New-York tribune., 1920-12-16
Police all to
Hide New
OF Burgglaries
Thieves Get $4,000 in Loot
in Series of Recent Rob-
berries, Including Hold-up
III Riverside Drive Home
WomanBounda Gagged
Merchant Victims, Enjoined
to Secrecy by Detectives,
just Mourn Their Losses

A series of recent burglaries hitherto
kept secret by the police, were dis
closed yesterday. The total loot
amounts to nearly $4,000.
A robber entered the eighth floor
apartment of Mrs. Abraham Gettler, Of
644 Riverside Drive, one afternoon last
week, and after binding and gagging
Mrs. Gettler robbed the apartment Of
cash and jewelry valued at $1,000.
1t is asserted that the robber, about
thirty years old and we'll dressed, went
to Mrs. Gettler's apartment and repre-
sented that he was a detective. He
said, according to Mrs Gettler, that he
was investigating robbery that had
occurred several weeks before at tie
home of Mrs. Gettler's mother, Mrs. A.
Lippman, in the Riviera apartments,
Riverside Drive and 157th Street.
The man seemed familiar with the
facts in the Lippman robbery and Mrs.
Gettler readily admitted him. Once
inside, she said, he locked the door and
forced her into the kitchen, where he
bound her with wire and gagged her.
The robber then PROCEEDED to take the
rings from Mrs. Gettlers fingers, as
we'll as a diamond brooch which she was
wearing. lie took her purse and thrust
her into a closet. After few minutes
she worked the gag loose and screamed
for help, her cries attracting attention
after about fifteen minutes, when she
was released.
The police, it is asserted, were i'm
mcdiately notified, but detectives have
called upon Mrs. Gcttler only once, it is
alleged.
Thieves Saw Way to Loot
Thieves who sawed their way into
the premises through the floor of a
vacant loft above last Saturday night
made off with clothing and cloth valued
at $4,000 from the clothing nlanufac-
turing establishment Of Mandell &
Scardapanc, 222 West Twenty eighth
Of clothing from Leo Reich & Co.. an
other manufacturing concern located
on the same floor
The police told Nh. Scardapanc and
his partner to say nothing TO the news
papers, as publicity did them no
good" They assured the victims they
were doing their best to afford pro-
lection in the section. which recently
has been the scene of numerous bur
glaries.
The night before the Mandell &
Scardapanc robbery burglars, who ap-
pear to have used a similar method Of
escaping with their plunder, forced an
entrance into the store of Meshekov
Of SO West Twentyfifth Street, only
o II Il Of fol rc
valued in excess Of $4,000.
Actresses Clothes Stolen
Some time during last Friday after
noon robbers forced a door in the
apartment of Gladys Fox, motion pic
ture actress. at S25 Seventh Avenue,
aud looted the premises of clothing
and jewelry valued at $500.
The store Of the Merit Fur and Dress
Dyeing Company, 35 Delevan Street,
Brooklyn, provided $1,000 worth Of
plunder for robbers who operated last
Wednesday night.
On Friday night robbers stole $4,000
worth Of merchandise from the Kemler
Dress Company, 600 Nostrand Avenue,
Brooklyn.
Another case that revealed dilatory
police tactics is the robbery of the
jewelry store Of Uhry e. Mendel, 1921
Broadway. In this instance Nat Men
del, head Of the firm, said there vas 3
lapse Of nine hours between the report
Of the burglary and the arrival Of de-
tcctives from the 125th Street station
to investigate.
Jewclry valued at $1,000 had been
stolen by men who threw a brick
through Il front window and removed
their plunder through the aperture.
Mr.. Mendel said he called the attention
Of the detectives to jewel box in the
window bearing finger prints he be-
lieved to have been made by the
thieves, but that they paid slight at
tcntlon 10 them.