The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-20
2 DETECTIVES SHOT
IN GAMBLING RAID
Arnold Rothstein Says He
Thought They Were Hold
up Men.
ABE ATTELL ARRESTED
Ex-Pugilist Says He Lost
S1,100 in Five Minutes
Play.

II Arnold Rothstein weren't so nervous
he wouldn't be in the west Side prison
to-day And " Detective Mclaughlin
IN the other hand. hadn't remained SO
self possessed, despite a bullet wound he
received in his left shoulder during
raid by Inspector Dominick Henrys
squad on an apartment In West Fifty
seventh street and Eighth avenue early
yesterday, Rothstein might not be now
alive and volubly explaining to the
police that when he fired. grazing three
detectives, It was because OF his tampi-
ress and his strange mistake in thinking
tine raiders were holdup mon.
When the shots were fired and Nc
Laughlin and a brother detective, John
Walsh. hit the floor. the four other men
under Inspector Henry whipped out their
revolvers and got ready to do a little
fancy shooting themselves on Rothsteln
regardless OF his sensitive feelings. But
the shouts of the PROSTATE Mclaughlin
TO hold OF on the fireworks stopped
them and the detectives merely used
their armament in persuading the
twenty men damned into the small
rooms TO get a little fresh air en- route
70 the West Forty seventh street station.
Inspector Henry received a tip on Sat
urday night that score OF men or the
kind who are born every minute were
about to watch ne tricks of couple OF
ivory cubes in n house in West Ninety
eighth street. So he took Detectives
Frank oliver. James Mccarthy. Edward
vilan and Joseph Malone in addition to
Walsh and Mclaughlin, TO the house,
only to learn that the game had gone
south as the evening grew chillier.
Two Fall In Fusillade.
He traced 1t to an apartment house
in Fifty seventh street and found, ne
said. that the old Roman sport was being
revived In a two room apartment on the
top floor occupied by theatrical man
who managed a road show between crap
games. So about O'Clock yesterday
morning Inspector Henry and his faith
full six went up to this apartment, still
| eager to break up the party despite a
| sleepless night spent chasing the crap
game all over town.
Come on you seven" they heard
! some one call inside the door-and the
seven came. They knocked. whereupon
| the door few open half a foot and they
| received a rough welcome. Without any
| parley the muEzle OF revolve flashed
| in the opening and spat three times. and
Detectives Mclaughlin and Welsh fell
| on the threshold while divers left arm
| was famed uncomfortahly as bullet
sped through his sleeve harmlessly.
That was enough for the police 70
realize they weren't among friends and
\ 4 bAa vaH
against the door. swapping the iron chain
by which II was bound and plunged into
| the room in compact wad. crowd
| OF men within were making hasty efforts
| to escape. principally by walking through
one another as the rooms rather cramped
| their style.
Tried to Step Out window.
The detectives levelled their revolvers
| to even the score for their comrades
shot down. but Mclaughlin wasn't even
| mad at the cash in his shoulder and
yelled to 'go easy with them" So the
detectives did, except for a few who
| we're misguided enough to struggle. One
man kicked through the windows with
the intention OF departing via the fire
! escape. but charged his mind when he
found that Il was the window in the
next room which communicated with
the safety ladder and that he would
have covered forty feet to the street in
one step.
| Another man, however. did And the
right way 20 the fire escape through the
! adjoining room, hut even he was rather
satisfied 20 be captured at the second
floor landing. as the ladder ended
abruptly right there and he had moth
ing but iron spikes TO land on below
| Ha toIJ tho police he yraS Arnold
stein. 81. OF 355 West Thirty-fourth
street, and that he was n real estate
| dealer. though ne had inbedded himself
| in the memory of the police for his
talents at African golf rather than for
ANYTHING else.
When he was taken back to the room
a revolver which the detectives had found
| with three chambers empty was shown
him. and admitted owning 1t. they say
az well displayin his Workmanship
at the intruders through having the I'D
gets about being held up. Qualms OF such
| a nature had ruled him, AS he explained
, to the police. when they started a little
friendly all night session in the house
at West Ninety-eiYhth street for on
getting a hot fash that stick-up experts
were on the warpath toward them they
moved the game closer to the strong pro.
tecting arms of the military Provost
NIuHTuS on tlTC4e. NO, ne gave
the police to understand, fear OF their
appearance had nothing to do with this
change OF crap venue.
why Rothstein Was Nervous.
Rothstein had grown restless that way
II developed. ever since he was forced to
hand over s2S,00O In n crap game rob
berry two years ago in Harlem and after
he was rified Of sll 900 by hold up mer
during another game In Hudson street
two weeks ago. the detectives gathered
he became positively a shy, wild thinr
with a gun whenever anybody attempted
to butt in without a license.
After Rothstein, according TO the police
had thanked McLaughlin for saving hi,
hfe, the detectives laid hold on Il gamins
table on which they said about SIS ,00(
had been changing hands when they
crashed in. They also found three set.
of loaded dice. they said. and showed
these TO Abe Attell. one Of the prison.
ers, who used to distribute wallops al
n prize fighter and who told the police
his bank roll had just received
knockout for sl.100 in five minutes play
Abe AtteII Is Pensive.
Abe, who Is now rumored TO be doins
. something to help along the stage, gazeG
at the dice sadly and remarked that III
bad that hannah IN him bafo