The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-18
Dry Goods Store Thieves

On the other hand. timid but shrewd
chances to steal which they dared not un.
dertake. Servants OF wealthy New York
families learned that Mother" Mandelbaum
paid we'll for tips and plans OF houses
Next came employees OF Wholesale and
retail dry goods houses
To handle bales of silk and wooden, furs.
blankets and other bulky but valuable mer.
chandise presented new problems. To
meet these Mrs. Mandelbaum moved her
establishment to larger quarters She re-
tanned the pawnbroking department, but
added a miscellaneous store, in which she
carried for sale most all the articles found
in country store
She was now the mother OF three chill.
dren. two daughters and son-Julius.
One Of the daughters married Twelfth
Ward Tammany politician This political
alliance was extremely valuable. 1t made
the police more moderate in their extor.
ton for immunity, and was the means of
obtaining pardons. light sentences and gen.
eral miscarriage OF Justice on the part Of
judges.
shall never forget the atmosphere OF
Mother" Mandelbaum's place on the cor.
! ner OF Clinton and Rivngton streets. In
the front was the general store innocent
enough In appearance; and, in fact, the
STOCK OF goods we're only part stolen, and
these Of such a character that they could
not possibly be identified.
Mother" mandclbaum led life which
eit her open to many dangers from many
inherent directions. Every member of the
underworld knew that stolen goods of
Eeat value we're constantly coming into
htr resort and from time to time schemes
Wtre devised to plumber the famous old
"ftnce."
Mrs Mandelbaum always aat inside
of window which was protected by strong
steel Stats. The door to the room was OF
heayy oak. 1t was impossible, thus pro-
tected, for anybody 10 make a sudden
rush and catch Mother" Mandelbaum of
her guard.
But. realizing that thieves might at any
momNnt raid her establishment and finally
forcetheir way into her den she provided
still another safeguard.
The Secret of the Chimney
Mother" Mandelbaum had a special
chimney built in her den, where she kept
little wood fire burning during the Win
ter and kept the fireplace filled with old
trash during the hot season This chin
ney waslpeculiarly constructed. and had a
false back behind the fire. and in this cav
ity was hidden little dumb waiter. In
front OF he dumbwaiter was a false iron
chimney back on hinge that could be let
down. She constructed special brick
wall so that it appeared to be the regular
wall Of the house
In case pf sudden emergency, Mother
Mandelbaun could gather up any dia-
monds or stolen goods which might be
incriminatitg, pull down the false chin
ney back which fell down over the fire,
stow away the telltae valuable in the
hidden dumSwaiter, push the dumb waiter
up out OF sight into the chimney and push
back into place the false chimney back.
This simple operation concluded, Mother
Mandelbaum was then ready to face a
search or hpldup.
II ever anybody lived in the proyerbI,,
glass house, surely it was Mother" Man.
delbaum-and she knew it. Her estah-
hshment was ostensibly general stnra
and pawnbroker's office, which sbe
maintained in the front room, but Mrs.
Mandelbaum also dealt in stolen goods ~
all kinds and planned robberies with
thieves and often sheltered. protected and
hid thieves in times Of trouble