to hi, and with this satchel gone and only between $4 or $5 in his pocket. He had no lawyer to defend him, and did not wish any. Mr. Raymond prosecuted. A plea of not guilty was entered, and evidence taken as above. Mr. Minnis and Mr. Seger both positively identified the boots found on prisoner as Mr. Minnis’s. Mr. M. could not swear to the money but it was the same kind and amount he had lost. Mr. Dowd swore to seeing prisoner coming down from the C.S. R. depot after midnight the morning of the burglary. In short, the case was proven beyond possibility of doubt, and prisoner was convicted and sentenced to six months in central prison.
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