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From: "Elissa Scalise Powell, CGRS" <>
Subject: [APG] Crime in a Cemetery
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2003 08:33:27 -0400


I was doing research in a large city cemetery for a client when a group of
kids approached my car as they walked down the road on my right. One of them
circled behind me and from my *left* asked me what I was doing. In the
matter of time it takes to say "Copying down gravestone inscriptions" his
buddies were in my car stealing my purse. I glanced back over to the car and
one of them was peering in the driver's door (the only unlocked door) and I
asked him if his buddies were messing with my car. "No, of course not." No,
they just messed with the contents of the car, that's all!

Having finished what I was doing, I watched them walk off and went back to
my car, made my discovery, and called 911. She asked for a description of
the kids (6 or 8 of them). I could still see them down the hill. She
encouraged me NOT to follow them but to wait for a policeman to come. (Which
he did 2 hours later.) As it turns out, as I was watching them walk away I
was also watching them throw the contents of my purse on the ground as they
walked. I did not see this initially but when I went over the same ground
later I found most of my stuff including credit cards, driver's license,
insurance cards, and some of my associate's business cards as I had not
emptied everything out from Orlando's FGS conference. I did not find my
checkbook or wallet, or the purse itself. Thank goodness I always carry the
car keys and the cell phone in my pockets in a cemetery. My daughter called
later. A man had found my empty wallet and checkbook as he was walking in
the cemetery. He even said he saw the kids. He called my house because of my
BCG wallet ID card still in the wallet.

Still missing are the purse itself, a penknife with my spare car key on a
chain, library cards, some of my business cards, and a photo of my son in
his band uniform that was a large metal pin on the outside of the purse. I
was amazed at what I did recover that I had forgotten was in the purse.

MORAL of the story: even if it is broad daylight, and other people are
about, lock your car and don't turn to the left when your car is on your
right, even if your sister is a cop for the city in the neighboring zone.

-- Elissa in Pittsburgh

CGRS and Certified Genealogical Records Specialist are service marks of the
Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license after periodic
evaluations by the Board. http://www.BCGcertification.org/


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