New-York tribune., 1919-10-01
Randit Holds Revolver to
Head of Caretaker at
Fifth Avenue and l1Oth
Street as Three Pals Loot
Get Away With $1,000
Station House Lieutenant
Denies knowledge of
Crime Monday Morning

rour masked bandits who held up a
voman caretaker in the Fifth Avenue
Theatre. at Fifth Avenue and 10th
Street. tied her to an orchestra chair
.rd threatened her with death if she
made an outcry. blew open the safe in
,ha managers office and escaped with
g, 0OO in cash. This holdup and rob-
herv occurred on Monday morning, but
tho police Of the West 123d Street sta
t;on professed last night to know moth
ms of it.
Mrs. NJ. varona, of 22S East 111th
Street. who is employed as caretaker
in the theatre, had just finished punch
inc the time clocks at 3 q. m. when
she was confronted by three masked
men One had raised a blackjack when
the leader told him not to strike
woman. Mrs. Varona said she was
then ted to one Of the chairs in the
rear of the orchestra and a blanket
WAS thrown over her head. An armed
man wa sleft to gurad her. He pressed
his revolver against her head and
threatened to shoot if she made any
noise.
According to the woman, the other
two robbers smashed their way into the
office of l. Dorsey. the owner CT the
theatre, where the safe, containing the
receipts of Saturday and Sunday, was
located. The thieves drilled hole in
the door of the strongbox, and, after
wrapping Mr. Dorsey's coat around it
to deaden the noise of the explosion.
sAs off the charge. The door was
5lown across the room and the robbers
obtained 81 900 in cash. Mr.. Dorsey's 5
desk was also broken into and wrecked
in q search for more money.
The bandits left by the front door
Of the theatre. A woman, living across
sion, shouted. A lookout, who was sta
toned at the Fifth Avenue entrance,
urged his confederates to hurry, and,
according to the womans story, they
jumped into a waiting taxicab and
drove through East 111th Street. A
policeman came up and seized the
owner of fruit store, but by the time
The latter had established his identity
the thieves were gone.
?. Mr.. Dorsey sad g fought thc
theatre three mopis# ago and en-
ployed woman t. ~ l. and clean
it at night because ,nA never re-
mained sober "Wh-a bought this
Vlace." he said, "E vas alarmed at the
crowd OF men that crowded around the
corner every night | asked friend,
who is that HE is pickpocket' my
friend answered. who is that other
fellow | asked, indicating another Of
the crowd? 'Oh, he's yegg just out
Of Sing Sing came the answer, and
then | ran downtown and had my safe
insured"
The theatre man said that he and
bis patrons had been troubled by the
crowd on the corner for some time
and that other business men in the
raighborhood had also complained.
One day last week. he said, a craps
game ON the corner lasted for three
nours and there were about twenty five
players. The corner is a busy one and
thousands Of automobiles passed every
hour. It Is a transfer point on the
fifth Avenue bus lines.
After seeing the safe that had been
Sroken open reporters went to the
west 123d Street police station and
sought further information. In answer
% an inquiry the lieutenant behind the
desk denied all knowledge of such q
robbery.