New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-24
Witnesses Say These Figures
Were in Number on Vehicle
in Diamond Robbery.
DETECTIVES SEARCH CITY
Practically Entire Force at Work
Seeking Men Who Stole Jewels
from Sixth Avenue Store
and Killed Clerk.

18th street and Sixth avenue. Inspector
Hughes had $50 detectives at the Cen
traI Office Yesterday afternoon instruct
ing them on the case. while special In
structions we're given TO all the mem
bers of the uniformed force TO be on the
watch for any clew to the murderer,
the diamond thief and driver of the
automobile in which they escaped.
All the garages in tho city were
searched Yesterday for an automoplo
or taxicab bearing Il number with 90
i'm the combination. The number seems
the best cicw to the criminals the DC
tectives have yet found, as no one mas
been able TO give GOOD uescr1p''n
of ,he man who got the tray OF Ola
,,,opds from, the window or his compan-
ion who shot stern. Several persons,
however. remember seeing the numbers
40 on the machine. but no one has
been able 20 finish out the number, ana
tho notice arc having extra trouble n
finding the car, as the 1911 license list
IS not vet out. Three persons salo 'ne
machine had the general appearance "'
q tayicab. but they could NOT tel
whether or not it had tsxmeter on 'ne
front
co,.orol uersons have been found VINO
could give messrc descriptions "i '"e
men who did the robbing and SHOOTING.
Tho man who Sma shed the Windo" ana
grabbed tho tray had a smooth race
wore derby hat and was about nVc
feet six inches tall The man who shot
storm wore A dark suit and a straw nat
and was about FIVE feet nine incnes TAU
The robbery. murder and escape TOOK
less than sixty seconds, Vhilc " was not
more than two minutes from the time
the iayicab appeared at the northwest
corner of Sixth avenue and 18Th street
before IT was under way again OF full
speed. going west to Seventh avenue, in
18th street.
From some aspects tho police think
tho robbery was done by amateurs.
while from others IL looks like the work
of expert criminals, Only amateurs in
crime. they say, would rob show win
dow ON q busy corner such as that AZ
18Th street and Sixth avenue at half-past
. o'clock on Saturday night, ON the
other hand, there j. the care aud expert
ness with which the theft WAS planned
and carried ont "a ensb bic the men to
accomplish If aud get away in less than
d minute. Taxcsb hold-ups and crimes
have become an established feature with
tho Police Department i'm the last few
months. taking the place Of tho old sea
going hacks Of the palmy days of the
Tenderloin.
Make Taxicabs Menace.
Inspector Hughes is inclined to think
petrated by one Of the gangs OF thugs
that make taxicabs "A menace at late
hours. There is also tho theory that
the men came from the river front and
a careful search is being made of the
purlieus Of the North River. The use Of
the taxcab, however, is considered as
nearly positive evidence that the men
will be found among those who infest
the corners of the Tenderoin after the
electric lights are going. The Police De
partment has found It necessary To keep
an accurate record of all drivers of taxi
cabs, especially those who sleep by day
and DO not appear OH the round for
fares until after dark. This list is being
gone through for q man with the COM
binatlon $40 in the number OF his car
ba f,,1 81 ;,,rr ~ he 4:
shown by the accuracy and CELEBRITY With
which it was carried out. 1t is evident
that the men had made a careful survey
Of Jacoby's store, for when the taXicdb
drove up TO the curb the men jumped
out before the car was well stopped and
one of them went directly to the right
spot in the window 30 get the only valu-
able tray it contained.
Jacoby places the value of the dia-
monds stolen at $4,000 while nothing
else in the window was considered of
sufficient value to make any effort at
protecting it for more than half an
hour after the crime had been commit
ted
The police have decided that the WIN
dow was broken by a hammer or blunt
bludgeon carried by the man who got
away with the tray. Ii was at first sup
posed that the glass had been smashed
with stone, but there was no missile
inside the window. and after the ambu-
lance surgeons had pronounced Stern
dead the police searched the pavement
outside the store and lighted matches TO
examine the small recess under the win
dow i'm search of a stone with which
the glass might have been broken.
There was no evidence of any kind that
are convinced that tie men carried with
them and took away again the instru-
ncgt thai was used 10 break the glass.
" the short man went after the
tray OF diamonds his companion went
TO the door to keep watch on those in
side. Only q few minutes before .he
murder a woman had entered the store
to have her eyes examined. and had
taken Jacoby. the proprietor into the
back part Of the store To look at her
eyes The police have satisfied them
selves, however, that this woman played
an innocent part and had no connection
with the robbers. Besides JacOby there
were two clerks in the store.
Did Not Suspect Accomplish.
1t was Stems misfortune that he was
on the side Of the store where the thief
was at work stern rushed from the
store, not suspecting that tho man at