The New York herald., 1921-12-24
JEWEL CLERK ROUTS
BANDITS With Shots
Empties Pistol Across Coun-
ter at Two Holdups in
the BOwery.
CAFE MAN rs SLAIN
Shot Dead in Bronx Store as
4 He Flees From Two
Robbers.
ROBBERS GET JEWELS
Armed Men Invade Lunchroom
and Take $4,000 Worth
of Diamonds,
ROBBERS GET JEWELS

of a jewelry store at 1876 Bowery,
proved to be quicker on the trigger
than two holdup men, and he sent
them fleeing from the store last night
In hail of lead.
Edison was alone in the store when
the pair entered. They asked to see
diamond rings. Prices, they were told,
ranged from IS to $500. and they asked
FOR something around s45. Edison
picked out two rings, but they did not
seem to suit.
whats that one over there worth 2"
one asked.
AS Edison turned the two drew pistols
and ordered him to put UP his hands.
He had stopped to reach for the tray
holding the ring the robbers had asked
to see. Within q few inches Of his
left hand lay an automatic pistol He
whipped it out of its holster and opened
fire at the thieves. Four shots came in
rapid succession, but all went wild.
They shattered the door and window
and BIZ oke a showcase outside in the
street. Before Edison could reach the
street the robbers had disappeared.
Detectives had just about reached
their precinct after listening to Edsons
story when call came concerning
suspicious looking men in front Of a
Grand street jewelry shop. They hur-
ried there but the men had disappeared.
Saves $40; Loses Life.
Leon Sottile of % Madison street.
owner of a soft drink saloon at 2SS
East 152d street Bronx. saved $40
at the cost of his life when two young
bandits invaded his place about
o'clock last night. Sottille and his bar
tender Genario De Bastino of 293 East
152d street. were the only persons in
the place when the bandits entered with
revolvers.
Sottlle ran for side door opening
into a hallway. AS he reached the door
one of the bandits fired, and Sottille fell
into the hallway dead. The bullet had
struck him in the back of the head.
The bandits did not stop to search
the body or take the contents of the
till. They ran out. jumped into an auto
mobile. which it is said had no license
plates. and made off. Sottille had s140
in bills in his pockets.
Four bandits. 22 to % years old
three with guns. robbed patrons in Jo-
seph Greenstein's delicatessen and
lunch room at 1873 Hester street among
tnen IL JeWelry salesman, VINO lost
$4,000 worth OF unset diamonds, In
broad daylight. They padlocked the
door as they went out and the assistance
of neighbors with an ak was needed to
release those in The room.
One armed man stood at each side of
the room another at the door, while the
fourth man collected the valuabes.
Matt Weiner, a salesman for l. Lewko-
WITT of Seventeenth street and Sixth
n hnx Of
the table beside him and the robbers
took IL without even looking to see what
1t contained.
The bandits were about to leave when
the leader cried, Hey! You forgot to
pump the till" This oversight was rem
edied and S54 more was cleaned.
Victims PadIocked In.
With a warning that any one who at
tempted to follow in five minutes would
be shot the leader padlocked the door
and shut in the Greensteins and their
patrons. 1t was about ten minutes be-
fore they could attract attention and
by that time there were no bandits i'm
sight.
Abraham Ackerman was turning out
the lights in his drug store at 1865 Web
ster avenue, Bronx, when three men
entered Two produced pistols and
backed the proprietor into a rear room,
where they tied him to radiator and
one stood guard, taking Ackermans
watch. while the other took $500 from
the cash register. The third finished
turning out the lights. AS the men were
leaving Ackerman broke his bonds and
made rush. A bandit struck him on
the head with a pistol butt. knocking
him out for moment. They escaped
in an automobile.
George Schneider, cashier. and Her
bert La Frazier negro chauffeur. OF
the j. NJ. Horton Ice Cream Company,
205 East Twenty-fourth street, who
were held up July II and robbed of
$4,000 of the company's money. went
to the morgue yesterday and identified
the body of the holdup man shot and
killed Thursday afternoon in the rob-
berry at Phipps House, 234 West Sixty
third street. as one of the men who had
robbed them.
Inspector John d. Coughlin Is satis-
fiod the dead robber Is James Breen of
Buffalo, whose picture is In the Rogues'
Gallery. Flngerprints OF the dead nan
have been found to tally closely with
those of Breen. who was arrested sew
eral times and was sentenced In this
city In 1919 TO Sing Sing prison for
from two TO four years. If the identi-
fication made by Schneider and Ia
Frazier and that reported by the police
80 tpfitSt, brtcu UP tne ilOTtUn
employees four days after he had been
arrested here on charge of stealing
an automobile. That charge still Is
pending In the courts.
Wounded Suspect Held.
John Little, alias John Burke, charged
with having participated I'm the hoidup
ut Phipps House. was held without ball
In West Side Court. He was shot
through the mouth by a policeman while
fleeing from the building.
Michael Plcardi formerly champion
wrestler OF the American Expeditionary
Forces, who pleaded guilty to robblnc
the horue Of Commodore Frank Hast
fngs in Port Washington. l.. H. on the
night of August 80 and aided the Mas
sau county authorities In recovering
1om Manhasset Bay Thursday after
noon safe containing securities and
jewelry valued at $4,000 that hai been
stolen from the Hastings home, was
sentenced yesterday by County Judge
LOWS ]. Smith at Mneola TO serve
from four TO nine years and fix months
s. sing Sing prison.
Gustav Mercurious. proprietor OF a
fruit store at 33S Flatbush avenue,
Brooklyn. was held up yesterday lAorn-
ing by four armed men, who stole $l95
from the cash drawer.