The New York herald., 1921-12-25
BANDIT STAYS GEM
DEALER, M0RTALLY
HURTS BRAVE Wife
Gunman Caught Fleeing
After Battle With Aged
Pair in Bronx.
3 HELD UP IN OFFICE
Five Men Clean Out Union
Quarters in Brooklyn
and Escape.
SALOON BANDITS CAUGHT
PAL of Man Killed in Cigar
Store Holdup Found in
hospital.
SALOON BANDITS CAUGHT

It is Christmas. They were broke.
The combination made them desper-
ate. Even murder meant nothing if
only they could get money. For it is
Christmas, and there were wives and
children and mothers and best girls
to buy presents for.
That was the burden Of the song Of
reason the police had to listen to yes
terday. First came a young man who
murdered an old jeweler. He wanted
to buy presents for his mother. Then
there came a tough young fellow who
feared he was going to loose his new
est and best girl if he went to her to-
day without that present. He was
broke. He resorted to holding up late
shoppers.
And from a hospital bed in Engle-
wood young man confessed to talk
ing part in the United Cigar store rob-
berry in The Bronx Friday night. He
wasn't so sentimental about it. To be
sure it was Christmas. But the MAX
ing Of gifts wasn't the urge. There
was more money in shop tills during
the holidays.
Not all the crime that took place in
New York yesterday is to be laid to
Christmas. But Christmas was blamed
for some of it. The police declare it
to be sentimental sush and so on.
They say the men and women perpe-
trating the current surge of banditry
and burglary. highway robbery and
murder are just thoroughly objection
able citizens who are taking advan-
tage Of the season and who would
murder or rob at any period in the
year were the opportunities to arise.
First the murder of the jeweler.
On Friday Carl Mollar and his wife
Ursuline inserted an advertisement in an
evening newspaper. Mollar was 81 years
old He used to own a jewelry store. Oflate
years he has done little business from
his home. His wife was 46. They lived
at 1868 Nelson avenue, The Bronx
Advertised $4,000 Gems.
The advertisement notified the public
that the Mollars had several pieces of
jewelry set with diamonds and valued
at $4,000. They were for sale. Times
had not been over lenient with the Mol
lars. They were not in want, but they
had decided to sell the Jewelry. although
they had owned it a long time.
EARLY Friday night man whom the
police identify as Alric Westling, 81. 14s
West Forty sixth street. appeared at the
Mollar home. IIe described himself as
a salesman of securities. He was fond
of odd pieces of jewelry, he said. He
had it in mind to make Christmas
presents of just such ornaments as Mol
lar possessed.
There was a great deal OF pride about
Mollar and his wife In the way they
displayed the jewels to Westling. The
latter talked like man who knew good
diamonds when he saw them. He de-
clared they were just what he wanted.
He would return In the morning with the
necessary money.
II am sorry" replied Mollar, but
shall not be home in the morning. My
wife and l are to go to Jersey City to
deliver few Christmas presents. / am
sorry.
westling left insisting he would make
two or three calls in order to catch the
Mollars at home. He had fallen in love
with the pieces. He was determined, he
said, to buy them.
Yesterday morning just after 10
o'clock Westling returned to the Mollar
home He did not take the trouble to
ring the doorbell The Mollars live on
the third floor. Westling forced door
that entered on the dining room. He did
It deliberately. Mollar and his wife had
said they would not be home.
Murderer Forces Door.
westling entered the room to find
Mollar standing at the dining room
table. The old man apparently had
watched the breaking in of the door
like man in a dream. Westling had
worked deftly. He had made little
noise. Ursuline, who was making crul-
lers in the kitchen, had heard nothing.
Her husband had been so fascinated
by the gradual opening of the door he
had not cried out.
Westling. according to his own con-
fession to the police, was somewhat
stunned when he beheld the old man
at the table. But he drew out pistol.
leveled 1t at the old mans stomach.
and, seeing the coveted jewelry on the
table. made a grab for II.
But Mollar was courageous. He was
not going to submit tamely. The Jewels
belonged to his wife as much as to him
self He leaped toward Westling. He
was stopped half way by the pistol.
Twice Westling pulled the trigger. The
first bullet hit the old man In the chest
the second In the stomach. Moilar
died where he fell.
Before westling could scoop the jew
elry into his pocket Ursuline Molar
was In the room. across the body of
her husband and clawing at Westling's
face The fury of her attack drove
Westling back toward the jimmied door.
Westling might have run for 1t had
the infuriated wife allowed 1t.
She threw both arms around the
mans neck and pinned him back so he
could not use the pistol He smashed
at her with all the savagery he would
have used had she been man. The
II IL