New-York tribune., 1919-12-09
Silk Robbers
Get $500,OO0
LA 3 Months
Dealers Rebel at "Silence''
Policy of Police That Has
Resulted in $3,OOO,OOO
Losses Here in 2 Years

Within the last three months an-
proximately half a million dollars
worth of silk has been stolen from
dealers in Manhattan, according to fig
ures made public yesterday by officers
of the Silk Association of America.
The invasion of the silk industry bv
thieves, it was said, has reached an
alarming state. and the association
has received nearly ESQ complaints of
robbery, with a total loss of $578,837.
During the last two years, association
officials say. there were more than
1900 thefts of silk alone, entaling a
loss of more than s3,00O.0OO Knowl-
edge of these facts, it is stated, has
been kept from the public at the re-
quest Of the police
The cleverness and boldness dis
played by the crooks in their latest
hauls, however, have aroused the in
dustry. and a campaign of publicity
has been decided uDon by the silk
dealers in an effort to check the cpl
demic. In this they are opposed by
the heads of the Police Department,
who are taking every precaution to
keep the facts of the thefts from the
public. 1t has been pointed out that
this policy inspires q false sense of
security and encourages negligence.
100000 Stolen in Week
The most recent series of robberies
took place last week and amounted to
about 100000
Between Tuesday night and Wednes-
day morning burglars forced the door
of the Onyx Silk Mills, on the eighth
floor Of the Gramercy Building "a
East Twentyhrst Street. and removed
the entire stock of the company's silks,
amounting to $20,000 Louis Salmow
head of the firm, says the goods repre-
sented the savings of a lifetime and
were not covered by Insurance.
Salmow says that the building is
locked every night, but that there is
no watchman. He believes the men
concealed themselves in the building
during the day Salmow suspects q
man who came into his place the day
before the robbery asking for "Mr
Rosenthal." Salmow told him he never
heard of "Rosenthal." but the man
asked if he could wait for him there
After looking the place over he went
out The police have been given q
description of the caller. Salmow of
fers a reward Of 81 900 for information
leading to the recovery of his goods.
The Sussex Print Works, with Of
fees at 404 Fourth Avenue, report that
a truck containing $4,000 of georgette
silk disappeared from in front Of 3l5
Fourth Avenue on December 3, at 1870
p m. A driver for the works, who
had gathered the material from sew
eral firms, left his truck standing ii
front of the Fourth Avenue address
while he entered the building to col
lect some more Nobody was left be-
hind to watch the truck and when ht
came out il was gone.
Broken Window Is Used
More than $4,000 worth of good:
was removed from the establishment
of James T. Leonard 4 Co., 14l Mad
ison Avenue, a few days ago. The
thieves gained entrance through 1
broken window. Silverstein Brothe RS
of 80 West Twenty second Street, sa!
that during the night of November 2!
$22 900 worth of silks was taken from
the place. The material consisted O
l55 pieces of georgette. On the sam'
day Leo L. Doblin & Co., 404 Fourth
Avenue, report $1,000 worth of good
stolen from their premises.
Last Thursday night the store of thu
Modern Costume Company, contract
ing firm at 36 West Twenty secont
Street, was broken into and material
Continued on last pGge