New-York tribune., 1920-12-26
Man Arrested at Hospital
as Murray Hill Suspect
Exonerated by r. L. Ire
land, Who Was Slugged
POssessOr OF %
Suits of Clothes
Lives in Sis Apartments;
Burglars Set Building
Afre; Damage $75, 600


Street. who said he was "an insurance
man. was locked up at the West Thir-
tlcth Street police station. last night,
charged with the attempt to rob Rob
ert L. Ireland in his apartment at the
Murray Hill Hotel early Friday morn
ing. The charge remained on the blot
ter after Mr.. Ireland had seen the
prisoner and asserted that he was not
his assailant.
Authorities at New York Hospital
notified the police early yesterday
morning that Idler had come in with
his face bruised and Detectives Jen-
kins and Schuing were sent to the hos
pital. He repeated to thew the story
he had told on being adritted--that
he had been held up at Madison Ave
nue. and Fort--frst Street on his way
home after dinner at the Hotel Bilt-
more.
According to the police, Idler told
them that his salary was only $35 a
week yet, they said, the superintendent
on West 111th street, told them that
1dler paid SITS a month for his apart
ment there. The police said that they
searched the apartment and found
twenty-nine suits of clothes in it, most
of them OF expensive cut and material.
Tries to Elude Detectives
1dler. they said, walked out of the
hospital early yesterday morning while
the detectives were examining him.
They Immediately established guard
at his home. The. detectives said that
Idler told them that he had not re-
ported to the police the hold-up which
sent him to the hospital.
Mr.. Ireland was positive that Idler
was not his assailant. The man with
whom he struggled at the Murray Hill
Hotel, he said, was mucn shorter man
than Ider
Mr.. Ireland was an associate of the
late Mark Hanna and director of the
NJ. A. Hanna Coal Co. until his retire
ment few years ago. He and his
wife were awakened about 6 A. M.
by the intruder, who had got into their
suite on the fourth floor of the hotel.
Mrs. Ireland took down the receiver
to telephone for help and Mr.. Ireland
took revolver and sto.e toward their
dressing room, where they heard
sounds of stealthy movements. He
flung open the door, sw. tched on the
light and ordered the man he found
there to throw up his hands.
The man did so and Mr.. ireland
turned to tell his wife that the danger
was past. At the moment that he
turned his head the thief leaped for
him. Mr.. Ireland pulled the trigger of
his revolver, but the cartridge missed
fire and his assailant felled him with
chair which he brought down upon
his ribs.
Escapes Surrounded Hotel
The hotel was surrounded by the po-
lice and searched thoroughly. They
could not find the thief, though they did
find in Mr.. lrelands' room cloth cap
made in Allentown, Pa, which was not
Mr.. Ireland's. They decided that the
thief had slipped away without hat,
and, inconvenient as this might be at
this time of year, really had been en-
. led by his lack of a hat to escape
the police, who took him for an en-
ployee of the hotel.
Evidence that fire which damage i
the stock of Mishkotf, Goldberg
e. Levy, clothing merchants, on
the fifth floor Of l6 East Fourteenth
Street, yesterday was set by burglars
who cut through two walls and looted
the safe of Atkin & Hartman. shirt
makers, was found bv iiremen after the
flames had been extinguished. Damage
was estimated at $4,000, and the cash,
Liberty bonds, jewe:ry and other val
uables taken from the safe amounted
to several thousand dollars. The
jewelry belonged to Mrs. Celia Atkn,
wife of a member Of the firm. who said
he had put them in his safe for the
holidays. and as he had not made a
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