New-York tribune., 1910-01-07
MAN SMOIHERED
LIN TUNNEL HE DUG
DELVED IN GROUND
TO REICH JEWELS.
East Side Russian Bored Under
LudlozC Street and Died 7cith
Goal an Reach.

Isaac Finkelstein. a Russian houss
painter. was smothered to death yester-
day in a tunnel he had dug 10 rob a
jewelry store at Grand and Ludlow
streets. He had spent months of aard
labor in his tube. fifteen feet under Lud-
low street. when his self made srave col
lapsed upon him.
The goal of the Russians activity. the
establishment of Samuel Zirinsky. az
No. 341 Grand street. would have been
reached within a month if the treacher-
Gus sands beneath Ludlow street had not
ended the arduous task of boring under
the width of the street.
F'inkelsteins attempt at jewelry rob-
berry has no parallel in criminal history
He selected the cellar of an unfinished
building at No % Ludlow street as the
starting place for his tunnel Then. like
a mole, he kept at the work of making
his way in the direction of the fOunda-
tion of the jewelry store. He had fol-
lowed his plans under the sidewalk and
half way across the street when cave
in cut him off
The entombed man was not reached
by a score Of laborers under command
of Nicholas J. Reville. assistant chief
construction inspector. who was ths
first of the would-be rescuers To wriggle
through the subterranean passage. Re
vile was dragged from the hole when he
had penetrated more than twenty feet.
His place was taken by Thomas J. Shan
non. superintendent for Canavan Broth
ers & Co. whose men We're working in
frenzied relays to reach Finkelstein.
With thirty-eight feet to his credit.
Shannon was hauled from the tunnel
only to report that he had not found its
end and that it would take hours of hard
labor TO reach the end of the excava-
ton
The attempt at robbery was made
in the most congested section OF
the East Side. Finkelstein. the father
of five children. had escaped from the
Russian army less than seven years ago.
and he had made every preparation to
enter the jeweIry store. which is known
as the East Side Tiffanys.
JOB CAREFULLY PLANNED.
When the plan for the robbery sug-
gested itself TO the Russian he moved
his family to a tenement house at No. 53
Ludlow street Adjoining this place is
the six story building. which has been
deserted by workmen for three months.
| Selecting a spot in the most secluded
part OF the cellar. the man. whose work
could not have been surpassed by the
! most seasoned sand hog" bored under
the vital part of the buildings founda-
ton.
r-I- -I,-
sacks in which to carry away the sand,
the Russian dug necessarily each day and
night until he believed that the purpose
of his work was about TO be realized.
| The tunnel was shored with flimsy pieces
| of board. which were held together by
still more f1imsy nails. Every part OF
| the passa ge was marked by these boards.
which had been placed in probable fear
| of the accident that ended the futile toll
of months.
FinkeIstein was alone in his work. ac-
! cording to his wife. who stood with hun
dreds Of the East Side population at the
| edge of the excavation last night.
WIFES STORY OF SCHEME
The woman told the story of her hus-
bands plan TO rob the jewelry store. TO
a Tribune reporter. when it seemed that
the body would not. be recovered until
this morning Her brother. IsidOr Gar
| bus. a carpenter. had been taken to
Police Headquarters TO await the end OF
the search. and Mrs. Ffnkelstein was left
alone with the brood of children She
| said:
My husband dug this hole. He hoped
to make us rich. and worked for days and
days. II was not until Wednesday that
I realized what he was doing Then I
tried to persuade him not to rob the
store, and he promised TO leave the tun-
mel. l had been suspicious of him for
several days. and even threatened TO re-
port him to the police, but my husband
always said that he was joking about
his plan to get the jewels when uD-
braided him"
Mrs. Finkelstein was unable TO give
any more of the details of her husbands
attempt TO carry out single handed the
task of boring under a street. sewer and
gas pipes and then into the store. where.
it is said. there are $4,000 worth OF
precious stones.
The man was evidently buried by the
cave-in of sand on Wednesday after
noon. His wife searched for him late
that night and at O'Clock yesterday
morning she called on her brother for
help.
FINDING THE TUNNEL
The secret which had been carried by
Finkelstein while he scratched his way
under the street was spread throughout
the East Side five hours after his
brother-in-law had started the search.
Detectives Maddox and Hart of the
Detective Bureau. We're informed
! through the Eldridge street police that
a man had been lost in the cellar of the
unfinished Ludlow street building. A.
ter a short examination the entrance TO
the tunnel was found
Garbus then told the police that he
had found the cavern earlier in the day
and then he had squirmed into it as far
as he dared, AT point where darkness
was complete he heard the muf1ed cries
of his brother-in-law. who was then
slowly choking to death. Garbus was
either unable TO tell any more or with
held what information he had, so the
police took him to Headquarters