New-York tribune., 1922-07-09
Boy Slain,T Three
Pals Caught, in
Loft Robbery
Sixtecn-Year.Old Lead Pipe
Thief Killed by Bullet
From PatrOlnian's Gun
After Warming Officer
Trapped in Buildin g
Water Seeping Into Shop
of Piano Tuner Results
in Call 10 Four Policemen

-Four boys ripped OF a rusty paddock
on n ground floor door Of four-story
building at 229 East Forty-seeond
Street at 9 o'clock last night, climbed
shaky stairway leading 10 the un-
occupied upper floors and began as
sembling pieces o. lead pipe, bits Of
brass and other seemingly worthless
fixtures.
They would have made q getaway
had not water from a severed pipe
connection trickled through the floor
to the ceiling Of a small piano shop
on the ground aoor. This caused
n piano tuner to notify n Waterman,
the watehman notified the police. and
within twenty minutes after the four
young burglars had torn the paddock
from the door one Of their number
lay dead with n bullet through the
roof Of the mouth. and the other three
were under arrest.
The boy killed was John Toner
seventeen years old, Of 243 East
Thirty-fourth Street. He was the unin-
tended victim OF q bullet fred by
Patrolman Thomas La Rouse. OF the
East Fifty-hrst Street station, wss
shot in an effort to frlghten intruders
known by aim to be in the house.
seepIng Water Gives Alarm
The piano tuner. Arthur Kleiner
was alone in the shop, when he heard
noise above. lie was busy at the
time and this noise, perhaps, would
not have caused him TO abandon his
task had not a damp square showed
In the ceiling above his head, and
water began TO seep through, falling
in slow, steady drops. "Burglarsl
muttered the piano tuner 70 himself
and he hurried for George burrie
watchman Of the building. An in
stant's conversation between the piano
tuner and the watchman caused Bur
rio 70 send in n call for the police.
-Four patrolmen, each from a differ
ent most. were told 20 rush 10 the Forty.
second Street address. They reached
the house almost simultaneously.
The patrolmon, la Rouse. George
Blvthe. Louis Barmondie and Hugh
Nonahan. crept up the dingy stairway
"a the second floor and with the aid OF
their flashlights and with revolver:
drawn began working their way toward
tie rear Patrolman La Rouse was ~
,hs lead. He reached the rear wall
and emerged from tho cobwebby inte-
rior onto a sloping extension OF the
Ground floor store. His companions
were directly behind.
Patrolmsn Ignores Warning
Az La Pouse's foot struck the tarredd
roof Of the store extension he heard
roises from above, and voice cried !:
aDon't YOU move an inch or I'll shoot.
Ia Rouse. disregarding this command
moved several inches, and as he did SO
his tight hand went up. and with IL the
gi.amlng object about which mis- nm
ssrs were clenched. With his revolver
nointed directly upward La Rouse hred,
thinking that his only target was the
pst the bullet found n mark. On the
a. e.eane on the level with the fourth
49, Two stories above, was Toner
uis eompanions we're inside the win,
~ The pstrolman's bullet entered
~ hov's mouth and ranged upward
Tn,ar inst.n.ly killed. dropped from
-. H,e escape. and his body feii Win
.hnd AZ the feet OF the patrolman'
Ia Rouse carried the body inside
r. a. ,he other boys. Daniel Egan
s,ta.n Of 77o Second Avenue, ane
49, Downev. fourteen. Of 2s4 las
sonn ...ord Street, came rushin!
o. io and were caught The fourth
GOV" william "Red" Dugan. eighteen
pp39,55-a sscond Avenue, was later found
el,,nd = door. Dugsn and Egan were
osa,ysd osa with burglary and po~ney
enatssa s,ax.riis delinquency. Egan hac
a rusty % ealiber ,ev9.y a
no.,ession. II was uniosoeo-