New-York tribune., 1920-09-16
Soldier Kills
Man I'm IHOld1l11:
Wife Also Shot
Bandit i'm Civilian Attire
Stays Tailor With Three
Bullets When He Resists
His Demand for Money
Traged dy i'm Daytim G
Two Passersby Overpower
Assailant i'm 34th St. Shop {;
Police Obtain Confession

A soldier in civilian clothes entered
the establishment of Max Rabinowitz
tailor and dealer in Liberty bonds
at 233 West Thirtyfourth Street, yes.
terday and, meeting with resistance
shot and killed Rabinowitz and serious.
ly wounded his wife.
The bandit is Harry R. Van Reed, a
corporal in the recruiting service of the
United States Army, who lives at So
st. Nicholas Avenue. He was captured
| soon after the shooting. Van Reed saws
he planned the hold-up in order to get
enough money to pay debts amounting
to $500, which he had contracted
through gambling.
The crime hid all the elements of a
motion picture thriller, with John R.
Nclsony a nephew of Federal Judge
Frederick p. Anderson, of Indianapo-
lis. and Patrick j. Mooney, IL printer
of 223 West Thirty-fourth Street, play
ing the heroic roles.
Arrested Once in Chicago
Van Reed is clerk in the army re.
cruiting Office at Thirty-fourth Street
and Seventh Avenue. He is thirty-six
years old and has been in the army
on and off for the last twelve years
He admits having been arrested in
1912 in connection with a stck-up in
Chicago, while he was a sergeant at
Fort Sheridan.
According to his confession to AS
sistant District Attorneys John R
Hennis and Nathan. Birchal and the
police, he had been respondent for
tt,,,o hno l,@ -
He declared he owed the Red Gross
$500 and had lost $500 in gambling
He decided yesterday either to get the
money by robbery or to kill himself
Being on a two days leave of alb
sence, he put on civilian clothes in
violation of army regulations and
loading a 3S-caliber pistol which he
| said he purchased six months ago
went to Thirty-fourth Street. He had
| passed the Rabinowitz esta ablishment
with the Liberty bonds displayed in the
window, many times on his way to the
army station, and chose it as the scene
of his crime because he noticed that
two elderly persons were in charge, the
husband being sixty years old and Mrs
Rabinowitz more than fifty.
At about II a. m. he went into the
place and asked Rabinowitz about a
| fur collar for an overcoat While the
tailor was advising him to 20 to a de-
partment store Van Reed drew his gun
with the remark, keep quiet want
those bonds in the window and all
the other bonds and cash you've got"
Tailor Attacks Bandit
There were about $4,000 in Liberty
bonds and $4,000 in cash in a safe
nearby. Mrs. Rabinowitz was sitting
in corner and, seeing the gun pointed
at her husband, jumped to her feet
Her husband, instead of throwing w
his hands. flew at the bandit. In thu
course of the struggle the tailor was
shot three times in the abdomen and
chest.
He fell. and while his wife took ur
the fight he crawlcd out through tn,
hallway to the entrance. Pulling th'
outer door shut behind him to i'm
prison the robber, he hung to the knob
gasping: Murder! murder!"
Nelson was coming from the Penn
sylvania station, across the street, hav
ing just arrived from indianapolis as
a travelling mechanic for the Midwes
Engineering Company. He heard
shot, and little later heard the ole
mans cries. He rushed into the hall
way, where he was confronted by Var
Reed with the gun in his hand.
Before the robber could pull the
CONTINUED on page slx)