New-York tribune., 1920-04-26
Officers and Masked Men
Pick Same Time to En-
ter Apartment Where
II Are Playing Cards
Elevator Boy Shot
Fatally, One Hurt
Another Hold-Up just
Before One i'm ST. Mich.
olas Avenue Is Believed
! Work of the Same Gang

negro elevator boy was fatally
shot, fourteen card players and two de-
tectives were held up and one man is
believed to have been wounded in pis-
tol battle in the apartment house at
3.1 st. Nicholas Avenue yesterday
morning, when. by peculiar coinci-
dence, four detectives from the 9th In
spection District and five masked
highwaymen selected the same moment
to raid an alleged gambling game.
The elevator operator, Herbert Hays,
Of 100 West 142d Street, was shot
through the stomach by one of the
holdup men, from whom he attempted
to escape, and died few hours later in
the Knickerhocker Hospital. He was
able to give the police only a meager
description of his assailant, who, with
his four companions, escaped in a taxi
cab.
Detectives Rand, Coakley, Ryan and
MacMahon, of Inspector Cahalane's S
staff, went to the ST. Nicholas Avenue
address, between 126th and 127th
streets. early yesterday and used the
fire escape to gain entrance to the
apartment OF William Fox, on the third
floor. There, according to the story
they later told Magistrate Norman ].
Marsh in the Washington Heights
Court, they found fourteen men en-
gagged in card game.
Five Men Don Masks
The. card players were told that they
were under arrest, and MacMahon and
Ryan stood guard while the other two
detectives went out to call a patrol
wagon. Rand and Coakley had hardly
left the house when it was entered by
five men who had arrived in taxicab.
lhey hustled Hays into the elevator
snd told him TO take them to the third
floor.
While in the elevator, according to
a statement the operator made before
be died. the FIVE men donned masks
and each one produced a revolver. The
leader of the band, who is described as
being more than feet tall, wore a
blue mask, while the ones worn by the
others were black.
At the third floor the blue-maskeo
.robber forced Hays out of the car and
kept him covered, while the other four
went to the door Of Apartment 80
INTO the room where Ryan and Mae
Mahon were guarding their prisoners.
" hen he heard a knock Ryan quickly
opened the door. thinking Rand and
Coakley had returned.
A gun was showed against his ribs
ana he was told to get his two hands
as near the ceiling as he possibly
could. The detective lost no time in
oooeylng. The other gunman covered
the rest Of the party and lined up the
,,eurteen card players and Detective
hacMahon against the wall with their
hands above their heads
The robbers had lust ordered the1>
victims TO turn out their pockets when
Ryan decided the situation was be-
coming embarrassing, and, jumping
quickly to one side, drew his revolver.
ne immediately opened fire on the
glnman who had him covered, and
wren this distracted the attention of
,he other robbers MacMahon unlim-
bered his gun and began to blaze away.
Returning the fire, the four hold-up
men made dash for the door
Bullet Stops Him
When the shooting in the room
started Hays, the elevator operator.
oroke away from the blue masked rob
Der and started running toward his
car lie had reached the entrance.
when bullet struck him and he fell
.nto .nto the elevator. AS his body blocked
sneir way, the five men ran down the
ssSirs and out into the street, where
theJ Jumped into the taxicab and es-
capped. MacMahon and RYAN pursued
1em 10 the street, and aftcrward
.o1nd their masks lying in the hall
a, the Knickerbocker Hospital Hays
ss,o one Of the five men was beng
ne'ped ~ his companions and appeared
10 be wounded.
lhe fourteen card players were
am1saigned YESTERDAY in Washington
uslgn'a Court on a disordcrly conduct
sssrge- There It was learned that one
snsra. William Shapiro, a chauffeur
~ coi west 173th Street. had jumped
oo"n a cumbwaiter shaft during the
shooting and was painfully injured. In
court II waa said there we're two
wonsn in the apartment during the
psnoo'lng. They were Mrs. William
roz, wife of the lessee Of the raidcd
aas: and ner aunt.
aag's'ratc Marsh told the fourteen
Wi%pners when he discharged them
lsaey wefc lucky the police were on
.aad - protect them and commended
.n' aetecssyc. for what ne called "a
f'pi piece o. poi'cc work" he said he
a'ped 'ommIaEioner Enright would re-
Tsfd Detective Ryan for his bravery.
shortly before thc st. Nicholas Ave
nae hoid-up card game on the third
noor of d house in Third Avenue. in
sns bronx, was raided by five men
.maose description fits that Of the band
"a, ~. descended upon the Fox apartment.
.hsy got away with about 81 900 in
III and iewelry. it is said. The police