New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-02
THIEF SHOOTS EWElLER
Midday Crime in Madison ave.
Followed by Futile Man Hunt.
AMATEUR WORK. POLICE SAY
Their Only Clews to Boyisn
Looking Thief, However, Are
Thumb and Finger Marks

/ noon. when "a thlef entef'u ''' ~
David Silverman. at No. l''Z MauiSo"
avenue. and stole two watches' shol NV
nroprietor and escaped. The incident
following so closely on the taxicap ron
her,, ard murder of July 22. aroused
much excitement
Mr. Silyerman had gone TO room III the
rear of the store to change his ciothes'
and was washing his hands when ne
heard the buzzer which sounds when
tho door is opened He called TO the
supposed customer, "All right; VIII ne
there i'm moment" AS ne steppeh
through the doorway of his Office mo
the store he saw a stranger redchlhS
into the window whore watches, diamond
; rings and other iewelry were displayed
Mr. Silyerman shouted. what are You
doing there?" and stepped toward the
man. who wheeled and then fired two
shots from an automatic revolver
one Of the bullets struck Mr.. silver
man i'm the shoulder. and the other pene-
trated the wall at his left side, about on
a level with his heart.
Mrs Silverman. who was in tho little
room at the rear OF the store, ran out
when she heard the shots. and saw her
husband sink to the floor, as the thief.
dropping bne of the three watches he
held in his hand. dashed out of the store
and up Madison avenue.
The Man Hunt Begins.
-, ,..t.. -. ,croo,,,e and tho ro-
ports Of the revolver brought in Henry
Price and Henry Greenstein. who 1--we
upstairs. They. with a number of boys
on bicycles. took mp the chase of the
thief. who had run mp the avenue. Pa
trolman Moyc. Of tho East 10th street
station. joined them. blowing his whs-
/ tie. The thief ran up Madison avenue,
I then into 1O6th street, turning into
Fifth avenue and continued along there
Iuntil he reached 1OSth street. Then he
darted back to Madison avenue. and,
catching sight of Sergeant Sheehan. ran
| into an apartment house. The police and
! the crowd. which had increased 20 sew
/ cral hundred surrounded the house.
| call had been sent To Headquarters. and
| I'm fourteen minutes Commissioner
Doughertv and a squad Of detectives
were on tho spot
Orders were issued 10 lot no ono leave
tho house. and a systematic search from
roof 10 garrett began Tho search was
unayailing. and the police believed the
thief escaped over the roofs of the neigh
boring houses.
Commissioner Doughcrty returned to
the store. and tried to get good finger
print Of the thief. Prints were numer-
ous on tho window where he had placed
his hand when reaching for the watches
lint they were So badly smeared that the
officers could not use them. The watch ne
dropped was said. however 10 bear
on its crystal an excellent thumb print
while the back bore tho print Of several
Of the thiers fingers. Tho Commissioner
said this was the best clew that they
had and took it 10 Headquarters.
Thief Was soysh Looking.
The thief was said to bo YOUNG man
with a round boyish face, light bl"hd
hair. inclined to wave. lie was dresser
in a blue suit. and wore a blue cap lie
was about five feet eight inches tall
Mr. Silverman was attended by Dr.
4 Groenstein. Of so. % East HIN
street. and Or. Martin. of the Harlem
HOSPITAL. They dressed his wound but
were unable 10 find the bullet After
Mr. Silverstein had recovered somewhat
from the shock he was taken 70 tho Of
fec Of Or. w. II. Stewart. where an x
raw was made Of the wounded shoulder.
and the bullet discovered. ON removal
Of the bullet il was found that the
shoulder bone was splintered by the Dui-
10, which was Of the steel jacket Nari-
o,v commonly used in automatic re-
volvors Mr.. Silverman is past lfty-hFe
vears old and rather feeble, and although
the wound would not ordinarily be serI-
ous. the physicians would say very little
about his chances FOR recovery.
Tho police assumed that the thief had
been planning the coup all the morning
as people in the neighborhood said they
saw man whose description CORE
SDOnQod Win lidl 0liN 'iillhH saw ''''
police walking up and down the street
and stopping every few minutes TO look
into the window of the jewelry store.
His work showed he was either badly
ratified or an amateur. the police said.
for the two watches he took were only
valued at about ninety dollars. while
beside them in the window was case
containing diamond rings valued NJ more
/ than a thousand dollars. Moreover. the
thief was not more than twelve feet from
| Mr.. Silyerstein when he fired, and 1t was
evident that he shot To kill.
The bullet which struck Mr.. Silvcrman
| i'm the shoulder was probably, like it's
mate aimed lower. but in pulling the
trigger the burglar evidently threw mp
| the muzzle Of the revolver, according 10
! the police experts.
For a time IL was rumOred that the
/ man who committed this theft was the
same one who shot Adolph stern but
/ the description Of the two men differed.
/ the man who shot Stern was said to be
dark, while this man was distinctly of
| light complexion. The only way i'm which
! their description tailed was I'm regard to
| height and daring.