ROB A PREACHER
HOME OF REV. E. R. WOODRUFF
VISITED BY BURGLAR.
STOLE COMMUNION SERVICE
ALSO A LOT OF THE FAMILY SILVERWARE.
While the Rector Was Attending a
Birthday Party Loot to the
Value of $1,777 Was
Carried Away.
The home of the Rev. E. B. Woodruff, rector of St. George's Church Episcopalian, Thirty-second and Troost, was entered by a burglar Saturday night while the pastor and his family attended a birthday supper party. The Rev. Mr. Woodruff lives at 3228 Campbell street. He worked in his study until nearly 6 o'clock on yesterday's sermon, "Gather in the Fragments that Remain." Then the family left for the home of J. H. Cunningham, 4118 Wabash avenue.
Soon after the family departed from the house the burglar entered. He at once turned the rectors study into a clearing house for family plate and church communion service. He first filled the rector's empty cigar case with some of the rector's choice stogies and then he arranged the silverware, along with the cigars, that he might select what he wished. The burglar selected the plate with care, casting away a dozen silver spoons.
SUIT CASE FULL OF BOOTY.
Then the burglar gathered in the fragments that remained and packed them away in the rector's suit case. The suit case would not hold over $1,000 worth of silverware, and a red laundry bag was selected to behold the balance. The entire value of the ware he selected was valued about $1,777. With $83.20 in money which he found in the study the burglar went downstairs.
It was past midnight when the rector and his family came home. The screen door was ajar and this Rev. Woodruff at once detected that a "jimmie" had been used on his front door. While the rector lighted the house his wife hurried to an upstairs closet where the silver chest was kept. The chest was missing, and Mrs. Woodruff then ran into her husband's study. There she found the chest and saw the rejected spoons along the floor. She called and Rev. Woodruff hurried to her. Hardly had he reached his study when he heard tapping below, and realized that his entrapped burglar was just making his escape from the house.
THE SERMON GOES ON.
"I just don't see how I can preach on the subject selected," said the rector after the robbery. He did, nevertheless, taking his text from the gospel of St. John, sixth chapter, twelfth verse.
