The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-30
BANDIT DESERTERS
LIVED IN PARK CAVE
Army and Navy Absconders
Prey on People Near West
80th Street Entrance.
BEAT AND ROB DOCTOR
Arrests Made After Uniforms
Are Found in Indian
Landmark.


Old Chief sprawionabench Of the peace
loving tribe OF Central Park Indians
may have had several things In mind
when he scooped his neat little one
story and basement electric lighted cave
out Of the side Of a miniature clin not
far from the West Eightieth street en-
trance to the park.
Sharpness In real estate transactions
Is a racial characteristic OF the red
man and old chief Sprawlonsbench
probably forevisioned the time when his
UP to date little dugout famed by re-
freshing breeLes from the Central Park
duck pond and within two minutes walk
Of the nearest trolley line. would be
in the heart OF fashionable residential
district.
There was one possibility. however,
that the willy old chief did not con-
slider. He never dreamed that his cave
would be the base OF operations for a
combined land and naval force. which
having cut itself OF from its source of
supplies would 60 foraging through
tho park In the hope Of collecting
enough spare change to purchase a
square meal. or as many square meals
as the financial solvency Of Its victims
would permit Yet that 10 just the pur-
pose to which the old Indian cave had
been put, according to Detectives John
Fitzpatrick, Thomas Donahue and
James Appel OF the West Sixty-eighth
street Uolice station
Doctor One Of Victims.
Or. John c. Vaughn OF Sc East Sew
enty-ninth street, who reluctantly con-
tributed the contents of his/medical case
TO the maintenance OF the above mem
toned land and naval force. gave to the
detectives the tip which led to the dis
covery that the cave was being used
as a rendezvous by soldiers and sailors
on French leave and in need OF funds.
On the night OF October %, DR..
Vaughn told the detectives. he was walk
ing across the park in the vicinity of the
cave when he was accosted by soldier.
a sailor and a man in civilian clothes.
They asked him for a cigarette, but he
was unable to comply with the request
and resumed his walk. a few PAGES
further on, the doctor said, he was
btOpptu ny tnTee more SallOts ana an
other man in citizens clothes. who asked
him for a match. The doctor put down
his medical case and was just reaching
into his pocket when he received n
blow in the face and another In the
back OF the head. He grappled with two
OF the men. he said. and as they broke
loose reached into his back pocket and
pulled out Q nledican instrument. His
assailants. thinking he had drawn a gun.
fed, but carried his medical case OF
with them.
The investigation made By the detec-
tives from the West Sixty-eighth street
station disclosed that there had been
several holdups in the park about the
time DR.. Vaughn was robbed In their
search for the hiding place of the high
w@rmen the detectives visited the old
Indian cave, which is one Of the land
marks of the park. The entrance is well
concealed by an overhauging rock and
shrubbery. In 1t the detectives found
considerable quantity OF influenza vac
cine and several uniforms. The presence
Of the latter convinced the detectives
that some OF the deserving soldiers and
s"nors had taken the precaution OF
changing TO citizens clothes before start
ing out on their foragng expeditions.
Roundup of DcIinquents.
On the information furnished by the
detectives several operatives from, the
Naval Intelligence Bureau. it is runored
visited the park and rounded UP three
or fou" sailors who had overstayed their
shore leave. In the meantime the de-
tec,ives continued their search for the
men implicated in the robbery OF DIR.
Vaughn on Monday night they picked
up soldier. a sailor and a one-legged
man in civilian clothes. who. according
TO the police. Is Frank Gasso, alias
"LegRo,' OF 66 East Seventy-ninth street.
Before Magistrate Simms in the West
Side Court the two prisoners in uniform
gave their names as Private Guy s,
Green. 10 years old, of 211s Broad street
Springfield. Mo-. and Seaman James Ga
gan or OS Chestnut street. Boston DR..
Vaughn identified Gagan and Gasso as
two OF the men who had held hin, TN in
the park but said that he didn't recor-
nize Green. and didn't believe that the lat
ter had had anything TO do with the rob
berry. Green was accordingly DISCHARGED.
hut was turned over by Magistrate
Slmms to the Military Intelligencc au-
thorities. He will be sent back TO the
concentration camp at Garden City, L.
J., which he left September II with a
Ps@-'' AAAiI nv Z IlOuIS leave.
Gagan. according TO the detectives. ad-
mitted having deserted from the navy.
Both he and Gasso were arraigned on
charge of robbery and held by Magis-
trate Simms in $4,000 bail each for the
Grand Jury.
In passing on the merits OF the case
Magistrate Simms made frequent ref
erences to q famous gangster named All
Eaba, who is alleged to have been the
leader Of forty stick UP men. The point
made by the Magistrate was that the ar
tivities charged against Gagan and
iasso bore striking similarity in many
respects to the case of Baba ct al
1T is amazing Magistrate Simms
is reported to have said. that such high
handed crime can be carried on right in
central Park. II sounds like a tale from
Arabian Nights TO me-"
-