The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-01
HELD UP ON HIS WAY HOME.
4 BROOKLYN BREWER FoU6HT HIS
ISSlILINTS WITH KNIFE.

He Had $500, Besides Jewelry, and He
Thinks the Highnnymen Had Learned
That He Cuaiomarily Went Home by tho
Route Whore They Hid Saturday Night.
For some weeks past a gang OF tough young
men have been terrorizing the people living
in tho vicinity OF Halsey street and wyckoff
avenue. Brooklyn. and on Saturday night last
five OF the members brntaly beat Philip Lei
bnger. a wealthy Brooklyn brewer. as he was
making his way to his brewery along the Man
haitian Beach Railroad track. The object OF tho
attack was robbery. Mr.. I.ebinRer had about
$500 In bills in his pocket. and valuable
tevelry. He fought for his property. and
although beaten SC badly that he was obliged
to remain In bed until Wednesday. he lost
nothing.
Tho nelshborhood rhe-. the gang operates
70 settled only In spots. aud the residents have
been using the open lots for short outs TO their
homes Up to y few weeks ago II was safe to
do this then a crowd Of tramps and loafers be-
gan to hang out in the vicinity and complaints
OF being held up began to come to the precinct
station house. The gang generally limited its
demand to beer money, but uninterfered with
by the police. IL has grown holder. until now 1t
Is unsafe to traverse even some Of tho streets
in the neigh borhood after dark. and the resi-
dents are thinking OF appealing to the Police
Board for protection.
Mr. Lcbinger sent his family to Chicago
early in August to visit relatives and closed up
his home he fitted up apartments in the rear
o, his brewery for himself. and has lived there
To reach these rooms 1t is convenient for him
20 leave Myrtle avenue trolley car at Wyckoff
avenue and follow the old Manhattan Beach
Railroad track from Myrtle avenue to the rear
OF the brewery. He thinks that the members
of the gang have noticed that he took this route
homeward as a regular thing. and lay in wait
Nj Inn a on I'd nj n ha
started along his customary route. and was
scarcely hundred yards from the brewery
when two men rose and placed them
selves before him and demanded his
money. MIR. Leibinger is 81 years
old. six feet tall. heavily built
ana very strong. He backed away from tho
men. hauled out n jackknife end ordered the
men to step aside. hmm ediately. he says.
three other men stepped from behind pile Of
railroad ties and came toward him. One OF the
men struck him on the back Of the head with
what he says was sandbag The others
closed around him and he was punched from
all sides at once. Two OF the men jumped on
him When he felt some one trying to get to
the pocket where he had his money. he pulled
himself together and began to fight again.
Getting his right hand free. he swung 1t
around. and ran his knife up to the handle into
the side of one OF the men who was sitting on
him. The man shrieked and rolled over to
the ground. The others picked up their in
jured companion and started across lots with
him, That was the last Mr.. Leibinger saw OF
them. 1t took him half an hour to crawl
along the railroad track to the saloon OF J. F.
Br0gel, 200 yards away. aud when he got there
he fell over on the floor He was revived by
Mr. Br1gel. to whom he told his story. He
turned his money and jewelry over to Br1gel
and started for the Hamburg avenue
police station. where he reported his hold-up
% Sergeant McAnany. He was delirious at
the time and told such an incoherent story
that the sergeant thought he was crazy. He
said that he had stabbed q man who had stolen
$500 from him and seemed to think that he
ought to be locked up for felonious assault. His
friends came to the station house later and
straightened the matter out. and two detect
ives were put on the case. Nothing resulted
from their Investigations until two DAYS later
when they arrested two tramps who readily
established their innocence.
Mr. Ieibinger was taken to his rooms in the
brewery. and Dr. Hetteshemer OF 800 Wyckoff
avenue found him in a bad condition His eyes
were blackened. his face was cut and bruised.
and the back of his head was swollen from the
bows he had received. His body was bruised.
lie imagined that he was fighting. and 1t was
with difficulty that he kept in bed. His
condition was so serious that his family was
telegraphed for and they arrived home on
Monday. After that Mr.. Ieibnger began to
Improve and yesterday he was able to attend
to his business.
The police OF the Hamburg avenue station
tried to keep the assault on Mr. Leibnger
quiet. and as far as could be learned yesterday
made no report to Police Headquarters. which
is a violation Of one OF the rules of the depart
ment. No one could be found at Police
Headquarters Yesterday who had heard OF the