New-York tribune., 1919-02-18
5 Safe Crackil1gs,
Two IIold-U ps and
Attempted Robbery
This Covers List of Crimes
Yesterday in Greater City
So Far as Are Reported
to Police; Several Arrests

Two holdurs, three safecracking jobs
and one attempted robbery were re-
ported yesterday Most of the crimes
we're committed in Manhattan.
Arrests were made in several of these
cases, and new clues were discovered
by the Brooklyn authorities that may
lead to the conviction of the perpetrat-
ors of the holdup IN that borough on
Friday last, when paymaster and two
assistants of the Emergency Fleet Cor
poration were robbed of $4,000.
Deputy Police Commissioner John A.
Leach, charged with the policing OF
brooklyn and Queens, commenting on
the situation, said there was no real
crime wave in that borough and that
efforts in apprehending the criminals
who had lately been active there were
proceeding satisfactorily.
He announced that class Of one
hundred graduates from the police
school had been assigned to duty in
the borough and that another class of
seventy was expected to be graduated
within few days. Most of these, too,
viii go to Brooklyn.
Wants Fighting Men Back
As another effort to enlarge his
force, he said he had sent request to
army and navy officials to release for
mer policemen now in the service as
soon as possible, so that the depart
ment could be brought back to its
peace time strength.
Neil Sheftal, the chief paymaster f
the Emergency Fleet Corporation. was
arraigned before Magistrate Brown
yesterday on d charge of robbery. His
counsel asked for an adjournment, and
the hearing was set for tomorrow. No
bail was fixed
A revolver found in the taxicab in
which Sheftall was riding when the
hold-up occurred was identified as re-
sembling one which Sheftall possessed
two weeks ago. The identification, ac-
cording to the police, was made by
Herman Lefkowitz and Harold Graham,
the two assistants who were with lin
at the time Of the robbery
Sheftall, when questioned by Cap
tain John Coughlan, declared he was
unarmed. The revolver was found in
seat of the taXicab after it had been
abandoned at Fourth Avenue and
Sackett Street, Brooklyn.
Hat from Savannah
In the taxi was also found a hat
with the name of a Savannah, Ga,
merchant in it. Sheftall, the police
say, was known to have been in that
territory not long ago
The shifting of the scene of opera
tlons to Manhattan came with the re-
port Of two safe-crackings in Harlem.
The most important was in the Office of
the Standard Oil Company, at 544 East
l20th Street, where the thieves got
being implicated in the affair, Timothy
Hogan, fftytwo years old, Of SIP East
Eighty-third Street, was arrested and
4 taken to headOuarterS
A safe in Liggett's drug store at
l30th Street and Eighth Avenue, was
found ripped open by 7. Levin, the
manager, yesterday morning. About
$1,000, he said. had been stolen.
Robert Owen, a cook on the revenue
cutter Chester, now at Newport News
was attacked by four men as he was
leaving 4 restaurant in Canal Street
near the Bowery, and was robbed of
$l10. Policeman Hayden chased the mis-
creants IN an automobile and arrested
man who said he was Charles X.
Weber, of 90 Bowery Three others
were later taken into custody, all of
whom denied any knowledge of the
affair
In Central Park West
AS Mrs. Julia ONeil, of 47S Centra,
Park West, was on her way home al
1OSth Street yesterday morning foul
men seized her pocketbook, which she
said contained about $50, some jewelr,
and keys. Her screams caused the ar.
rest of two men and boy. In the
West Side court Fred Blay of 80 West
10th Street. and John Lavele, of 3O1
West 10th Street, pleaded guilty ane
were held under 81 800 bonds.
Burglars broke into the Office Of the
Brooklyn Milk Company, at 100 Fifth
Avenue, Brooklyn. No money having
been left by the proprietors in the
place, the thieves contented themselve,
with destroying several cases of eggs
some cheeses and six bottles OF milk