New-York tribune., 1919-09-23
Police Admit Only One OF
Robberics, but Say Work
Indicates That Job Was
by Regular Cracksmen
Hold Up in Park Avenue
Men Accused of Trying to
Rob Grocery; No Clew to
Slayer Of Former Soldier

The daring operations Of a band
Of safe blowers. an unsolved murder
mystery. several burglares and an
attempted daylight hold-up of store
keeper are the outstanding features of
the latest crime list of the city.
Professional cracksmen yesterday
morning entered three stores in The
Bronx and, after blowing the safes, left
a complete set Of yeggsmen's tools be-
hind SO they would not be over
burdened in carrying on their loot
The burglars obtained about $4,000 in
cash and carted away $500 worth Of
vine No arrests have been made,
but detectives workn- on ;ac case say
they obtained some finger prints.
The burglars entered the Upgrade
Wine Stores at 1899 Third Avenue; ths
Blynn Shoe Store, at 1891 Third Ave
nue and the Surprise Department
Store a few doors away. In eac.,
case they gained entrance through the
skylight and lowered themselves to
the floor by means Of rope. In the
Blynn store. however, q handy wall
ladder was found and the thieves did
rot use the rope.
When the thicves entered the Blynn
establishment thoy found the safe near
the front window. where SIX large
electric lights were burning so they
rolled i 70 the rear. After drilling
n hole in the door Of toe safe tnev
wrapped it in floor rugs and set off a
charge Of nitroglycfr.re. The rugs
muff ed the noise OF the explosion
The yeggs found the moucy had been
deposited in the inner steel box and
could not reach is.
Set OFF Another Charge
They promptly drilled hole in the
inner safe and set off another charge
Of soup" That a heavy charge was
shot was Indicated by the burned and
scorched rugs used to deaden the noise
of the explosion. The $4,000 taken in
on Saturday by tho shoe dealers was
taken from the safe.
The detectives OF the Morrisania sta
tion, after looking over the wrecked
safe, said professional crasksmen were
responsible. A careful examination of
the safes revealed the skill of the
burglars. All were evenly blown, and
Tor the most part finger prints that
might De cf value were blurred.
The crooks obtained $40 in cash at
the Hygrade store, in addition to $500
worth OF wine. There was no safe in
the store, and the cash drawer was
forced VII: jimmy.
In the Surprise Store the robbers
rem owed the SAFE from the front to the
rear OF the place and wrapped cotton
material around it to deaden the sound
of the explosion. Harry Schcctor. the
proprietor. said the burglars got $50
The police Of the Morrisania station
declined to admit any of the robberies
ont T..
Richard Weller, owner of this sto~e,
however, told reporters he was not the
only one in the neighborhood to have a
visit from the crncksmcn He told of
the robbery of the shoe store, and
Adolph Friedman, the manager, told of
the affair al the Surprise Store: The
police had nothing TO say last night
concerning the report thai several
other place. in the vighborhood had
been robbct
Affair in Park Avenue
Accord .l. t. tne story told Dy George
nwyeY, c ern IN the Daniel Reeves
grocery store, al 629 Park Avenue,
near Sky -t.ith Street. Frank Nhita,
twenty-nine years old, Of 80 East
Forty seventh Street, entered thu Store
yesterday. wearing mask. AVID pointed
revolver at him. with a demad that
he open the cash register
Dwyer telling his story to MaRis
trate v liam Sweeter in tne lorhville
court. said he refused to obey, Crap
Piled with the intruder and knoc,:cd the
revolver, which proved 10 be uuloudcd,
from his hand. He then held the pris-
oner until q detective arrived from the
East SlNty-ecventh Street station
Wh,'e waived examination and was
feld n efH NNN bail for the action OF
Ihe Grand Jury
L. lo. I've made no progress in
their invcs .igation Of the murder of
Harry BierMan. an cx-soldicr, who was
shot and killed near the 182d Street
entrance OF Bronx Park Saturday night.
The police and Assistant District At
torney Michael Delagi, Of The Bronx,
who kept the murder secret for twenty
four hours, admitted yesterday that
they were withou. a real clew.
There is no possible theory that
can be ADVANCED said Mr. Delagi
"saye that he was shot in quarrel
over a woman It is true that his
parents knew OF no love affairs in the
young mans life. and there is no def
mite clew TO show that he had been
out with a young woman, but after
cons sdering the case from all angles
we can md no other possible motive ="
Two men who described themselves
ss John Waterbury, thirty-seven. Of
500 West Nineteenth Street. and Peter
Mcinnes. twenty-five, Of $40 West Eigh-
.eenth Street, were arraigned IN the
Morrlsanla court yesterday before
Magistrate Marsh as robbery suspects.
Mclnnes said be was wounded fighting
AT Chateau-Thierry with the 165th In