New-York tribune., 1921-12-24
Robber Slain by Detective
After Being Discovered
in Act of Holding Up
Cigar Store in Bronx
Cun,nen Wound 2
OF Police I'm Duel
Cafe Owner Murdered;
Woman Drops Rings Ia
to Soup, Dupes Thieves

Tho casualty list in the bandit war
grew Yesterday. A cigar store robber
n the Bronx was killed by detectives
hn,let. Two detectives were wounded
!, that encounter. The proprietor OF
cafe in the Bronx was shot and killed
hv another gang of robbers. Shots
wsre fred in a hold-up on the Bowery
and in one in Brooklyn. Four men held
IN delicatessen store in Hester Street
sa sra three others got $500 from Bronx
drug store
scht with police in the cigar store was
identified by his finger prints as Nell
son Levy, convicted half dozen times
N this city since 1913, with two
charges against him stlll pending. be-
SIDES two more which he escaped by
rerords show that Judge Rosalsky, of
General Sessions, suspended sentence
an him twice within period of year,
follow;nc his conviction on burglary
charges
Detectives Not Fatally Hit
The detectives who were wounded
are Randall P. Mccarthy and Timothy
j. Ccnneil, of the fremont police sta
tim Their wounds are not regarded
as fatal.
Leon Sottle, whose home was at s
Madison Street, was the cafe proprietor
who was killed.
The encounter in the cigar store
which ended in the death of one rob-
be- and the escape OF another was one
III the most desperate in the history
Il the police Both detectives were
wounded by the first shots fired by the
onbers and Connell was stretched
ssnseless on the floor when Mccarthy
staggered to the street in pursuit of
the crooks and brought down his man
with bullet just before he himself
collapsed.
The Two hold-up men had spent more
taan half an hour in the United Cigar
store at $50 East fremont Avenue.
lerry Fryfed, of 1850 Washington
Ayahue, the Bronx, manager of the
store, and John Michaels, of 8o1 East
18th Street, salesman, were in the
pace when the pair entered.
Manager Bound to Chair
Although tie store is busy at that
hour of the evening, the robbers had
chosen moment when no customer
vas there. One Of them went behind
the counter and pressed mis- revolver
.rainst Mlchaels's side.
the other forced Fryfield, who was in
frent of the counter, into the rear
room at the point of his revolver.
There he bound him securely to q chair
and stood Guard over him. He left the
door partly open so he could watch
what went on in the store, he himself
Acing concealed b. the darkness of the
year room
It was worth watching. The manager
scarcely was secure in his chair when
four customers entered. Michaels' S
guard, whose revolver was hidden from
the customers by the counter, nudged
the salesman with it significantly and
Mchaels attended to their wants with
out giving hint of the situation,
fearful that if he did he would get a
bullet through the heart.
AS each customer took his change
and departed the gunman at Michaels' s
side nodded genially and wished him q
merry Christmas. When the last of
them had gone be opened the cash
register and pocketed 500 which it
contained
Robber Calls for Cigars
Then he told Michaels he could wrap
up half dozen boxes of the best
cigars for him and a dozen boxes of
candy. Michaels did it with a revolver
nudgng his back all the time.
Several more customers dropped in
ana all of them were served. Four or
nVe times the man guarding Fryfeld
IN the back room peeked somewhat
aanxlously around the edge Of the door
but each time before he could enter OF
arrange with his pal for an exit, the
'font door would open and customer
step in.
I..e Of the customers, man wnc
came III fully half an hour after the
aold-up started, knew Michaels pretty
well and undertook to jolly him a bit
according to his custom,
handing out the Christmas cheroots
U-night, | suppose" said he with 6
WINK at his friend the salesman.
mslchaels, whose sensibiiities were
aaiied by this time to everything but
Continued on paDo nvO