New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-19
Cashier, Victim of Day
light Robbery, Marked
for Two Weeks.
THREE FLEE WITH
CASH; 2 CAPTURED
Attack Occurs in Hallway as
Crowds PasS-Injured
Man May Die.

The question of whether the fcotpad
fraternity. supposedly crushed ~ In
spector Faurot's detectives, can come
bach was answered yesterday al the
expense OF Edward Hefrernan. cashier
and oookleeper Of the Blair Tool, Ma
chine and Pattern Works.
The cashier had been a marked man
for more than two weeks. according to
the confession Of one Of the two pris-
oners taken itno custody by the police
Previously they had locked up man,
who proved after several hours that he
was victim of mistaken identity.
According 10 the police, the elevator
runner in the building where the hold
up occurred was the instigator OF the
plot, and secured twos others. one OF
whom is under arrest. to do the actual
work The alleged ringleader IS in a
cell. and the arrest Of the third man Is
said to be imminent.
HefFernan was Knocked senselc5s Ia
the hall Of the loft building at 523
Greenwich ST. yesterday and robbed Of
$3.50 the weekly payroll Of the nm.
The thieves also relieved HIM Of ms
own money, his watch and chain and a
few Of his papers. He is in 81. Nh-
cents Hospital now, suffering from
conclusion Of the brain and scalp
wounds.
As if 10 emphasize their efficiency the
thieves worked at noon and within a
couple of blocks of a policeman.
The boldness Of the robbery, which
was committed within ten feet of the
MONDAY crowd walking Greenwich ST.
at the time. amazes the detectives.
The building in which the crime oc-
Cured is at the northeast corner OF
Spring and Greenwich SIS, and the
outer doors are kept open during bust
ness hours. Hefernan, who Is forty
five years old and lives at $40 West
l77th ST., made it his weekly custom to
draw from the Coal and Iron Exchange
Bank the $3.50 necessary to pay off the
employees Of the company. This he did
at 1880 yesterday. coming back TO
Spring st. on an Eighth av. car.
lie noticed that the outer doors were
almost shut. hut this he attributed to
the heat. which had Frustrated the ele-
vator man the day before. He pulled
them apart and slipped in. The hall
was i'm semi-darkness. and he CROPPED
his way over TO the elevator. As his
finger reached the button the outer
door changed shut and d blow on the
head struck him to the ground.
He struggled up. and another blow
beat him back. A third smashed his
eyeglasses and drew blood. and as he
sank down half-Senseless the thieves
rapidly went through his clothes. A
few minutes later-he cannot tell just
how long-he staggered over to the
doors. wrenched them open and fell
outside on the pavement.
Later the police arrested the elevator
man of the building, Dominick Casen-
tino. He stood the grill for TWO hours.
and then. according 10 the police. adj
mitted that he had been implicated in
the plot to relieve Heifernan of the
payroll.
Later they went TO the home Of
Charles Romeo. at 34 Downing St. and
placed him under arrest. He readily
admitted. they said, that he had been
concerned in the hold-up They recov-
cred $3.50.
Romeo told a story which made Ca
sentino the leader in the plot to hol
up the cashier He said the elevator
man had conceived the plan and com
municated il two weeks ago. Yester-
day the men followed the instructions
given them by Casentino. Romeo ad-
mitted that he swung tho fve-pounl
bar that felled the cashier.