The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-15
WHISKEY THIEVES
FIGHT OFF POLICE
IS Get Away With S65, 200
Worth of Whiskey in Rail
road Yards at Newark.
NUMBER OF SHOTS FIRED
Raid on Freight Cars Preceded
by Kidnapping of Pennsyl-
vania Road Detective.

A nistol battle in the dark between
policemen and whiskey thieves and the
kidnapping of n railroad detective hg-
ured early yesterday morning In one Oh
the most daring attempts TO steal q
large amount of booze in transit that
has occurred in the East since national
prohibition went into effect The seals
OF three freight cars, containing whiskey
and alcohol valued at $4,000 were
broken in tbs South Broad street New
ark, yards of the Pennsylvania Railroad
The thieves were carting the liquor away
in automobile trucks when they WerS
surrounded by the police.
Detectives working on the robbery are
confident 1t was engineered by several
"whiskey rings" At least twenty-five
men were engaged in unloading the
freight cars. Half a dozen automobile
trucks were used. two OF which were
abandoned by the thieves In their haste
TO get away. One Of the trucks con
tanned twenty-three barrels OF alcohoi
valued at $4,000. George Spencer an
inspector of the railroad, estimated that
the thieves got away with approximately
SOS, 600 worth OF the booze before they
were surprised by the police.
The thieves had been working Tor
more than an hour and half without
interruption when the police appeared
They drew pistols and sent volley AT
the cops. Some OF the thieves ducked
under freight cars, others climbed to the
roofs so they might the better see the
attaching party. The police returned the
firc and a second volley came from the
thieves.
Several Hundred shots Fired.
For the next half hour the freight
yard was the scene of a thrilling pistol
battle Men scurried In and out OF the
labyrinth OF cars. sometimes hesItatng
to shoot for fear they might hit one
Of their own. but opening fire as soon as
they made certa in the identity of their
opponent Although several hundred
shots were exchanged 1t proved blood
less fight. so far as the police have been
able to ascertain.
Besides being one of the most dar-
ing thefts of many years II also was
one of the most cleverly planned. The
thieves succeeded in getting a railroad
detective out of the way so they might
proceed without interruption, but 1t was
this same detective and a railroad en-
glneer who happened along in an engine
while they were unloading the cars who
gave the alarm and started the police
on their trail.
James Gregory, the detective, was
overpowered by five men AT the flohetI
street entrance to the yards at l:3U
O'Clock and thrown into an automobile.
The machine was driven from Newark
to Elizabeth, to Springfield. Chatham.
Morristown and Summit and then
doubled back on the Passaic roac
through Paterson and finally to Singac
More than $50 miles was covered In the
ride. Gregory was blindfolded and
thrown out of the machine at Singac and
told not to move until the automobile
was out OF sight He walked seVera
miles to a garage and telephoned the
railroad offices.
Tried TO Bribe Engineer.
At the time Gregory was telephoning
so was the engineer, whose name the
notice will not reveal. from the Waverley
freight station in Newark Meadows. The
engineer had come upon the thieves az
work, and they had offered him case
of booze, which he refused. The thieves
insisted upon him accepting it and
placed a case of whiskey in the engine
cab. The engineer then hurried to WAY
erley to notify the railroad officials by
telephone 1t was then O'Clock.
Twenty minutes later a wagon load OF
arrival n the freight ware,