New-York tribune., 1922-07-05
Detective Kills
Theft Suspect i'm
Subway Throng.
Shoots One of 8 Prisoners
ON West 34th Street Plat
form of B. r.. L. After He
Makes Threatening Move
On Trail of Pickpockets
Men Alleged to Have Been
Robbing Persons Sleeping
on Benches i'm Stations

Max Cohen, of ISL Washington Street,
was shot in the head yesterday morn
ing by Detective George E. Patton, Of
the West Thirtieth Street station, after
having been arrested on suspicion as a
subway pickpocket. He died last night
at Bellevue Hospital. Surgeons said the
bullet penetrated his brain.
Cohen was one of three men ar
rested by the detective after he had
trailed them for hours. Patton had
lined the trio UP against wall of the
Thirty-fourth Street station Of the B.
R. T. and was placing handouts on
Cohen's companions, Tony Costello and
John Slater, both living at a Thirty
sixth Street hotel, when Cohen, it Is
said, put his hand to his pocket as If
to get q revolver. Patton fred. No
weapon was found on Cohen.
Trails Three Suspects
Patton started out early yesterday
morning to watch the subway stations
for what in police parlance is known
as flush workers who rob
men sleeping on subway trains and
benches. lie entered the B. r. r. sta
tion at Broadway and Thirty fourth
Street. He sat on a bench, and as a
northbound train pulled into the sta
tion the three men alighted. A short
distance from Patton was stout man
apparently asleep on a bench. Patton
pulled his cap over his eyes and placed
newspaper in front of him. The de-
tective recognized the three as men
he had observed on previous nights.
The trio went to the bench occupied
by the sleeper, according to Patton,
and fumbled about the mans clothing
without taking anything
Another northbound train drew in
and the three boarded it. Patton also
got aboard. At Forty-second Street the
three got off. So did Patton, and from
another end of the station platform
watched the men. They stood on this
station for some time, Patton said, as
if undecided about their next move.
Another northbound train pulled into
the station, but the men made no ef-
fort to board it until second before
the train started, when they rushed
Patton could not get through the
doors, and, fearing that the men had
slipped him, he hesitated moment.
AS the last car pulled out Patton
jumped on the rear bumper. At Forty
ninth Street the three suspects got
off In the delay caused by his effort
to alight safely from his perilous po-
sition on the bumper Patton lost sight
of the men. He communicated with
various station agents to watch for
the men and continued his search on
other stations.
Shoots Prisoner in Head
Three hours later Patton was on tho
Thirty-fourth Street station when the
same three men aiighted from a north
bound train. AS the doors closed and
the train started to move Patton heard
a cry, "Stop thief!" That was enough
for him. He drew his revolver and
lined the three against wall. AS he
was placing the handouts on Costello
and Slater, it is alleged, Cohen made q
move to get away and put his hand in
his pocket. Patton fired, and the bull
let struck Cohen in the head.
A crowd of persons returning on
ether B. r. r. trains from Coney
Island, hearing the shot, gathered
about the detective and his prisoners.
A call was sent to Bellevue, and Cohen
was taken there under arrest. The
others were taken to the West Tair-
tieth Street station.
Cohen, according to the police, was on
bail, awaiting trial on another charge
Of grand larceny.
Costello and Slater were erraigned
before Magistrate Nolan in the Jeffer-
son Market Court and held in $4,000
hot fNr irp