The New York herald., 1922-09-04
Mrs. Sweeney and Niece Fight
as Chauffeur Stands Gov
cred by a Pistol.
$4,000 JEWELS SAVED
Masked Men Found at 2:30 in
Morning in Sheepshead Bay
Home Get 81, 900 Loot.

Mrs. Catherine Irene Sweeney,
owner of the Thomas Meehan Lumber
Company. and her niece, Mrs. Cath
crime McNaught. were attacked by
three masked men armed with pistols
ard hlackjacks early yesterday, after
they had entered the Sweeney home at
1916 Avenue n, Brooklyn. The bur-
glars had already stolen $500 in cash
and jewels which they had found
in a bedroom. but the two women
fought them so fierceIy that the rob-
bers fed before they could get $4,000
worth of jewelry that Mrs Sweeney
wore. While two of the bandits strug-
gled with Mrs. Sweeney and Mrs.
Nc Naught In lower hallway, another
kept Mrs. Sweeney's chauffeur. Michael
Fein. of sos Prospect avenue, The
Bronx, standing against a wall on
the stairway landing. with a pistol
pointing at him.
Mrs. Sweeney and Mrs. Mcknight,
who are friends of Commissioner En-
right and were his neighbors at
Sheepshead Bay ten years ago, reached
their home at 2:30 in the morning in
the machine driven by Fein. Mrs.
Sweeney told the chauffeur to enter
the house and turn on the lights, and
for him to stay all night, as it was
too late to go to his home in The
t..1
Fein entered. lighted the lights In the
lower hallway and started uD the stairs.
At the first landing he was met by a
man whose face was masked with
handkerchief and who carried revolver
in one hand and blackjack in the
other.
Back up against the wall and put
em up" the man ordered. IF you don't
Ill puncture you"
Fein obeyed. Just at this moment
Mrs. Mcknight and Mrs. Sweeney en-
tered the hall and two other men ap-
peared on the stairs. They. too. had
their faces covered with handkerchiefs
and carried revolvers and blackjacks.
Women I'm Battle.
go down and attend to the women"
said the man who appeared first. III
take care Of this guy
The two masked men went slowly
down the stairs. Mrs, Sweeney saw them
coming and screamed. She and Mrs.
McNaught started for the front door,
but the two bandits brushed past them
and slammed IL shut. Then they pushed
the women back into the hall.
Mice diamond you've got there" one
of them said Il guess we'll take It."
He reached out hand toward Mrs.
Sweeney's throat but Mrs. Mcknight
Jumped between them.
You can't have those" she cried.
The bandit at her side struck her on
the head with his blackjack. She stag
gered back against a glass door panel.
smashing it. The other man then
jumped for Mrs. Sweeney. He got his
hands at hcr throat and began tugging
AT her jewels, but she managed to fight
him off. at the same time screaming for
help. In the meantime Mrs. McNaught
was struggling with the bandit who had
struck her, backing slowly toward
large window In the hallway. She
reached this finally and thrust her arm
through 1t. the glass breaking with
crash.
man on the stairs. You're making too
much racket"
Three Arrests Mndc.
One Of the bandits then struck Ms.
Sweeney on the head with his blackjack.
knocking her UNCONSCIOUS. and the other
showed Mrs. McNaught to the floor.
Then all three ran down the cellar
stairs, with Fein at their heels, although
he was not armed. But the men es-
capped through cellar window before
the chauffeur could catch them. Feln
then went to the home of David LEVIN
at 1882 Avenue N and asked that the
police be notified. after which he jumped
into Mrs. Sweeney's automobile and
went TO Kings Highway, where he found
Patrolman James Quigley.
la quick search OF the house showed
that nothing had been stolen but the
iewelry and the cash that had been left
table. however, was a whisky bottle that
had been opened and two glasses. De-
tectives reached the scene a few minutes
later. and when Detective wallot went
outside TO search tho grounds. he found
an automobile standing near the house,
i'm which were three men. who gave
their names as Herman Simon OF 302
Madison avenue. his brother Harry and
their cousin, Harry G. Simon. Of 979
Myrtle avenue, all OF Brooklyn. They
were. arrested because the policemen
gound in their pockets a small whisky
glass similar In pattern and design TO
the two left on the table In the Sweeney
home. They denied any knowledge OF
the robbery.
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