W. Barnett whose loft was being robbed, fired both barrels of a shotgun at the intruder and the charge took deadly effect.
Pigeons Found On The Thief’s Body, Which Has Not Been Identified.
William Barnett, 21 years old, residing corner of Clermont and Hull avenues, Maspeth, shot and killed an unknown man last night. The man had robbed Barnett’s pigeon loft and was on the point of getting over the fence when the fatal shot was fired. The pigeon coop is 100 feet from Barnett’s house and is connected with it by a burglar alarm. About 12:30 o’clock this morning Barnett was awakened by the ringing of the alarm.
Springing out of bed he dressed as fast as he could and seizing the double-barreled shotgun, hurried out of the house. Barnett had gone about halfway to the pigeon coop when the thief came out of the door and made for the fence. As the man reached the fence, he turned around, facing Barnett, and the latter had his gun to his shoulder waiting for an opportunity to shoot. As the thief turned, Barnett pulled both triggers and the double charge of shot entered the thief’s left breast. Despite the fatal wound, the man succeeded in reaching the fence and fell over into the lot on the other side, dead.
Policeman John S. DeBoe of the Newtown police station heard the shot and reached the place before Barnett had made certain that the thief was dead. They both found the body in the lot and after hearing from Barnett the circumstance of the shooting placed the latter under arrest and took him to the police station in the Town Hall at Newtown Village where he was locked up.
The body of the thief was removed to Ruoff’s morgue on Grand Street, Maspeth. An examination showed that the charge of shot had found 14 pigeons. 13 were alive, while the other one had been killed by the shot that had ended the thief’s earthly career.
Nothing was found in the dead man’s pockets that would lead to his identification. He was about 5 feet 8 inches high and of light complexion. He wore a dark suit of clothes, white underwear, black stockings, lace shoes and a black derby hat. His eyes were a dark gray.
An examination of the door of the pigeon coop showed that it had been forced open, but a search failed to disclose the tool used by the thief. From the time the alarm went off until Barnett appeared in the yard with the gun, several minutes had elapsed and the thief had time to fill his pockets with the pigeons. He could not have known that a burglar alarm connected the coop with the house. For he could have easily escaped before Barnett reached the yard.
Barnett says that he only saw the outline of the man in the darkness and aimed to bring him down. He is in doubt whether the thief was on the fence or in the act of getting over. The police are of the opinion that the man had turned and was just on the point of dropping on the other side when the shot was fired.
Barnett was arraigned in the Magistrates Court at Newtown this morning and remanded to await the action of the coroner. Barnett’s father was sent to jail five years ago for shooting a boy who was playing ball on his premises.