New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-16
CROOK GANG FO|LED BY
BOY IN $4,000 THEFT.
Elevator Runner SuspiCiousWhen
Three Men Lug 150-Pound
Rolls of Silk Downstairs.
SHOW POLICE THEIR HEELS
Sleuths Arrive at Loft Building
in Time to See Robbers Van
ish in Fifth Avenue
Crowds.

Three ingenious thieves were foied yes
trrday afternoon in well laid plans to steal
$4,000 worth of silk from the eleventh floor
of the loft building at No 81 West 2th
street A keen witted negro elevator boy
employed i'm the building was the stumbling
block which frustrated the robbers De-
tectives arrived on the scene just in time
to see the thieves dash through the street
to Fifth avenue and disappear. One man
was arrested on the charge of being sus-
piclous character, although he insisted he
was an innocent dupe.
The prisoner who gave his name as
Abraham Freedmen a driver of No. S6l
Pearl street Brooklyn told the police that
he was tooling his express wagon in SiNth
avenue. on his way to deliver goods u
North River piers. When at 10Th street ne
was stopped by three men, who asked him
if he didn't want to earn an extra 81 for
making quick delivery.
Freedmen who does not look as though
he was overburdened with money. thought
well OF the proposition. The men directed
him to drive to the building at No. 81 West
Goth street telling him to wait in readiness
with the wagon while they got the goods
IneN NlSUtO " NC NldiSANi'N''
The driver said he saw the men carrying
heavy bundles down the stairs and won
Gered why they did not use the freight eIe-
ystors. This made his suspicious, but when
he saw that the bundles bore the stencllled
addresses of a Boston concern, ne ceaseu
worrying.
In the mean time the negro elevator boy
whose name the police do not know, also
locked with suspicion upon the men. ne
knew the bundles belonged to the Eaeie
Skirt Company, with offices on the eieVehl"
floor. and he thought it strange the men
should elect to carry down the stairs these
rolls of silk, weighing. as they ola, lou
pounds each.
Acting or his suspicious the negro COM
municated with The police Of the West l'th
,traet station. telling them to send detec-
tives in a hurry. When the police did not
respond within few minutes, the elevator
bow took il upon himself personally to get
a policeman. He ran to Fltth avenue
where he found Patrolman DIETRICH OF 'he
Traffic Squad
As Dietrich and the negro approached
the loft building the saw the three men
standing in the entrance. The thieves sa"
the blue uniform and dashed away. leaving
eight rolls of silk, valued at So,oOO' IN
r'riedIner's WACO. Although closely fol-
lowed by Dietrich and three detectives
who had Just arrived. the men proved 100
fleet of foot, and make their escape by
mingling with Fifth avenue crowds.
After placing Freedmen under arrest tue
detectives made an examination OF the eleV-
enth floor loft. They found that the door
TO the Eagle Skirt Company's offices had
not been forced, thus proving that the
thieves gained entrance by pass Key IN
side the offices twenty more rolls or SILK
had been wrapped up for removal.
1t is supposed that the men waited until
all the employees left the building at noon.
and then walked to the eleventh floor to
avoid the suspicious OF the elevator boy
The manner in which the packages had
been wrapped and the address stencilled on
showed that the thieves were we'll ac-
uuainted with the methods used in the Of
fee.