The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-10
LITTLE CROOK AND BIG COP.
A PISTOL sHor FIRED as zHBT
ROLLED OYER IN sItrH AVENUE

The Creoh Fired ~ ana the Fonee-s.
Thsurht Hs was . eo.er-But ths Bot
let Ny.rt Betwsss His Legs s-a Merely
sroii.s ~. Ovsreo,t-A Lively st--ssie.
Reuben L. Armstrong says he is 23 years old.
IL married, and lives with his wife at 265 West
ThIrty-seventh street He IL q slender. sharp
eyed little fellow. with q struggling dark
moustache and q face that IL scared and
Scared In many places. TRINITY dressed and
wearing q brown overcoat and brown derby
he entered the bric-a-brac store Of Strassburg-
err 4 Co.. at COZ Broadway at noon yesterday
and said he wanted to select Wedding present
lie was referred to Miss Clara Btrassburger.
who IL q ssleswomsn in the store.
Miss strassburger showed him several ar
ticles In the store. and he finally decided to
purchase a silver candlestick valued at SO.
He told Miss Strassburger that he was In BUSH
ness In lower Broadway and gave tho name OF
J. lansing. He said that he had left oil his
ready cash at hone aud offered n check for
$40 on the National City Bank OF Brooklyn.
drawn to the order Of the firm and signed by
the pseudo lansing. The check was accepted
when he referred the cashier to Hertsr Bros.
the furniture dealers OF 154 Fifth avenue. with
whom he said he did considerable business.
and aske to have the candlestick sent over to
Herter's for him.
After he had gone the cashier got an idea
that he would bear watching and suggested
that Miss StrassburEer take the candlestick
over herself so that there would be no mistake.
She agreed. and. putting on her wraps. went
over.
She saw young Armstrong standing In the
doorway, looking eagerly up the avenue.
As soon as Armstrong caught sight Of Miss
strassburger he dartsd out OF the doorway and
- M An~-n ha AZ r.I .N
to notice him and walked right on into the
store. OF course Herter Brothers knew moth
ing Of Q Mr.. Lansing, and Miss Strassburger
walked calmly out and returned to her store.
Policeman william Mccullough ofths Broad
way squad. who IL stationed near the store.
was then called In and the facts were explained
to him. He suggested that they send the
package back again By boy. The messsn-
ger was sent over with, lnstruetions 10 de-
liver the package to the man described
to him and Mccullough followed some
distance behind. Armstrong. who was still
hanging around Herter's saw the boy coming
and made for the doorway. Mccullough
caught sight Of the crook and hurried down on
the opposite SIDE OF the street: He was right
snd hs tho
,Armstrong remained perfectly cool and de-
es5cd that a.Es nnst be s9%s Nc
planned at the station house. and started over
toward Sixth avenue. meanwhile having sent
Svenus Mccullough and his prisoner boardsd
car and crowded In among the passengers on
When the car reached Twenty eighth street
Be- taken Without any trouble. made a sudden
sss but nm big suS ssa hn 9. .sea hs
for a moment Armstrong struggled
ana sSH. s ss "a. street TsSaouss had
car vas down the
rsss men Snss and rosS Sv 90
and oyer 70 get out Of the way Of the south
s1a foushi like demon g 90 get t s~ay Janus nee
All the while he was endeavoring to get his
ally got there and pulled a revolver. Both men
had rolled around until they reached the gut
against the curb. The policeman. yelled for
help: but everybody within blocks distance
area Mann S o East 70 Sssn
the spot s as The s y tSs
his sxcitementtried to tie them into q knot He
q sS7 West street. Was the nsat
Rsna aaisS st hed the s nssossE %its
The hight took place Just as the night patrol
were making their way toward the Tenderloin
DSgsn sr ni Sergeant Hsipin was stand
ing on the steps OF the station house when q
breathless youth informed him that a man
had killed q policeman In Sixth avenue. He
called out for the policemen who were waiting
IN the back room TO be turned out and they
few over 20 the avenue picking up several
0' The S On " met Armstrong coming along
being helped along by two others The big
policemans face Was as white as q sheet and
the IN Ph had S,R eos
showed whsrs the bullet had entered and
Wound ss %.s
fatally injured himself. He was half led. half
carried into the back room Of the station and
Meanwhile the policemen stripped him. and
ios sh had not S s s been P Scratched BIZ the
bullet. 1t had simply passed between his legs.
passing through, the nsp in the bach, He WAS
much relieved when the surgeon pronounced
hin sss saa wa. sy sh
raiRnsd before, Sergeant Lane. His ovsreoat
to and H hat &; Soa and s sss
egg under Sis ,rTsh. eve. which was
ever no still retained some Of his nerve
and when policeman remarked that he was
issS : .s' Ss .aS q Rte g Aa's
hope have not killed him" He Was locked
I'D, anu ~ buo DIohu-
way squad station house in Twenty ninth
street and 30 home He will have 70 buy
new oVsrcOAt. but 1t wont be a wooden one.
and he isn't very gloomy over that
Detective Eyanhos OF the Central once
called at the station house later aud had q
look at Armstrong. The crook was In bad
shape for Identification. but Evanhos thought
he recognized himIas Troy crook. who skip
ped AWAY from there after stealing q horse
and wagon.
There was . warrant out for his arrest on
this charge. He left Troy and came to this
City. getting employment In the ofties OF the
after he began work there EVAnhoe says some
baggage disappeared and Armstrong WAS sus-
pseted. The com pAny could not make . case
against him and he Was discharged. EVanhOs
says he 10 married to the dAugh OF canal
boat captain OF Troy.
Armstrong had a number OF blank checks in
his pocket. and sons, were endorsed With
various names. He said he Was trying to get
rid OF these when his revolver Was exploded
and this viii probably be his de enes. Arm
strong will DO arrAigned la the Jefferson
Market Police Court this morning. lie will
also be taken TO Police Headquarters. where