New-York tribune., 1905-01-15
THE W0ERZ ROBBERY.
CLIMAX OF LONG SERIES.
Masked RObber Uses PistoHWest
Side Terror Stricken.

ups and burgaries which have caused terror
on the upper East ard West sides occurred
last Monday night, when a masked robber got
into the house of Ernst C. w. Woerz. at No.
East SiXty-t -third-st., and at the point of a
revolver got away with a hundred dollar bill
which he forced Mr.. Woerz to give up. Com
missioner McAdoo. when he learned of the af-
fair. detailed Inspectors McCIusky and Cort-
right and thirty five detective sergeants the
case. =
Mr.. Woerz. his niece and his daughter. Mrs
James Steele. and the servants in the
house at the time. Mrs. Steele. who held
up at the point of the pistol, tells the following
story:
About dusk Monday night a young man
came TO the house, and when the maid answered
the bell ne thrust a revolver in her face. the
man wore a black mask. which revealed only
his eyes The maid nearly tainted when the man
said: Il want money. 1 want it quick. Open
that door. If don't get it quick I'll Kill some
body"
The maid turned from the door to call for help
and the pushed by her and rushed up the
stairs, stopping at the second landing. 1 had
masked man. who levelled his weapon in my
face
I've come to get some money!" he cried.
I'm not going away without it I'm going to
get 1t or some one gets killed. If you try TO
trap me I'll kill every one in the house"
AS any one may guess. | was badly fright
ened but l managed TO ask him how much he
wished, to give me some idea of what he was
after.
q want all I can get. end step quick" he said.
is full of servants"
There were three servants in the house beside
father and his niece Father heard US. ana came
out Of the room where ne had been. Then the
man aimed at father and told him TO give him
all his money, or re would kill MIN
Father searched through his waistcoat and
drew out about 500 In bills. That's all can
raise at the present moment, my man. he said,
"aI.d YOU viii have to be content with that
q nJ-o~ he hal Inst Ia
and the man backed downstairs, keeping his
revolver aimed at us. He threatened again 20
shoot II any attempt made 10 capture him.
As remember the he was about twenty
five years old smooth shaven, dark and rather
tail and slender. When he was on the stairs his
mask slipped several times and got good look
at his face. We have learned that man of
similar description stopped two delivery boys
near the house the preceding Friday and asked
about habits. the amount of silver in the
house and similar things.
Inspector McCusky says the police learned of
the hold-up half an hour after II occurred and
that detectives from the East Sixty-third-st
station and from headquarters were rushed 70
the house, and general alarm sent out at once.
When Commissioner McAdoo learned of 1t the
next day he ordered McClusky and Cortriglf to
leave no stone unturned to get the man. Since
then the Commissioner has been receiving almost
hourly reports of the work
McClusky believes that the job the work
Of an amateur. Suspicion at first rested on Il
man arrested in Springfield. Mass. for SIM
liar job. but this later proved unfounded. The
inspector rounded up all the we'll known crooks
and several suspicious persons" but all were
allowed TO go. In addition to the head
quarters men Captains Lantry. Hogan and Dill
lon of the East Fffty-hrst-st., East Sixty
seventh-st. and Arsenal stations, have detailed
special and have several times conferred
with the Commissioner the case.
ne hoo of 7
tioner, at No. 325 West Seventy -sixth-st., was
similarly robbed the first OF last month Miss
Eva Shipman, who was held up at the point of
a pistol, described the robber being about
twenty-five years old. tall and slender. He
backed up his demand for money with threats
to shoot to kill until Mr. Shipmsn threw
S5 bill to him and he left the house.
Conditions in this neighborhood regards
protection of property. or, rather. the lack of
protection. have aroused the indignation of ell
the residents Some OF the patrolmen on the
upper West Side have posts ten blocks long.
and while they are patrolling enc end of them
the thieves are industrious at the other.
Apartment houses. private houses. shops and
stores have been robbed impartially, and IN
addition to this there have been many hold
ms in the streets There have been several
cases Of apparent homicide IN which the police
have made no progress. well the brutal
clubbing
Iaughlln a few weeks ago
Among the robberies have been the following:
on october Is sneak thief entered the apart
rnent of Mrs F. ]. Remsen, at No. 10 West One
hundred nd-seventh-st, and took jewelry
worth $1,000. No arrest On November 10 Mrs.
Adler Of No 81 West Eighty -eighth-st. was
robbed of several hundred dollars. The thief
was arrested. He had $4,000 in pawn tickets
r n Kenyon. OF No. 10 West Eighty second
st was robbed OF Jewels valued at $1,000 in the
middle Of November on November 20 the
apartment of Mr. Checkwith. at No. $50 West
Eighty-ffth-st., was entered. and property val
ued at 81, 800 taken. The alleged thief was ar
rested. The foreman of the Casino Stables at
No 125 West Eighty -ninth-st was knocked un-
conscious with brass knuckles and robbed on
December !. on November 30 John Mcguire.
alias Cleveland Pete" shot by Emmanuel
Tannenbaum when he trying TO enter houses
in West Seventy -first-st., between Amsterdam
ave. and the Boulevard.
PINEHURST IN. c. SPECIAL.