New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-02
VANDALS LOOT HOUSE.
WORK At THEIR LEISURE.
Barb0rous MutiIation of Jose Ay-
mars Home, IN East 54th-st.

Vandals and amateur burglars have been hav-
ing a noble time in the house at No. 20 East
54th-st. while Jose Aynar and his family have
been spending the summer at their cottage at
Murray Bay, on the ST. Lawrence. Early in
the summer Mr. Aymar closed and boarded MS
house. locked the doors and went to Murray
Bay. Whether he stored his silver remains TO
be learned on his fastened return. He did not
leave a caretaker in the house. and soon after
he moved out the vandals moved in, as is shown
bv the debris of numerous late suppers and
wine parties.
The visitors made UP their beds with rugs
and blankets on the dining room floor, and
there. also they held their revelry by night
Being lovers of art they went through the
house with a crowbar. and, selecting the most
valuable of Mr.. Aynar's many fine paintings
ripped them from their frames, tore them Off
the stretchers and added the cantases TO the
mural decorations OF the dining room. Among
these pictures was valuable Vibert and por-
trait of Mrs Aynar's great-uncle- They also
brought all the china, glassware and pot
terry they could find, and adorned their banquet
hall and sleeping apartment with it And If
handle knocked off few square inches
Clipped from a spout. the piece became an an
tique, with its value enhanced accordingly.
To get these various things the visitors
hatchet. The hardwood floors gouged and
marked by the point of the heavy iron being
dragged across them. many pieces of furniture
Clipped and SCARED, and every door in the
house, room or closet has a pile OF chips In
front Of it, while there is big hole in the door
itself and corresponding one in the jamb.
The bureaus and chests OF drawers likewise
mutilated and their contents strewn about the
floors. Not a room was overlooked, not closet
missed. not bureau spared. And in their bar
barous work the vandals even drove the point
of their crowbar into fine upholstered chairs
and couches and dug huge holes in the walls.
THREE MEN CARRYING BAGS CAME OUT.
How much they carted away cannot be told
until Mr.. and Mrs. Aymar get back to the city,
which they expected TO do tonight. On
Thursday evening the caretaker at No. y East
54th-st three men coming out Of the base
ment door a No. 40 at about 80 o'clock. car
rying bags of plunder. The night watchmar
hired by the Property Owners Associa ton of
the block came on duty at O'Clock. and to him
the woman at No. ~ told what she had seen.
He called the patrolman the beat, and the
two entered Mr.. Aynlar's house, through the
basement door, which was open. Inside they
found the condition described. The police of the
East 51st-st. station put man on watch at the
house and in the morning c. Morgan Browne,
OF No 81 East 54th-st.. Mr.. Aymars brother-n-
law, was informed He came up Immediately
from his summer home at Cedarhurst. Long
Island, and took charge of the case. employing
the Pnkertons and telegraphing for Mr.. Aymar.
Mr.. Browne said yesterday that it was tmpos-
sible for any except Mr.. Aynlar TO tell what
had been stolen from the house. He could not
even say if any silver had been taken, though
none could be found in the house for it might
have been stored. bag of furs and another
Of fine cut glass were found packed in the base
ment ready to be carried away. The burglars
entered by the basement door, which is down
flight of winding steps frosl the street and un-
der the main entrance, where one could work at
leisure to break in with little fear of being OBJ
served The police of the East 5lst-st. station
have man on guard and Sergeant McCafferty
working on the case. but they deny all knowl-
edge of robbery having been committed
Mrs Aymar was Miss Lillian La Bau, and is
a granddaughter of William H. Vanderbilt