The sun., 1919-10-29
LOFT GANG TRAPPED
AFTER DUEL ON ROOF
Police Pounce on Thieves in
Brownsville Building and
Make Capture.
BANDITS ROB BONDSMAN
Smacking of Lips over Case OF
Stolen Whiskey Leads to
Arrest Of Trio.

Fighting with revolvers on roof ana
fire escape, with an automobile pursuit
Mt the finish, the Brooklyn police ar
rested yesterday morning Ave men De-
lieyed to be q band of loft burglars VINO
hive been lootng Brownsville Tor some
time.
From, the underworld had come a tip
TIA, the five story building at 441-447
Blake avenue was to be robbed aiter
midnight yesterday. Detectives Harry
Becl, and william Donnely and several
patrolmen in plain clothes Struggled into
dark corners and waited. At O'Clock
a motor truck stopped in front OF the
building; five men alighted, walked
through an alley and assembled FIRE
escape. Each of the five was assigned
10 one of the Ave stories. Simultaneous
~. the police say. the burglars started
burg iaring by prying open windows.
At that instant the police swarmed
from their crannies with drawn revolt
yers. The supposed thieves scampered
UP the fire escape. some Of them gaining
the roof. Both sides fired. but no one
was hit In an exchange Of about thirty
bullets. On the roof Detective Beck
Louis Gordon of 4S3 Hinsdale avenue.
Rrc oklyn. Gordon tore himself loose,
jumped from the roof to the pavement
and lay helpless with a brken ankle.
Meanwhile Beck pinioned another cap
tive, who said he was Joseph Goodman
of SO Sheriff street, Manhattan. and
bundled him down to the alley.
Dash to Ercape Police.
Two others of the gang jumped from
the roof of the loft building to that of
an adjoining building, one story lower.
fed to the street and started off on
their motor truck. Plain clothes men
chased them in a faster automobile and
soon made them prisoners. They de-
scribed themselves as Joseph Goldstein
no home. and Samuel Fogelson Of ZIG
East 11Sth street, Manhattan. A ffth
man, Louis katz, of 1O6 Norfolk street,
Manhattan, ran in another direction but
was bagged by Detectives Lewis and
Brown In the New Jersey avenue court
the five prisoners were held in $1,000
bail each for examination on Novem-
Der 8.
Distressingly ungrateful were the two
footpads who stole $4,000 from George
W. Newcombe of 40 West 105th street,
q member of the firm of Ryan & Hag-
erty, manufacturers OF fruit extracts.
Newcombe has frequently helped ar
rested men out of trouble by going bail
for them. Leaving the Night Court at /
A. NJ. yesterday, he was walking up the
steps of his apartment house when two
strangers, thrusting pistols against his
stomach, said Fork over" and one Of
them added: "If you've got enough
money to go on our bond you've go'
enough to slip us something" New
combe protested that he Of all men ought
to be left alone, but they frisked him
and got $4,000. He told the police later
that he did not recognize the robbers
but they seemed to know him.
The police are also looking for bur
glars who on Sunday morning removed
the outer door of a safe in Blynn's shoe
store at 1924 street and Third avenue
Seemingly they were scared a way pre-.
maturely, for in the safe were $14, 00(
cash and $4,000 in Liberty bonds, un'
touched.
Liquor Trio Nabbed.
The alert ears of Patrolman Jane,
O'Neil caught a fervent 'Lordy, thi,
Just touches the spot" issuing from be
meath stoop at 406 West Thirteenth
street. Three men were holding a walk
over a case of whiskey. ONeil asked
them where they got it, whereupon on,
and ran. The policeman fired. At eacl
shot the fugitive dropped a bottle; thre
shots and he was empty handed. H
and his two pals were arrested, the po
hceman having found that the celia
door OF Patrick McAlloy's saloon at As
Washington street had been forced open
All the prisoners were laborers.
On the complaint of Mrs. Linnie Poon
of the Strathmore apartments. 1890 Sew
enth avenue, Mrs. Katie Kozak. a ser
want. of 107 East 120th street. was he'll
in the Washington Heights court yester
day for the Grand Jury in $4,000 bal
charged with taking part in the theft o
$4,000 from the Poons home a few day
ago.
James O'Grady. II years old clert
OF 20S8 Madison avenue. was held in tn
same court in $1,000 bail on com
plant that he had collected a rewar
for stolen automobile which had reall
been recovered by a patrolman.