1884 Gun Battle With Burglars Ransacking the Pelham Manor Depot

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At 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 9, 1884, a massive snowstorm was bearing down on the New York region.  The storm eventually dumped up to three feet of snow on Pelham and the surrounding region.  The night was not fit for men but, apparently, it was fit for beasts.  

With the storm raging, a pair of burglars had been working the New Rochelle and Pelham Manor region.  At about 2:30 a.m. the pair forced their way though a small window into the ticket office of the Pelham Manor Depot.  

The burglars, described only as a "tall man" and a "short man," did not realize that the local "Vigilance Committee" known as the "Pelham Manor Protective Club" was on the case.  There previously had been so many burglaries, safe-crackings, and break-ins at the Pelham Manor Depot that the Executive Committee of the Pelham Manor Protective Club had authorized installation of an electric burglar alarm with a "wire" running from the Depot to the nearby home of the Station Manager, Joseph English.

At 2:30 a.m., a "gong" in the home of Station Manager Joseph English rang, alerting him that the station had been entered.  Though the storm raged outside, English ran to two nearby homes for help, including the home of Thomas D. De Witt, a member of the Executive Committee of the Pelham Manor Protective Club.  De Witt grabbed his loaded five-shot revolver and he, English, and another unidentified Pelhamite ran to the Depot, ready for a gunfight, if necessary, and to arrest the burglars.

I have written before about the burglary that night.  For examples, see:

Mon., Jan. 28, 2008:  1884 Burglary and Gunfight at the Pelham Manor Depot.

Mon., Sep. 15, 2014:  1884 Gunfight in Pelham Manor Pits Local Residents Against Pelham Manor Depot Burglars. 

Detail from 1881 Map Showing Pelham Manor Depot and Surrounding

Area Not Long Before the January, 1884 Burglary.  Source:  "Town of

Pelham. (With) Pelham-Manor. (From Actual Surveys and Official

Records by G. W. Bromley & Co., Civil Engineers" in Bromley, George

W., Atlas of Westchester County, New York from Actual Surveys and Official

Records by G. W. Bromley & Co., Civil Engineers, pp. 56-57 (Washington, D.C.,

G. W. Bromley & Co., 1881).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

When De Witt arrived at the Pelham Manor Depot, he saw two burglars:  one tall, one short.  Disappointingly, the burglars saw him and ran from the Depot across vacant lots.  As they ran into the stormy darkness, De Witt shouted for them to stop, then leveled his revolver and began firing in their direction.  As he emptied his five-shot revolver, the burglars returned fire, all to no effect.

The three Pelham Manor men searched the Depot and discovered that only a "few cents" was missing from the ticket office.  Though the thieves had escaped, they left behind a hat, a key, and a blanket.  It turned out that the blanket had been stolen earlier that night from Mrs. Condon of New Rochelle.  The blanket was returned to Mrs. Condon.

The burglars, it turned out, were busy that night.  They had tried to burglarize Jacob Holweg's store in New Rochelle by cutting a panel out of a shutter and breaking a pane of glass.  They failed, however, to gain entry to the Holweg store.  They then broke into the Wars & Sheffield store in New Rochelle where they stole "some jewelry."  Finally, they burglarized Trinity Episcopal Church where they stole all the carpets, some valuable vases, "and other articles."

With the gunfight, burglars, thieves, and vagabonds, it seems, were beginning to learn that the Vigilance Committee known as the Pelham Manor Protective Club was making it much harder to prey on Pelhamites and the little Pelham Manor Depot. . . .

*          *          *          *          *

Below is the text of the report of the Pelham Manor Protective Club on the January 9, 1884 burglary as well as a number of news stories about the burglary.  Each is followed by a citation to its source and, where available, a link to its source.

"A meeting of the Executive Committee of the Pelham Manor Protective Club was held at the residence of Mr. W. E. Barnett, on February 2nd 1884.

Present Mess. Reynolds, Black, Barnett, De Witt and Johnson.

The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.

On motion the letter of Dr. Buck was referred to the committee on pamphlet of instructions.

D. M. Johnson reported that he had audited the accounts of the late Treasurer, Mr. De Witt, and found them to be correct.  Balance transferred to the new Treasurer, $151.62, uncollected dues $7.00.

Mr. De Witt reported that the Depot at Pelham Manor was broken into at about 2.30 A.M. January 9th, that he and others were aroused, went to the Station and endeavored to arrest the burglars, but they were well armed and escaped by jumping through a window, after exchanging several shots with Mr. De Witt.  One of them was a tall man and the other a short man.  They left behind, a Hat, a Key and a Blanket.  The blanket was returned to Mrs. Condon of New Rochelle, from whom it was stolen that same night.  No clue could be found by which the burglars could be traced or identified.

On motion the Town election matters were referred to Messrs. Reynolds and Black as a committee -- Adjourned -- 

D. M. Johnson
Clerk"

Source:  RECORDS -- PELHAM MANOR PROTECTIVE CLUB [1881-1892], pp. 68-69 (original leather-bound journal in the collections of the Westchester County Historical Society).  

"SOME VERY PERSISTENT THIEVES.

Burglars forced an entrance into the railroad station at Pelham Manor, on the New-York and New-Haven Railroad, at an early hour yesterday morning.  R. C. De Witt, the agent, was warned of it by a burglar alarm, and he got up, taking his revolver with him.  He found two men in the ticket office, but at his approach they made off.  He fired several shots at them and they returned the fire.  They escaped, but they had succeeded in securing only a small amount of money.  At a later hour an effort was made by the thieves to get into Jacob Holweg's store, at New-Rochelle, by cutting a panel out of a shutter and breaking a pane of glass.  They were not able to make their way into the store however and they went to Trinity Episcopal Church, in the same place where they stole all the carpets, some vases, and other articles."

