The New York herald., 1922-01-05
Gisterer Accused of Second
Story Work in Homes
Near Fifth Avenue.
MYSTERY NORTH OF PARK
Apartment Burglar Slips Past
Employees With $4,000
in Valuables.

Burglaries and thefts reaching a
total in loot of at least 100000 figured
in the crime record for the city yes
terday. In the capture of an old time
porch burglar the police said they had
cleared up long series Of robberies in
Fifth avenue and Madison avenue
residences, from which silverware and
jewelry valued at more than $4,000
had been taken. Two mysterious house
burglaries, in one Of which jewelry
valued at $4,000 was stolen on New
Years eve, have not been solved.
As other incidents, there were the
daylight theft Of truck loaded with
silks valued at $4,000; the removal
of a 400 pound safe from a Thomas
Roulston grocery store. and several
less noteworthy operations.
"The Fifth avenue" burglar. as the
police dubbed Adolph Gisterer. was said
to have told about half dozen resi-
dences that had been robbed. Detectives
will go to-day on a trip through the mid
town district to look at other places en-
tered just at dawn.
Mystery North of Park.
One Of the most puzzling burglaries
recently took place New Years Eve at
the home Of Simon Strauss, retired
business man, on the second floor Of the
Amherst Apartments. 204 West 10th
street. from which jewelry and clothing
to a value of $4,000 were removed. No
street police, but Mr.. Strauss said that
a detective called and got the details
of the case.
The strange part of the burglary was
how the thief managed to pass the door
man and elevator operator in the lower
hall on his way out with the loot.
Mr.. Strauss said he and members Of
his family returned home at A. M
from party to find that a servants en-
trance to their apartment had been
forced. The lobby is7the only entrance
to i've house. Mr.. Strauss said. so it
was apparent that the thief went up the
service stairs behind the elevator to the
apartment, broke IN and made a careful
selection of the articles stolen. An
overcoat and many articles Of clothing,
along with the jewelry, must have made
a sizable bundle. Mr.. Strauss asserted.
He has heard no further word from the
police.
$4,000 Theft Suppressed.
Another robbery which has not been
explained took place at the home OF Mrs.
S. Roper on the first floor of the Albert
Court apartments 900 West Ninety-third
o10 av,I ,al tad
at about $4,000 were stolen. Mrs. Roper
told Of the theft for the first time last
night, but said she had been asked by
the police not to discuss 1t.
Adolph Gisterer, according to Lieut..
John Mcmahon and Detectives Smith
and Scully of the East Sixty-seventh
street police station, who arrested him
for the Fifth avenue burglaries was
sentenced to five years in Sing Sing In
1909 for a robbery at the home Of James
]. Hill. East Sixty-fifth street
The mans statement Is said to have
asserted that he returned to burglary
because "he had to make some money"
and he didn't know anything else" He
had $3.50 in bills when arrested and sill
verware marked II. A. Mel" which
was said to have been stolen from 33
Eighth avenue, where lives daughter
of Hugh Mclaughlin, former Brooklyn
political leader.
Gisterer is accused of robberies at the
home of A. II. Kohn, lawyer, 81 East
Sixty-fifth street; Herman A. Schalk,
an official of the American Yeast Com
pany, 2S East Ninety-second street;
James b. A. Fosburg. banker, IA East
Eightieth street; Mrs. X. Harriet Haas.
widow of Kalman Haas. Z East Sixty
ninth street; Edward w. Harris, 10 East
Sixty-third street. and George f. Cha
tillon, IL East Ninety-second street. of
John Chatillon & Sons, scales manu-
facturers.
The charge on which Gisterer is held
is that OF the theft on October 8 of 100
pieces of silverware valued at about
s2,500 from Mr.. and Mrs Halliburton
Fales. Jr.. of log East Seventy-third
street. Gisterer had on an overcoat
according to the detectives, which Mr..
Fales Identified as his own. Gisterer's
method was to select houses with high
steps and to force a front window. Loot
valued at 100000 is said to have been
recovered. mostly from New Jersey
pawnshops.
silk Quickly Recovered.
$40, 900 in silks was stolen at First ave-
nue. and 103d street. and the driver and
two helpers kidnapped and taken in an
automobile into Van Cortlandt Park
woods while other bandits escaped, the
police found the silk unloaded In a ga
rage at 49S West 129 street. The pro-
prietor, Charles Arnold, of 4S7 West
1g9th street. was arrested on a charge
Of receiving stolen goods. He was held
In $4,000 bail when arraigned In the
Night Court. after it was explained that
District Attorney Banton wanted high
bail in all cases that seemed TO justify
st."
The stolen truck was found aban-
doned late at night at Convent avenue
and 14Sth street. Arnold denied the
charge. The silk was ou ned by the
Silk Finishing Company II America.
After being taken TO the park. the
driver and the helpers had been blind
folded and released.
About $4,000 was stolen from n safe
forced In Miller Brothers confectionery
plant at 20 DeKalb avenue. Brooklyn.
Monday night OF Tuesday. II was
learned. The safe was near tho window
for observation by the police. The
plant Is near the Dime Savings Bank
and the Fulton street shopping district.
IL was believed the safe was opened by
combination by man lying on the
floor to avoid detection.
A 400 pound safe containing S3s7.Tq
was carried from the Thomas Roulston