The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-22
COP ON VACATION
HELPS CATCH FIVE
TaczkOwski's Fine Work Leads
to Capture Of Alleged
Express Thieves.
$4,000 LOOT RECOVERED
Seventy-five Suspects Caught
in General Dragnet Told
to Quit Town.
$4,000 LOOT RECOVERED

earnest minded and able bodied young
man on the Headquarters staff, had a
vacation coming to him just week
ago. He still has 1t coming, although
officially he is having it/now, and it is
due to end a week from to-day.
But that has no bearing whatsoever
upon the circumstance that during
the official first week Of his holiday
season outing Ave men caught with
the goods have been locked up and
have confessed their shares in q tidy
system Of robbing yule laden express
wagons. Or upon the further circum-
stance that Detective Taczkowski did
or engineered the lockings up.
Too Darned Considerations.
The trouble with this man Taczkow.
ski Is, he Is too blamed conscientious.
He suffers from an almost morbid be-
lief, acquired In the line Of his special
duties, that when you express a silk
klmono to Aunt Mary, or a case of
prime cigars to Uncle John, the pack
ages ought to reach the consignees.
He Is regular stickler for folks
rights to private property. and he
never will get to be chief OF police II
the Bolsheviki and such like have their
day.
He'd said his goodbye and Merry
Christmases at Headquarters, and was
strolling up Fourth avenue on his way
to pack his suitcase, when he hap
pened to notice three citizens whose
style he did not like. The cocks OF
their hats and the cuts OF their jibs
sort Of Jared on his personal taste
and then they were overload OF shad-
owy doorways and given to quick side
glances and nervous starts. oh
bother" Detective Stanislaus Tacz-
kowski may have murmured. II don't
get that 1920 train"
The three eased themselves into a
little restaurant and took a table. De-
tective-the same one--was feeling
hungry. too. He saw papers pass from
the leader of the three to the pockets
of the others, and the others were uni
formed drivers OF American Railway
Express wagons. When he came out
he said -Oh, bother" several times.
Trains, except Of thought, were not for
him.
same Place but Another Trio.
Next night at the same hour-this
was December 1S-he found another
trio In the same locality. The leader
was the one he had seen before. The
other two were different, but papers
passed again, but the detective con-
Guided that the passer was too fond
OF express drivers company. This
time. when the three left the restau-
rant. Detective Stanislaus found that
he was going in the same direction.
The third night the performance
was repeated, but on the sidewalk and
minus the papers, and the men being
watched seemed uneasy Stanislaus
had colleagues along. He himself fol-
lowed the principal man until he
found him trying to cash check in
the Oppenheim, Collins & Co. store, 81
West Thirty-flf street.
"Lemme see that check" demanded
Detective s. Taczkowski, as disagree
ably as a body would who was losing
his Christmas vacation.
His man took one look. Don't do
It in here-please." was all he said.
Yesterday the total bag was FIVE
made by Detectives Nathan. F1schel
and Lowenthal. along with the subject
Of most Of the foregoing, Taczkow-
skis original prisoner was Charles
Stein, 35, OF 1862 Vale street. The
Bronx. The others were Charles
Feuerman, 81, of the same address
and Harry Sutta, 80. Of s62 Broadway.
Brooklyn: Rudolph Lerz, 80. of 400
East Eighty-eighth street, and John
A. Military Chats what he says his
name is) 10, of 959 Second avenue.
Sutta an Ex-Expressman
Sutta, the police say. was once ar
Adams Express driver. got fired. ant
lately got a Job with the American
Railways Express Company, the VIC
tim of the thefts. for which Lerz anC
Military were drivers until they were
pinched. The three drivers were ar.
rested Friday.
| Stein and Feuerman, according Il
headquarters. had admitted their OWL
guilt, but refused to split on the others
until they heard that Sutta had beer
brought In. Then they told the Who'll,
thing. AS the result further arrests
but not many. "are imminent" in thu
dear old official phrase.
Feuerman and Stein appear to hav,
been the promoters and managers
Sutta the man who made arrange
ments for them with other drivers
The plan was to cover the labels upoI
packages on the wagons with bogu
labels addressed to a wholesale mer
chandise company" in Paterson. N.
The company was a rented loft II
Market street. Paterson. There tn
packages were opened, the wrapping
destroyed and everything salable re
wrapped to be sent back to the com
pany's" other loft, which was In Man
haitian.
| Ans In,