New-York tribune., 1922-07-01
3 Pop Out of
Coal Hole and
Cry 'Hold-Up!
Erupt Into Street Shouting
for Police and Pair Who
Put Them Into Cellar AZ
ter Elevator Gun Play
slap Payroll Taken
Pilot Roped. After He's
Forced to Tie Other Vic
Tins: Loses Weeks Pay

Nat Harris. manager Of David Zuck-
crman's victrola store n % East
Broadway. was ns;onished yesterday
afternoon to see the cover Of Il coal
hole in the sidewalk ascend. The
phenomenon was accompanied. not by
an explosion. but by the grimy and
wrathful features Of Meyer Goldberg.
foreman Of the Neptune Raineont Com
pany. on the nfth floor.
What's the matter. Meyer" in
quired Mr.. Harris. IVES you trying.
maybe. TO break tho coal strike -
Mr.. Goldberg made no reply. He
hauled himself TO the sidewalk. stopped
and hauled Juan Lupo. elevator oper-
ator in the building. out OF the coal
hole. Then they both stopped aad
hauled out stranger TO Mr. Harris,
whose name is Harry Mcndelson. Mr.
Mondelson was the only one OF the trio
who was cheerful. He kept pati!nc his
watch pocket and smiling.
Scream for Police
when the three were assembled or
the sidewalk they put their heads to-
eether and yelled In close harmony for
the police Most Of that part Of East
Broadway responded and Detectives
Devoti and Cofcy found the three men
with .mut,cd faces the center OF a
considerable crowd whom they ignored.
standing close together and emitting
a. regular intervals their call FOR
police.
They were glad 70 sec the detectives
and told them they had just been held
up. The crowd took this announcement
as an anti-climax and dispersed.
Mr.. Goldberg had been robbed or the
Neptune Raincoat Company payroll Of
sl.472. Mr. Lupo had been robbed Of
500 dollars. on which he was counting
10 feed and house his wife and nine
children until mex; Friday. and Mr.
Mcndelson triumphantiy withdrew sl07
from his watch pocket and ann uncei
that he had been robbed OF nothing al;
all: that his sacacity was superior 70
the craft OF the robbers.
There were two Of the robbers. They
were waiting at the elevator at % East
Broadway when Mr. Goldberg arrived
with the pay roll about ; 2. ". IN ae-
cordance with his usual routine. They
crowded into the car right behind Mr.
Goldberg.
Haste Proves Mistake
Mr.. Mendelson. a cutter on his way
10 a shop on an upper floor. almost
missed the car. He just managed 20
squeeze in behind the robbers. A mo-
ment later he wished he hadn't been
in such hurry. The two strangers
drew rcvolvers and ordered Lupo 20
run the car 20 the basement.
When that had been done they gave
Lupo another job. lie had to tie the
hands OF his two passengers, after
which the robbers did as much for
him. Then they took the pay roll from
Mr. Goldberg. the $50 from Lupo and
made a hasty search Of Mr. Mendelson,
which failed to include the watch
pocket, in which he had tucked his
SiO7.
Flinginc their victims into corner.
they ran the elevator 70 the street
floor and walked out The door 10 the
basement stairway was locked. and al
though Lupo had knotted mis- COM
panions' hands so lossely that they
were able TO free themselves easily Il
looked for a while rs though they
might be prisoners for the night.
Mr. Goldberg, however. thought OF
the coal hole. and with the aid OF
n ladder they emerged by that route.
Mr. Mendclson fell of the ladder and
skinned his knee, but the accident only
made him smile and remark that he
could spare the skin better than the
sl07.