The New York herald., 1920-12-25
ASTOR HOTEL BANDIT.
GETS SIXTY YEARS.
Judge Mcintyre Promises Ut
most Severity for Others
Convicted of Crimes.
100000 BAIL FOR ONE
Roundup Of Known Crooks
Continues-COurts Stand
ing Behind Police.

! Imposition OF a thirty TO sixty year
prison sentence upon one OF the robbers
! who held up party In the Hotel Astor
ten DAYS ago and the holding of four
more alleged robbers In bail aggregating
1925 600, were some OF Yesterdays de-
velopments in the vigorous campaign
which the courts Of this city are wag-
ing upon criminals.
The hotel robber who received the
sevepest penalty which the court could
impose upon him was Lawrence Haw-
thorne, alias Handiboe, who pleaded
guilty to burglary in the first degree
after he had been captured struggling
with two victims of the robbery and en-
deavoring to blackjack them and make
his escape In sentencing him Judge
John r. Mc\ntyre declared that all burg
lars and robbers coming before him may
expect the limit of the law.
The four alleged robbers ON whose be-
half the records for bail in such cases
were broken were described in the records
OF the County Court OF Kings county,
where they were arralgned, as Russell
Brice OF 1888 Lexington avenue, Ravir
Kren of l27 Halsey street. Samuel Bloom
OF ATS Rochester avenue and Soloman
Reneff of 100 North Portland avenue,
all of Brooklyn. Brice. the alleged
leader and characterized by District At
torney Harry Il. Lewis as "a more
desperate criminal than Handy" was
held in 100000 bail, the highest sum
exacted for a robbery charge.
"Gentleman Burglar" Held.
The quartet We're accused before
Judge Reuben l.. Haskell of having
participated in the robbery OF Harold
Anderson of III Sterling place. Brook
lyn, who was relieved of a gold watch
on Wednesday night. Three of them
were under arrest within three hours
after the commission of the crime. The
fourth was arrested the following morn
ing. Reneff is said by the police to
have been making use of the alias Jack
Dempsey"
In addition 10 these developments.
new pleas of guilty were recorded in
several important cases and, according
to statements made by the police, sew
eral confessions were obtained. One OF
these was said by the officers TO nave
been made by a young man who had
robbed a room in the Hotel Endicott
on Thursday afternoon, stealing n suit
case containing $3.50 worth OF clothes.
He described himself in the West Side
Court to City Magistrate McQuade as
Ashley Long. salesman, q years old,
of 1872 New York avenue, brooklyn.
The room from which he Is said to
have admitted taking the suit case was
that OF Mrs. Irene Jaeger. He waived
examination and was held in so,ooo BAN
for the Grand Jury.
In Harry Spawn. known as "the gem
tleman burglar" who pleaded guilty
10 two charges against him in the
Yorlville Court and was also held for
the Grand Jury. the police expressed the
belief that they had come into possession
OF n perpetrstor of great many apart
ment hotel rohberies.
The imposition of the 80 TO so year
sentence upon Hawthorne was shock
to the young man who had made
plea for leniency. saying that he had
been prevailed upon by two master
minds TO join In the Hotel Astor
robbery Judge Mcintyre asked Rim
who his two companions in the crime
had been. and he insisted that he did
not know and could furnish no more
information about them He said that
he had come OF respectable family
and that his father was the owner OF
a large stock farm in Wellsville. Va.
No Mercy From Mcintyre.
Judge Mcintyre stated that he would
impose q life sentence upon the young
man but for the fact that under the pres
ent system life" prisoners may be re-
leased within twelve wears. II will impose
an indeterminate sentence upon you"
he said "for such time as will insure
your Incarceration in State prison until
you are an old man. 7 do not feel that
would be doing my duty II yielded
to the opportunities OF yourself and
others to save you from long term
OF imprisonment.
This city In recent times has. been
invaded by a lawless set OF thugs, muir
derers and thieves feel that the po-
lice have been doing as best they could,
and wish to add that. In my Judgment.
the policemen OF this city are brave
and fearless body of men.
Every man who is convicted before
me OF burglary or robbery must expect
now and henceforth the severest penalty
the law will permit me to impose" Last
May Judge Mcintyre sentenced two men