The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-08-18
CRUTE MANDL-ES'S
TWO ASSAIL.ANTS
William DIETRICH and Gus
tave Sommers Held for
Assault With Intent to Rob
B0TH WERE IN HARD LUCK
SO KNOWING HANDLES CARRIED
vALUABLEs THEY ATTACKED
HIM, But HE RESISTED AND
THEY RAN.

THEY RAN.
Crute Mandles. after whom new but
prominent singing society Of the Hudson
City section is named, was atrociously
assaulted with intent to rob by William
Dietrich, twenty-three years old. of No.
S4 South street, and Gustav Sommers,
twenty-five years old, Of No 232 Web
ster avenue, on Bowers street, near Mil
ton avenue, shortly after one O'Clock
this morning. Mandles is engaged in the
jewelry business as an agent for Kuhne
Libby & CO.. of No. 16 Water street,
New York. He wears good jewelry and
generally carries wad Of greenbacks in
his pockets. Dietrich is member of
Mandles's singing society He is un-
married. His friend Sommers is married
and from stories told by Dietrich to
Chief of Police Murphy after both had
been committed for trial by Police JUS
tice Manning in the Second Criminal
Court this morning, both were in hard
luck and very much in need of money
Sommers was about to be dispossessed
for not paying rent. Dietrich is an en-
grayer, out of work, and has a tailor
pressing him hard for 81 for the suit
of clothes he wore when the assault was
committed.
Both men lost their nerve after Man
dies had been struck on the back of the
head by Sommers with about the ugliest
looking (but not the most dangerous
bludgeon that has figured in the Crimi-
nal annals of the world. 1t is made of
wood and is about fifteen inches long
The hand end has been Whitfield out for
a firm hand hold and the rest would re-
Ssemble half a baseball bat except for
the fact that it is curved and stained
or painted black. The blow dealt by
Sommers must have been a light one. 1t
momentarily stunned the victim, but
while the latter found himself after re-
covery looking into the mouth of an old
fashioned Colts army and navy revolver,
about a foot long. he showed fight, and
both his assailants ran awav. 1t was
DIETRICH who pointed the revolver in
Mandles's face. Both Sommers and
Dietrich threw their weapons aside as
they ran away. The revolver and two
bludgeons, one resembling the other
We're found later near the scene of the
assault. When Mandles was struck he
yelled, ''Murderr 'Folicer' and Acting
Patrolman Wilson came dashing on the
scene. He caught DIETRICH. Sommers
escaped for the time being. but was ar
rested by Acting Patrolman Brown an
hour later at his home.
Both men confessed that the assault
was pItHSultdieus lLst1 lliey Hau Hdue
up their minds while in hard luck to be-
come highwaymen. and Mandles was sell
ected as the first victim. They shadowed
him from Zabetti's Hall, in Central ave
nue., the home Of the singing society
named after him, to Shindler's Hall, a
few blocks away, and waited until he
turned into Bowers street. DIETRICH
member of his society. first aecosted
him. While he was engaging him in
conversation Sommers crept up from be-
hind and dealt the blow with the blud-
geon and DIETRICH drew the big re-
volver and pointed its muzzle into the
victims face, with cry Off:
Money and jewelry or your life
When Mandles let out his veil Of
Murder. Police!'' both disciples Of
Dick Turpin lost their nerve and fled.
Either sommers's muscles were weak Or
Mandles's skull. like many Dutchmen's,
is thick
DIETRICH is not FIVE feet tall His facial
appearance is more like that of a young
theological student than that of Bill
Sykes. He told the Chief that Sommers
had persuaded him to rob his own home
of whatever jewelry there was about the
/. Gl.ss u. q.