New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-01
Hold 3 After Battle in
Darkened Riverside
Drive House
GEMS ON FLOORS
AS CHASE is ON
Standard Oil Man and Pa
trolman Trap Two Men
in Roof Struggle

Policemen hunted burglars in the
dark last night in the big white stone
house at "a Riverside Drive. which is
TIE home OF Emmy Destinn. Metropoli-
tan soprano. and is furnished with her
art treasures. The mufred reports OF
revolvers from the darkened house and
the shrilling of police whistles drew a
crowd which could only imagine the
scene inside. where fugitives and de-
tectives fumbled amid costly draperies
and crunched heavyfooted on Jewels
that strewed the floor.
Three men were caught. two OF them
with the assistance of Charles VI. Hig-
gins, manager of the Standard Oil Com
pany, who lives next door, after they
had Jumped twenty feet to the roof
of an extension of Mr.. Higgins's house.
The third man. wounded, was captured
in the Destinn home. With double
handful of jewels. which il they were
Of the stage variety were realistic
enough to dazzle policemen. the pris-
oners were taken to the Fourth Branch
Detective Bureau.
Police Seek Complainant
Until Nine. Destinn, who is interned
in Austria, can return, 1t is douptfui
if any one cam tell whether the marsu-
ders had already disposed of some OF
her treasures during a visit which
neighbors believe lasted at least TWEEN
tv-four hours. Having captured the
burglars, the police are hunting for
complainant, as the house has been
vacant for months.
The prisoners gave their names as
Walter Page, twenty-five years old, oil
22s West Forty-seventh Street; John
WEBB. twenty-one years old, of 1865
Third Avenue, and Frank Smith, TWEEN
ty.ive years old, of 21S East 11Sth
Street. Webb was hit by bullet from
detectives revolver. which glanced
from his head and lodged in his
shoulder. He is in Knickerbocker Hos
pital. but is not badly hurt.
Page is known as "Hoppy," because
he limps. He got out of Sing Sing a
few months ago, after doing three
years for burglary. Within a short
time he was in the lineup at Head
quarters. where Inspector Cray I'M
pressed upon his men the necessity OF
keeping tabs on "Hoppy."
Neighbors Give Alarm
Il was about o'clock when Frank
lin Simon, of 95 Riverside Drive, tele-
phoned TO Lieutenant Ryan, at the Attn
branch. that there were lights in Emmy
Destirn's house. Within minute two
other messages to the same effect came
in. RYAN started Detectives Naimoli
and Mcclure for the place on the run
Then he telephoned to the West Sixty
eighth Street station and got the re-
serves out.
Nsimoli and Mcclure had the luck
TO emerge from the branch detective
bureau in West l23d Street just as
an automobile belonging TO the Bridge
Department was passing. They climbed
in and raced down the Drive at such
pace that when they reached the
Destinn house, between Eighty-frst
and Eighty-second Streets. the clangor
Of the patrol wagon with the reserves
was not yet to be heard.
The house doomed dark and silent.
After a cursory inspection the detec-
tives rang Mr.. Higgins's bell and got
permission to reach the Destinn home
from his roof.
They found the scuttle had not been
tampered with. For several minutes
they listened with ears glued to the
trapdoor They heard nothing but the
motors on the Drive. As they listened
the patrol wagon from the West Sixty
eighth Street station drew up in front.
Reserves Surround House
Leaving Mcclure to guard the roof,
Naimol descended. With Patrolman
Neamey, of the West Sixty-eighth
Street station, the detective undertook
more careful examination Of the
house, directing the rest Of the re-
serves 10 surround the place.
Naimoli and Neamey found that the
basement door, guarded by an iron
grating, had been forced. Cautiously
they pushed il open and crossed the
threshold. The house was silent as a
tomb and as dark.
While they listened breathlessly. the
floor above them creaked to cautious
football. Cropping their way 10 chande-
lier the two policemen sought to turn
on the lights. The lights did not work
and they returned to the wall fumblinS
for the switch. In the course OF their
search they came TO stairs leading TO
the floor above.
Mounting these. they reached the first
floor, which seemed lighter to thei2
now accustomed eyes. There were no
blinds, and street lamps and those OF
RAISING motors lighted the room with
aim and fitful CLEANS The police could
rake out vague shapes Of muffied fur
niture, but saw nothing human.
Creaking Is Heard
From room toward the front of the
house upon which opened a double door
way there came again the creaking