Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-13
TWO NY. STORES ROBBED
As THOUSANDS WATCH
Armed Burglars Hold a Broadway
Crowd at Bay While They
Steal Gems.

New York. March 13.--Whiie Broad.
way was thronged with theatre-goers
last night, three armed bandits smashed
the window of Jewelry store at Thir-
ty-seventh street, kept the crowds al
bay with their revolvers until they had
emptied the contents of several trays
into their pockets and then escaped
shooting one pedestrian who attempted
TO stop them.
4 few minutes later three men en-
tered another Broadway jewelry store,
few blocks uptown, and after throw
ing pepper In O clerks eyes, grabbed
some trays of jewelry and ran from
the store. Two men, alleged TO be mena-
bers of the trio, were arrested after q
chase.
Both robberies, committed in the heart
of the white light district, were wit
messed by thousands of persons, Broad
way WAS thrown into the greatest excite
ment as police ressrfes arrived ON the
double quick and working on the theory
that the robberIes were committed by
two different bands. raced up and down
side streets and secured the subway for
the four missing bandits.
In addition to the pedestrian who was
shot, but not seriously injured, one other
member of the crowd succeeded In get
ting his fingers on fugitive. He was
rewarded by crack on the wrist from a
revolver butt, which caused his arm To
fall helplessly To his side.
Proprietors of the two stores esti-
mated that thousands OF dollars worth of
jewelry had been stolen.
The first robbery, in which Schwartz
Brothers were the victims, was engineered
do IL 10 rtst. oil
with passing pedestrians, one of the
bandits slipped an iron bar through the
handles of the door so that ii could not
be opened from the inside. Then brick,
wrapped In cloth, was hurled through the
window.
At the jingle of falling glass, Frank
Schwartz ran excitedly to the door and
tried to pull it open as he shouted for
help. The crowd, also attracted by the
crash, swarned about the robbers, two
OF whom continued cooliy at their task
of raking diamonds and ribies out of
the window, while the third member of
their party kept spectators at bay.
Seeing the crowds halt and form a
semi-cirele around the store, Patrolman
Anthony Neigen came racing to the
scene. Just as he arrived and began to
fight his way through the excited
throng, the robbers called it DAYS
work, packed the last of the gems into
their. pockets, parted company and
started each for himself to carve a way
through the human semi-circle.
Then came gun-play. Sighting man
break away from the crowd and dart
up Broadway, Weigen, with drawn re-
volver, gave chase.
The crowds took cover as they heard
the crack of a revolver, but Wiegen
had missed his aim, and the robber sped
on. In front of the fugitive was a sub
way air hole, with the cover off, and
through this hole the bandit jumped to
the subway tracks 10 feet below. He
missed being struck by pass
ing train, for the roar of its progress
was heard on the street above a few
seconds after the robber played his last
card and won.
For after reserves had assembled in
full force and searched the subway from
Forty-second street down and Thirty
fourth street up, they found no trace
Of the daring bandit and were forced to
admit that h. had strolled to the nearest
station, jumped up on the platform and
The second robbery occurred in the
store of Marcus Feldman, between Forty
fifth and Forty-sixth streets, where the
.hreatre throngs are thiekest