New-York tribune., 1918-12-25
Olice Aver Series
OF Minor Crimes is
Due to Bank Holdup
Say 1t Is Usual Aftermath of
Big Robbery; No Solution
of Double Murder as Yet:
Highwaymen Again Busy

The succession of crimes in New
York City in the last ten days is due,
in the opinion of Inspector John j.
Cray commander of the Detective
Bureau, to the psychological effect on
the criminal mind here Of the exploit
of the two bandits who committed the
double murder and hold-up in the East
Brooklyn Savings Bank on December
49,
"This, however, docs not surprise
US he said. "Our experience has been
that furry Of minor crimes always
follows any particular spectacular job.
The robbery there has simply stirred
up the imagination of criminals and
near criminals.'
Police Commiss soner F,nright, who
returned yesterday from his honeymoon
IN Cuba, was not inclined to regard
the crime situation AS alarming. He
said:
"Thc Brooklyn affair was one of
those occurrences that cannot be pre-
vented in city of 6OON0OO people
Glancing over it, 7 should say it was
the work Of Western crook who knew
his business. Further than that, until
| get to my desk and look the matter
over thoroughly | cannot say anything.'
The Commissioner said he had writ
ten to the Mayor and War Department
asking shat soldiers be sent to their
local boards before being discharged.
Calls 1t Incentive to Crime
"Turning mon loose in New York
with pocket full Of money is as bad
for tho men themselves as for the city
There is bound to be some percentage
that will want to sec New York thor
oughly and more than enc Will go
broke. That in itself is al incentive to
crime
Christmas Eve found the Police Dc
partmen. far from solution of tho
Brooklyn holdup.
The police arc still working on the
theory that Roy Tyler. yeggman and
bank robber. was the taller Of the two
bandits. Inspector Cray announced
last night that ono of the important
points in the case against Tyler was
the scrap of paper which was found in
tho room in Peter Bullngers Nassau
Avenue hotel, where the two bandits
passed Friday night.
The tall bandit had made mem
orandum of a place in which dance
was to be held. There were only three
words on the paper, but Inspector Cray
said they bore some characteristics Of
the jailbreaker's handwriting.
A man reported to look like Tyler
has been seen in Newton, n j., and is
said to have spent the night of Decem-
Der II in hctel at saltwater near
Newton.
HOlduDs in Astoria
The crime record grew again YES
terday. Astoria, l.. l.. reported three
holdups were committed there Monday
night and that an attempt to rob a
saloon was frustrated.
Two men overpowered Mrs Clara
Barth at Broadway and Sixteenth Ave
nue., Astoria, and took gold watch
and $40. Later three men walked into
John O'Hara's store, at Second and
Flushing avenues, Astoria, and took
$50
Three masked men with revolvers
robbed Ensign Murphy, of the Pelham
Bay Naval Station, OF a watch and S12
A police automobile was reporte
stolen yesterday near Third and Web
ster avenues, The Bronx. On Monday
the police announced that almost s40O
worth of electrical fixtures had dis
appeared from the Manhattan Police
Headquarters.
Arthur Hover and John !. Lee
sailors, attached to the Ellis Island
depot, were held without bail in the
Gates Avenue Police Station, BROOKLYN
yesterday. Jerome c. McDonough said
the sailors attacked him and robbed
him of $l4