Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-06-11
DIAMOND BANDIT NABBED
AFTER BROADWAY BATTLE

NEW YORK.-A diamond thief,
who gave his name to the police as
George Brewster, but who was later
identified at Bellevue hospital as
George Desaro, fought a pistol battle
with two police officers at Forty-tirst
street, near Broadway, and was later
captured after fight in the cellars
of the old Knickerbocker hotel. Thir-
ty shots were fired.
DeSaro and young woman OF at
tractive appearance, fashlonably
gowned, entered the jewelry store OF
Morris Sappo, on the second floor OF
729 Sixth avenue shortly before 6 p.
m. Sappo, diamond merchant and
manufacturing jeWeler, was behind
his counter when the man and woman
entered. Desaro was masked and his
companion wore toque with veil
that covered her eyes and the upper
part of her face. There were dia-
monds worth $4,000 in trays on dis
play.
Woman Aids in Attack
Hands up, quick yelled the ROB-
did so the bandit dropped one of his
revolvers and stopped to pick 1t up.
In an instant Sappo jumped for him
band the two men fell to the floor. AS
the men struggled Desaro's woman
accomplish kicked Sappo viciously in
the, head. Sappo struggled to his feet
and kicked the revolver dropped by
Desaro under a counter When he
started after it Desaro and his COM
panion ran for the stairway.
Occupants of the door on which
Sappo's place of business is were at
tracted by the struggle and the jewel
er's cries for help. They chased the
bandits down the stairway to the
street, where Desaro shouted to his
companion:
MAKE your, getaway-1n have to
fight it out"
Desaro ran down Sixth avenue to
Forty-first street, turning to fire as
pushing men, women and children
into the cutters. Traffic Officer
Moore, stationed in Broawyay, was
first to take UP the chase. Desaro
fired five shots at him, the officer
returning the fire whenever he could
wounding others. Traffic officer Nc
Avoy joined Moore in the pursuit,
and, firing as they ran, the two pa
trolmen trailed Desaro to the en-
trance Of 143 West Forty-first street,
where he disappeared down stair
way.
Plunged into Cellar
Plunging downward in the dark,
the patrolmen found themselves in
the lumber-laden old cellar of the
former Knickerbocker hotel. A search
was made among the rubbish the cell
lar contained without trace Of De-
saro being found until Moore dis
covered closet. The door appeared
to be locked.
Come out or we'll shoot through
the door," shouted McAvoy, and De-
saro, limping from a bullet wound in
his right knee, stepped through the
door. Thinking their man intended
to surrender the officers were off
guard for an instant. Desaro closed
with McAvoy, who was nearest. and
tried to trip him. Although both Nc
Avoy and Moore dubbed the man for
five minutes in the dark with their
revolver butts. he continued to fight
until unconscious.
During the shooting bullet crush
ed through the window of the Con-
solidated Ticket office at les West
Forty-first street, wounding Ira
Holmes, a ticket clerk living at 10S
South Lexington avenue. Holmes and
Desaro were both taken to Bellevue
hospital. Holmes is seriously
| wounded. Both men will recover, ac-
cording to the hospital authorities.