Source:  SOME VERY PERSISTENT THIEVES, N.Y. Times, Jan. 10, 1884, p. 3, col. 3 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).

"Burglars at Work.

NEW ROCHELLE, Jan. 9.  --  Burglars attempted to rob the railroad depot at Pelham Manor yesterday morning but were driven off by Mr. Dewitt.  An hour after an unsuccessful attempt was made on the residence of Mr. Holloways here and then the robbers went to the Episcopal church, which they entered, stripping the edifice of all carpets which they carried off together with some vases of value."

Source:  Burglars at Work, Democrat and Chronicle [Rochester, NY], Jan. 10, 1884, Vol. 52, No. 10, p. 1, col. 5 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).  

"WESTCHESTER COUNTY. . . .

PELHAM MANOR.  --  About one a.m. yesterday Mr. R. C. DeWitt, of Pelham Manor, was aroused by the ringing of his burglar alarm, which indicated that the depot of the New-York, New-Haven and Hartford Railroad Company on the Harlem River Branch had been entered by burglars.  Mr. De Witt went to the station, armed with his revolver.  Then he discovered that a couple of burglars had forced their way though a small window into the ticket office.  He fired at them five times, and the robbers in return fired shot for shot, without effect.  They made their escape from the building, followed by Mr. De Witt and some of his neighbors; but owing to the storm and darkness of the night all trace of them was soon lost.  They obtained only a small amount of money."

Source:  WESTCHESTER COUNTY. . . . PELHAM MANOR, New-York Tribune, Jan. 10, 1884, p. 8 col. 4.

"ELECTRIC SPARKS. . . .

NEW ROCHELLE, Jan. 9.  --  Burglars attempted to rob the depot at Pelham Manor yesterday morning, but were driven off by Mr. Dewitt.  An hour after an unsuccessful attempt was made on the residence of Mr. Holloway here, and then the robbers went to the Episcopal church, which they entered, stripping the edifice of all the carpets, which they carried off, together with some vases of value."

Source:  ELECTRIC SPARKS. . . NEW ROCHELLE, The Buffalo Daily Courier [Buffalo, NY], Jan. 10, 1884, Vol. XLIX, No. 10, p. 1, col. 8.  

"PELHAM AND CITY ISLAND. . . .

On Tuesday night last, the station at Pelham Manor was broken into by thieves, entrance being gained by breaking out a window on the side facing the railroad track.  The depot is supplied with a burglar alarm, the wire of which runs to the residence of the station agent, Mr. Joseph English.  When he was aroused by the ringing, he notified Mr. Thomas D. DeWitt and another gentleman, and the three went to the depot.  On their approach, the burglars, of whom there were two, ran out and across the lots.  Mr. Dewitt called to them to stop, and fired several shots from a revolver, but the burglars returned the fire with compound interest, and made good their escape.  They only succeeded in getting a few cents from the depot.  On the same night, Hollweg's store, at New Rochelle. was broken open but nothing was stolen, and the night before, Ware & Sheffield's store and the Presbyterian Church were robbed."

Source:  PELHAM AND CITY ISLAND, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Jan. 11, 1884, Vol. XV, No. 747, p. 3, cols. 3-4.  

"WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

NEW-ROCHELLE.  --  The Episcopal Church was entered yesterday morning by burglars and stripped of all the carpet.  Some vases of value were also taken.

PELHAM MANOR.  --  About one a.m. yesterday Mr. R. C. DeWitt, of Pelham Manor, was aroused by the ringing of his burglar alarm, which indicated that the depot of the New-York New-Haven and Hartford Railroad Company on the Harlem River Branch had been entered by burglars.  Mr. De Witt went to the station, armed with his revolver.  Then he discovered that a couple of burglars had forced their way through a small window into the ticket office.  He fired at them five times, and the robbers in returned fired shot for shot, without effect.  They made their escape from the building, followed by Mr. De Witt and some of his neighbors; but owing to the storm and darkness of the night all trace of them was soon lost.  They obtained only a small amount of money."

Source:  WESTCHESTER COUNTY, New-York Tribune, Jan. 10, 1884, Vol. XLIII, No. 13,570, p. 8, col. 4.  

"SERIES OF BURGLARIES. -- R. C. DeWitt, the station agent at the Pelham Manor station, on the Harlem River branch of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, was awakened from his sleep at about 1:30 o'clock Wednesday morning, by hearing his burglar alarm go off.  He ascertained at once that some one had entered the ticket office of the station.  Seizing his revolver, he went there and found two men in the ticket office.  When they saw him they ran.  He fired several shots after them, and with some neighbors, gave chase.  They returned shot for shot, and, aided by the darkness, succeeded in getting away.  About an hour later, burglars, probably the same fellows, tried to force an entrance into Jacob Holway's store, at New Rochelle, by cutting out a panel in a shutter and breaking a pane of glass, but had to desist.  They then broke into Wars & Sheffield's store, and stole some jewelry.  They next attacked Trinity Episcopal Church, stripped it of its carpets, and also carried away two valuable vases.  The people of New Rochelle are very much alarmed at these repeated burglaries."

Source:  SERIES OF BURGLARIES, The Yonkers Statesman [Yonkers, NY], Jan. 10, 1884, Vol. I, No. 50, p. 1, col. 4.

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