The New York herald., 1921-03-29
TWO MEN KILLED;
STORESROBBED in
CRIME 0UTBURST
Several Places Entered and
Numerous Depredations
Repaired.
2 ARRESTS ARE MADE
Florists Safe Skilfully
Pried Open and $1,1OO
Iaken AWA.
nAUNDRYMAN is HELD
Accused by Girls, Tut Lee is
Saved From Angered Group
Of Residents.
naUNDRYMAN is HELD

IN outburst cf crime IN which two
men were killed, a safe robbed, several
storekeepers relieved of their receipts
and numerous other depredations COM
mitted kept detectives on the jump
yesterday.
Two arrests in the more important
crimes were made during the day.
Abe Ward, manager of a Hungarian
restaurant, was formally placed under
arrest, charged with the murder of
John Coffey, a former policeman, after
he had been questioned for several
hours at the East Sixty-seventh street
police station. 1t is alleged that he
contradicted himself several times.
Katherine Farrell, a waitress in the
have taken place, was held as a ma
tcrial witness.
The cracking of a safe with sl,1oo in
cash in 1t became known when Detec-
tives Golding and Foley last night
brought into the West Sixty-eighth
street station George Divine, who said
he was "a years old, a laborer, of 203
West Sixty-seventh street. The de-
tectives held Divine on suspicion Of
implication in the unusually skilful
and carefully planned safe robbery.
The victim of the theft was the firm
of David ClarlSs Son, florist, Of 214l
Broadway. Thieves on Easter night
entered the shop. at the northwest cor
ner of Seventy-fifth street, by going
through the service entrance Of an
s.oreroom with key and hoisting them
selves in a dumbwaiter into the shop.
The men ripped the doors off the safe
with a section crowbar after neatly
drilling the safe. Leaving their tools,
they opened the front door and departed
about IL 80 yesterday morning.
Former Policeman killed.
Coffey, the former policemen, died in
the Lenox Hill Hospital several hours
after he was stabbed while physicians
were still making strenuous efforts to
save his life. His jugular vein had
been severad. The wounds came as the
result OF quarrel OF unknown cause
in a restaurant at 207 East Seventy
sixth street. Wards arrest followed a
search made by detectives who wished
to question him and his wife about oc-
currences In a sitting room back of the
main room.
Three girls. who we're found after the
affair by Patroman Fred Fernando on
the stairs of the Third avenue elevated
structure at Seventy street holding
Coffey's hat we're taken TO the District
Attorneys Office. They told John r.
Hennis. Assistant District Attorney, they
were sitting In the lunch room at . 80
yesterday morning when they heard
noises of qua srcllng coming from
sitting room in the rear. They heard
Mrs. Ward scraem. Mr.. Hennis said, and
then Coffey ran into the street with
blood streaming from his face.
TWO men found Coffey standing at
Third avenue and Seventy-sixth street
half conscious and took him TO the hos
pital in a taxicab. lie died without
being able to tell anything about how
he received his wound. The women Mr..
Hennis questioned we're Margaret Burke
OF 1859 Third avenue, Anna Hirsch of
1900 First avenue. and Mrs Lilly Langin
OF 217 East Seventy-seventh street
While trying 70 stop q free-for-all
fight at an Easter celebration of Italians
at az Cornelia street, Trio Griole. a
laborcr. living at that address. was
stabbed. He died yesterday morning at
st. vincent's Hospital.
Two stores Robbed.
Three men held up Arthur Lester. man
ager OF Longs hat store at esss Third
avenue, The Bronx, and David Buck
man. a salesman. in the store yesterday
morning while crowds were .oas~ing out
side. The men looted a safe, desk and
cash register. getting 5000 in all.
Another trio OF armed bandits en-
tered the store Of the Atlantic and Pa
cifc Tea Company OF 1921 Gravesend
avenue, Brooklyn, and held up John
Jirouschek, manager. and Philip Aarons
clerk. They got 1862 from Jirouschek
and $es from the cash register and then
fed
After a fight in which residents OF Har-
lems Little Italy Joined in detectives
OF the East 104th street police station
arrested Mike Bartine as he was at
tempting 10 escape In an automobile
The police charge that Bartinc. recently
discharged from Sing Sing. fred four
shots at another who had been instru-
mental in sending him to prison. Mazis-
tra,e Joseph $. Schwao in Harlem Court
held Bartine In $4,000 bail for a hear
Ing Thursday on a charge OF felcnious
assault
Marie" a French maid whose last
name is unknown, Is being sought by the
police. She disappeared from the home
OF David Bandler, vice-president Of OPP
penhelm-Collins Company, at 545 West
111th street, March 10. Al tho same
time a diamond necklace, a string OF
pearls and other jeweiry were missed.
Detectives Michael Murphy and
George Begley held several hundred an
cry men and women at bay by a threat
cning display or revolvers yesterday
while they arrested Tut Lee. a laundry
man OF 1872 East f23d street, on
charge OF attempting 10 drag three girls
into the rear or his laundry. Leo was
taken 20 the East 126th street police
station In an automobile and later held
In $500 bail for hearing Thursday on
= charge Of dIsorderly conduct.
Thieves were active In Nassau county
over Easter, entering several houses at
Port Washington and Manhasset and
breaking into Christ Church, Manhassot.
The burglars stripped the church OF
sacred vessels and partially wrecked the
altar In blowing open a safe door.
Two men entered the drug store Of
Victor Finkelstein. at 1906 Prospect ave-
nue., The Bronx. last night. and while
one with a revolver kept the proprietor
irimovabie In the rear OF the store the
other stole $3.50 from the cash register.
tHayn v0ri ~ot any hunzo hero7" a4tad