New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-05-11
BULLETS FLY In CHASE
HTGHWAYMEN FIRE INTO
THEATRE CROWDS.
Empty Revoluers at williamsburg
Pursuer8 While FoUofcing In
tended Hold-up Tictims.

Two men, who later fred into crowds in front
Of two Brooklyn theatres as they we're oehg
chased by a mob of enraged men and boys trled
10 hold up William OKeefe, of No. $50 South
4th street: Sylvan Amdralo. of No 3s3 Metro
politan avenue: John Began and John Mch'h-
ley. of No III Ainslie street. who we're standlilS
in front of a store at South I'd and Havemeyer
streets, williamsburg, just before O'CLOCK last
night.
Throw up YOUR hands. we IL shoot crleo
the two as with revolvers pointed. they ap-
preached the four young men The quartet
after a moment of hesitation ran. with the two
men in pursuit.
The chase had not covered two blocks when
the highwaymen fired two shots at the fleeing
men. The bullets went wild. but served TO IN
crease the pace OF the four. The shots aWak-
ened the neighborhood. and fully five hundred
persons Joined in the chase.
Up to this time the crowd thought the armed
men were detectives chasing criminals.
The race led to Roebling and South Cd streets.
where another shot was fired at the fleeing
young men This section .of Williamsburg Is
thickly populated, and the shots brought torth
many more men and boys.
Suddenly the armed men stopped short
wheeled about and opened fire on the crowd In
pursuit Three shots we're fired and then the
men renewed their efforts to reach the intended
victims
The course of the chase carried the runners
10 briggs avenue, one of the busiest thorough
fares in Williamsburg.
AS the highwaymen approached the building
Of Hook and Ladder Company 54 they fired two
shots at Firemen James T. McGrath and Peter
Costello who we're standing on the sidewalk.
One of the shots grazed McGrath's head break
ing through the window Of the hrehouse door
and imbedding itself in the wall.
Several blocks beyond the hrehouse vas the
Novelty Theatre The crowd in pursuit was by
this time a bowling mob. As the two reached
the theatre fully a hundred persons were stand
ing outside.
The men stopped. faced the crowd and fired
two more shots. after which they ran faster than
ever.
Broadway was soon reached and passed. The
race continued through populous neishbor-
hood and the crowd momentariy grew in size.
When Payton's Theatre was reached the ex-
element was at fever heat
The men fred two more shots at the crowd
there Again they spurred on finally turning
into a saloon at South 4th street and Bedford
avenue.
Patrolulen O'Keefe. Doyle and Ferguson. cf
the Bedford avenue station, into the saloon
and arrested = man. who gave his name as
Tiarr5, schwartz twenty -tW'o years old and said
that he lived in Detroit The policemen had TO
use their nightsticks 10 keep the mob away from
Schwartz. scores crying, Let's lynch him"
The police reserves from the Bedford avenue
and Clymer street stations went TO the rescue,
and Schwartz was placed in a. cell.
Another man. the police say, escaped through
a back door of the saloon and went over several
fences TO Broadway, where he was lost in the
crowd
Captain Dooev submitted Schwarts TO the
third degree" but he refused to say anything
except You have got the wrong man"
AmdrailIo said that man. probably the one
who escaped. held him up April 5