New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-09
ROBS HIS GRANDFATHER.
YOUNG VAN TASSELL BREAKS INTO THE
ARCHITECTURAL IRON WORKS.

HE AND HIS ACCOMPLICE PLUMBER THE SAFE
THE LArrER's CONFESSION UPON ARREST
IMPLICATEs THE BOY. WHO TELLS HIS
STORY TO HIS GRANDPARENT.
william IL Van TasselI the president OF the
West Side Architectural Iron Works, which extend
from No. $50 to No. $50 West Thrty-thrd-st. went
to the West Thirty-seventh-st station In state OF
great agitation about 7:S0 o'clock yesterday morn
ing and told the sergeant on duty that one OF the
offices had been robbed. There had not been much
taken but the robbery greatly perplexed him
What was stolen comprised SIS In bills. rs In
change. n pension check and a note for $751; made
in Mr.. Van Tasselrs favor The sergeant made a
report Of the burglary and informed the Detective
Bureau. He then aroused Captain Schmittberger.
who sleeping In his room.
None of the precinct detectives were In the house
at the time, the captain went out TO investigate
the case himself He found that the safe which
had been broken open was in an office on the sec
ond floor of the building. The door Of 1t had evil
IDENTIFY been opened without force, but an inner
compartment had been smashed by the thieves In
order to get its contents An iron mallet belong
ing to the works was found by the side OF the safe
II was apparently with this that the inner COM
partment had been opened.
The captain pursued his inquiries further and got
the description OF a former employe of the com
pahy who seen lettering around the works on
Friday night The captain at once started out TO
find man answering the description given to him.
At o'clock he a man standing at Eleventh
ave and Thirty -fourth-st. who tailed exactly with
the description The captain placed his hand on
the mans shoulder and told him he wanted him
TO go to the station He there asked If he
knew anything about the burglary. He said he was
entirely ignorant about II.
STOLEN PROPERTY on HIS PERSON.
The captain searched him and found In his
pockets the stolen note and check. Still the man
would not give any information about the robbery.
Asked If he had any confederates. he said; Il
won't squeal"
The prisoner described himself Andrew Demott.
a laborer twenty-seven years old. of No. 242 West
Twenty third-st Afterward he said he had no
home The patrol wagon was called and the prls-
oner was placed In 1t to be taken to Police Head
quarters On the way there he confessed that he
was guilty. He said he had one confederate. who
was Frank Van Tasse the sixteen-year-old grand
son Of the president Of the iron works
agFhe captain then went back to the station and
told Detective Frank Hughes to go to the iron
works and arrest Frank Van Tassell. who was
employed there az tmekeeper.
AS the detective was leaving the station Mr.. Van
TasselI entered learn about Demotts arrest. and
was asked to wait in the captains room until De-
tective Hughes returned. The detective found the
boy In the office at the iron works; and SAID 10
h p some % M facts s2 ABOUT Se robbery" when
they got to the nearest saloon the boy said TO the
Il
When told OF Demott's arrest he asked, What has
The detective did not tell him. At the station
the boy was ushered into the room where Captain
The srandiahe T at this time had no idea that the
lad was implicated in the burglary and was under
the evening and took the 1910 boat to this city.
DEMoTTs STORY OF THE ROBBERY
Demott in his confession said that 1t tho
boy who had planned the burglary. The lad told
him. he said that Friday being payday there might
be quite a sum of money left over in the safe. He
and Demott met at II o'clock on Friday night
The boy told Dcmott to get fence in the rear
Of a tenement houss In Thrty-second-st. and get
into the iron works through a window He was
then to open the front gate of the factory for
Frank who Is crippled from hip disease. He
The TWO went TO the second floor. where De
mots climbed through a window and opened the
from the place here it was kept and opened the
with chisel and mallet and helped themselves to
the contents. They carried the plumber down to
the engineer room, where the gas was burning. and
where they could not be from the street.
There they dS s the nS oe d o the boy Sd
somewhere. They separated. after getting out of
No money was found on Demott when arrested and
he would not say what he did with his share The
Van Tassei told his story about being at Coney
Island. Captain Schmttberger told him that he was
accused of being implicated IN the robbery.
THE GRANDFATHER GREATLY AFFECTED.
The boy took the accusation stodly but his grand
father collapsed almost completely He trembed yo-
lenty he gazed the police captain his CRANE
son. The captain said to the boy: You had better
tell your story to your benefactor first and talk me
later"
room, leaving the youthful prisoner alone with his
grandparent. Mr. Van Tassel called the captain back
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