The sun., 1919-01-09
RICH OLD MAN
SHOT DEAD IN
EMPTY SALOON
Nccktic of Victim, Charles
II. Knapp, Cut Off But
Money Not Taken.
ATTACKED FROM BEHIND
Brutality Of Murder Shocks
POIicc-Crimc Done in
Greenwich Village.

Greenwich Village.
IN the heart OF Greenwich Village and
~ the middle of the day Charles III,
Knapp. A little old fashioned, courteous
gentleman of 15. who was an insurance
broker at o5 william street. Manhattan
and a collector Of rents from property
owned in the lower West Side by himself
and his wife Annie. and who lived Mt
II South Mountain avenue. Montclair'
N. J., was shot In the back yesterday
and killed by an unidentified assailant.
glass filter, summoned BY the OLD
gentleman at ten minutes to IL O'Clock
10 remove glass fixtures from the bar
Of the dismantled saloon nj so BEDFORD
street Il three story brick house owned
by HIM. found him at ia Y. VI. ying
in pitiful heap in the cabinet OF the
abandoned saloon, Just where he had
crunpled TO the floor when a buHet
from the nlurde%er's pistol craeheo INTO
the back OF his head.
Mr. Knapp had gone to the place
yesterday. as he had gone almost daily
for months. ever since the saloon was
vacated by John Lawrence, who held
the license. for the double purpose OF
removing bar glass and other fittings
for which he probably had use In some
other house or desired TO sell. and 10
feed two cats that had been left behind
when high license and impending pro-
h,bition drove his tenant out OF bust
ness. He was familiar figure IN the
old neighborhood of narrow streets and
d'ngy three and four story red brick
houses.
Nobody knew much about him. though
everybody knew n iittle--ani liked what
they knew They were aware that ne
and hs wife owned cor siderable real
estate upon which nc kept a careful
eve and from which Re regularly drew
rents; that he maintained an office
downtown. where he wrote insurance
for folk with whom he had had trans
sections for many years that he had
pleasant word and smile for every one
whom he met and that mere .Hot-
fensive person could not be imagined.
The fact that he was well to DO was
taken for granted. but IL would never
have been guessed from his Anticipated,
almost shabby, habit OF dress.
Day before yesterday IN the early
afternoon he was in the neighhorhood
as usual and came upon Patrolman La
Tourette OF the Charles street station.
HeN CEdlteQ rev I1lUutts Id l'uIStt~
passing the time of day and the old
gentleman lament.ng the death OF Col.
Roosevelt Presently he said he would
return to his dsnantled house the fol-
lowing day 20 remove some furnishings
and to see that the cats had milk.
Apparently nobody observed him yes
terday when he entered the abandoned
saloon from the Barrow street side and
disappeared into the gloom and debris
OF the long, low room.
II Is an ugly and disagreeable place
ideal. II the word is permissible, for
shocking crime. Since october its In
terror, roughly disassembed by the out
going publican. has fallen into disrepair,
Siven over 20 accommodating dust. the
rats and the damp. The bar still held
the discarded liquor license, n few old
account books. the unused tally sheets
OF an election board and some other
odds and ends and litter OF worthless
papers. The board floor was clutterci
with broken glass. a broken chair OF
two, bits Of clothing and the usual
mournful mementoes OF abandonment
Gloom of the Place.
Two entrances gave into the place. one
at the corner of Barrow and Bedford
streets. which was locked ami barred
when the police arrived. and the other
dEouHu Nllc 'N4 III 1ttIipN street. I've
side entrance. which Mr. Knapp IN
variably used and through which he
passed TO his death At the rear OF
the barroom was the usual small cabinet
with washbowi and other fittings, and
there was no light except the poorly
strained and feeble sun shine that pene.
trated dirty windows. It was difficult
indeed to make out the face o. a man
standing twenty feet distant
entered the disma ntled barroom ard no
doubt saw 10 il frs: that the cats were
fed. Their milk was in n saucer upon
the floor by the bar, but the cats them
selves had gone. whisking out, Il may
re thought. when their quiet was shat
tered by the shot that Killed their pro-
tector. Then Mr., Knapp went 10 the
cabinet and was standing within IT,
his frall back to the open door from the
barroom when somebody crept up be-
hind him, took careful aim and shot him
squarely through the back Of the head.
The brutality Of the crime Is inde-
scriba BILE Even the case hardened de-
tectives. used to such scenes, exclaimed
over the unnecessary savaCery displayed
by the killer. Here was an old man.
very slightly built. totally Unconscious
OF the presence Of an enemy, who might
have been overcome by a throttling grip
or sudden blow, shot down The ques-
ton was asked, could a cripple or
weaklIng, afraid OF the risk Of strug-
gle even with an old man, have done
this thing?
Crime Revealed by Glance.
The glass litter, arriving shortly after
/ p. NJ, expected 10 ind Mr.. Knapp
awaiting him on the sidewalk or in the
harroom. lie stepped inside. saw moth
ing unusual at first and then glanced
backward toward the cabinet One
glance told the story and the litter
hurried to the Charles street police
station and reported Men from the
Homicide Bureau Of Police Headquar-
ters arrived quickly, scrutinized the old
saloon. examined the body casually and
then removed II to the station house,
where tho medical examiner made n
more thorough examination.
There had been no profitable robbery.
though there had been robbery Of a
curious. hurried sort Mr. Knapp had
worn q four-in hand tie The man who
killed him had taken just time enough
to sever the tie below the knot, probably
for the purpose OF getting n scarfpln
But nothing else had been taken. II
may be that the killer was frightened
away before he had had time TO search