New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-26
Policeman Shot
By Bandits Who
Pose as Clerks
Trio Take Possession Of
Cigar Store, Bind Man
ager and Porter and Make
the Former Open Safe
Officer Walks Into Trap
Greeted by Revolver Fire as
He Enters; Thugs Tram
pie Him and Get Away

Thomas Huskinson, who has been
to the Alexander Avenue police sta
tion, noticed yesterday morning when
he passed the United Cigar stone at
Willis Avenue and 146th Street, the
Bronx, that stranger whose cap was
pulled low over his eyes stood behind
the counter in the place of Michael
Koensy, the regular sales man.
The young patrolman loosencd his
revolver in its holster and walked in.
"Get ready, here's cop!" muttered
the youth behind the counter out of
the side of mis- mouth.
He drew a revolver and two men
similarly armed crept cautiously for
ward from the rear of the store. H'sk-
inson was a fraction Of second too
late with his own weapon and sank
to the floor with two bullets in his
right thigh, planted by the dextcrous
young man behind the counter.
Robbers Trample Policeman
With his revolver still in his hand
the patrolman's assaiant vaulted the
counter and ran out of the store, fol-
lowed by his two companions, who
trampled Husknson under foot in
their rush. Before they had cleared
tie doorway the policeman raised him
self on his left arm and sent four bull
lets after them.
Two f1attened themselves on the
door jamb, one crashed through the
window of the store and went whining
across crowded Willis Avenue, and The
fourth whizzed above the heads of the
fugitives and caused children playing
in the yard of Public School 81, across
the street, to glance upward in swift
quest of the big bumblebee who droned
so piercingly.
The three men raced through pedes-
trian and vehicle traffic, upsetting in
their haste man who was leading his
boy to school,, and were lost to view
motorist caught sight of Husk;nson,
who had dragged himself to the d or
and lay peering out, his revolver 1t adv.
and took him to Lincoln Hospital.
The hold-up men had been in the
store about fifteen minutes and were
on the point of departure when the
patrolman entered. They had about
$500, which they had taken from the
cash register. An account of the rob-
berry was given by Koensy, the sales
man, who was found in the rear of
WV SoOAS WIFI faleNdHueF GdrSn, the
porter, both Of them tied hand and
foot.
Force Clerk to Open Safe
After binding them, Koensy said
the hold-up men had discovered that
the safe was locked. They had car
rled him out to the safe, he said. laid
him on the floor behind the counter
where no change customer could catch
sight of him, freed his hands and
with revolver at his head, ordered
him to open the safe.
When he had done so his hands were
bound again and he was taken back
to where Garsh lay. Two or three Gus
toners entered while the robbers were
at work, he said and the man who re-
manned behind the counter had waited
on them, carefully putting the money
IN the cash register and then trans
ferring it to his own pocket. The
last of the customers departed just
as the patrolman entered.
Three youths whose haste aroused
the suspicion of Patrolman Kinnane.
at 14Oth Street and Morris Avenue
soon after the hold-up, were taken
to the cigar store, then surrounded
by the reserves to keep the crowd from
wrecking it in it's curiosity. Neither
Koensy nor the porter could identify
them, however, and no weapons nor
any considerable sum of money was
found on any of them.
Patrolman Huskinson is twenty
seven years old and lives with his
mother, a widow at 1909 Southern
| Boulevard, the Bronx.