The New York herald., 1921-06-07
BANDIT shot, GIRL
AID ESCAPES, AFTER
DUEL With POLICE
Daylight Holdup Leads to
Chase Near Broadway;
OnlOOker Wounded.
FOUGHT BY JEWELLER
Mans Pal Bites and
Scratches When Compan-
ion Is Thrown to Floor.
BREAK THROUGH CROWD
Pair Went Into Gem Shop and
Made an Attempt to Clean
Out Establishment.
FOUGHT BY JEWELLER
BREAK THROUGH CROWD


Forty-first street, between Broadway
and Sixth avenue. were endangered
early last night during one of the most
exciting thief chases and pistol battles
the theatrical district ever has wit
messed. Before the chase began the
thief engaged in a battle with Morris
S. Sapo, a jeweller, at 729 Sixth ave-
nue.. fleeing with stylishly dressed
young woman companion after Sapo
had bitten him through the cheek and
after he had tried TO knock the
jeweller Unconscious with the butt of a
revolver.
AS he ran west through Forty-first
street the man tried to shoot Police
man Nicholas Moore Of Traffic B. In
the rapid exchange Of shots taken part
in by Moore. De Saro was struck in
the head. a second bullet finding a
mark in Ira Holmes, spectator.
sapo. the police said was preparing
to close his shop. which Is only few
feet from the corner Of Sixth avenue and
Forty-second street, when De Saro and
the young woman entered. The jeweller
saw at once that the man was masked.
He rushed at them and was within arm )
length Of De Saro, 1t is charged, when
two revolvers were jammed against his
stomach.
This place is about to be cleaned
out" De Saro is alleged to have said.
- 49, A. Yx.> <k1nvS
He Lunsed at Thief.
But Sapo. instead Of surrendering.
lunged at De Saro with a small file he
chanced To have In his hand. De Saro
parried and sapo. dropping the file
struck him on the nose. Next. the jewel
Ter Knocked the two revolvers out of hi:
hands seized him around the neck and
tried to choke him.
While other tenants In the building
were massing outside the jewellers door
for an attack on what they knew was a
hoIdup man, Sapo and De Saro fell t1
the floor. The young woman, Sapo later
said, dropped the small black travelling
bag she had been carrying and fell
on top of them. biting and scratching
in an effort to free the thief She kicked
Sapo on the head, almost rendering him
unconscious
Sapo finally raised his head high
enough to reach the thiers face with
his teeth. He secured q hold on the
mans right cheek. almost biting througf,
the flesh. With a howl Of pain and rage
De Saro got to his feet. grabbed UP one
Of his revolvers and started for the
door. The woman followed him. and
their appearance in the hall was so sud-
den that those gathered there to catch
them, let them 20 by and down the
stairs TO the street.
Policeman Moore. on duty at Sixth ave-
nue. and Forty-first street. heard the
uproar that greeted De Saro's appear
ance on the street. Men and women ran
shrieking out of his way, thinking he
was a maniac. But Moore had heard
someone shout "Stop, thief" and draw
Ing his revolver he advanced toward
the man.
Polfceman's Hat shot on.
The policeman was almost upon De
Saro when the latter spied him and rar
west through F'orty-first street Moore
followed His cap was sent spinning
from his head the next instant by a bull
let. The shot came from De Saro's gun
II Is charged, and persons who were
watching said he stopped running Ions
enough to rest his revolver on fence
and take deliberate aim at the police
man. Moore began firing then and he
and De Saro exchanged a dozen shots.
Women lodged into doorways In terror
and tainted.
A dozen feet from Broadway the
hoSdup man disappeared through a
doorway that led TO the cellar OF what
used to be the Hotel Knickerbocker.
At the foot Of the steps he fired one
more shot at Moore and turned 10
escape through the cellar. Moore fol-
lowed and after half an hours search
found De Saro hiding in a closet
De Saro was taken to Bellevue Hos
pitai a prisoner charged with felonious
assault and attempted robbery. He
had a deep wound In his scalp, cut
on the nose and q laceration OF the
cheek
During the chase the woman who
was with De Saro escaped In the
crowd at Forty-second street and Sixth
avenue. The police obtained a descrp-
ton of her and announced that she
was wanted for another hoidup
Al Bellevue Hospital. where Ira
Holmes. the wounded spectator. wa
taken. II was said he may recover.
The bullet struck him In the side. II
had passed through window pane
and much OF it's force was spent
Holmes Is a manager for the Consoli-
dated Ticket Offices and lives az .sC
Lexington avenue. White Plains.