New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-26
KILLED IN ROOF CHASE.
NAN FALLS FIVE STORIES.
Burglar, Pursued During Fire, Goes
Dozen 4irshdft.

Fleeing from policemen roofs the west
side of Second-ave. near One-hundred- and
fourth-st.. last night Patrick J. Cash. alias
Red" Cash. alias John Mullen twenty-three
years old of No 317 East Northumberland
sixth-st.. fell down the airshaft between Nos.
2.O23 and 2.025 Second-ave.. and was killed in
startly. He fell five Stories striking his
head \ man who said he John Higgins.
tventy-three years old. of No. 200 Eas, Nuety-
eishtn-st who was fleeing with Cash was
rested. charged with attempted burglary.
The excitement came while a fire was In prog
ress in the basement Of the five story tenement
house at No POPS Secoud-ave. A crowd had
collected. kept back by Sergeant Raynor.
Roundsma~ Mills and several policemen. Sud
denly shrilI screams were heard coming from
the third floor Of the tenement house at No 24I
East One-hundred and -fourth-st. the next house
but one to Second-ave occupied b. Mr. and
Mrs Daniel Ventura ParOlmen Pierce and
Woods. followed by the sergeant ard rounds
man. ran to the house. They a woman at
the window wringug her hands
What's the natter" asker f'trolmaU Pierce
burglars Burglars screamed the woman.
Instantly the policemen mounted the steps and
rushed into the hallway and up the stairs three
steps at bound
The burglars up to the roof the police
men were told on the third floor.
Pierce ana WOODS AZ the lpul III IlptI tduLH-
sight of Cash and Higgins on the NTH floor
landing and doubled their efforts. The police
men We're nearly winicd. AS they reached the
NTH floor they saw the two men disappearing
through the doorway leading 10 the roof. and
knew they had gained
No 247 East One-hundred- and -fourth-st ad-
joins the building at No 2,o23 Second-ave. and
the roofs are on a level. Cash and Higgins ran
10 the roof OF No 2U23 and then turned north
* air h4f bPtICeGu Nos ot13 and
2025 Second-ave.. about five feet wide. and eN-
tending above each roof is n coping about three
feet high. Cash. who was in advance of Hig
gins. laapcd up on this coplnS ana theh urea
10 leap across TO the roof at No 202J. In which
the FIRE was in progress. IL was dark and the
leap WAS a dangerous one. Higgins had jumped
on the coping and was about 10 follow Cash
when he saw the man fail To reach the coping
Of the other roof and shoot downward through
the shaft. Higgins ieaped back to the roof and
ran into the arms of Woods. The policeman
had seen Cash disappear and thought he had
dropped fiat on the other roof. Higgins how
ever told them of mis- fall
Ten policemen had reached the roof by that
time and hundreds of persons had gathered in
the street the news of the chase having spread
rapidly Women In neiShborinG apartments
were screaming hystericdly and the neighbor-
hood was in an unroar Policemen who took
Higgins through the tenement house at No.
O23 say that many women there had climbed
under beds fearing there would be shooting.
Conditions were the same in No. 2i1 East one
hundred al -fourth-st., around the corner.
While Woods and others held Higgins, Police
man Pierce went to the foot of the shaft and
found the body Of Cash. The skull was crushed
and many bones We're broken. He had struck
on his head.
The dead man lived with his sister. Mrs.
Annie Demott, AT No. 3lT East One-hundred-
and-sixth-st The body was removed to thu
station.
Mr and Mrs. Ventura told the police. they
saw that they sitting in the dining room
when they heard the fire bells The fire seemed
10 he near by. and both went TO the front
window.
According TO Mrs. Ventura. they heard sounds
I'm the room, and turned To see what the mat
Ter was They confronted by two men.
What do you want here?" Mrs. Ventura
asked.
some keys, and threatened TO kill them Mrs.
Ventura then turned 10 the window ana
screamed and the men fled.
The fire was slight.