New-York tribune., 1922-05-17
25O Policemen
Called to Trap
Burglar Gang e
Outfit and Can of Explosive
Found OH Third Floor of
9Ol Broadway After the
Structure Is Surrounded
Reveal Boring in Wall
Gordon Put Around Block
on Tip That Cracksmen
Plan Job; Search Is Futile

Detectives of the safe and loft SQUAD
acting under Captain Stap!eton. late last
night discovered E complete set Of
burglars tools aban oned beside safe
on the third floor ot the building at
90l Broadway. With the kit was tin
containcr full of nitroglycerin. The
floor is occupied by c. NJ. Mccoy, man
ufacturcr.
| Ihe discovery was made after $50
pa'rolmen and 100 detectives, hurriedly
summoned from the East Thirty-fifth
Street and the West Thirtieth Street
police stations had surrounded the en-
tire block bounded by Fifth Avenue
and Broadway and Nineteenth and
lwentieth streets, acting on a tip re-
ceived by Captain Stapleton that a safe
blowing had been planned TO take place
III the area during the night.
The detectives found that an attempt
had been made to bore through the
two-foot wall on the fourth floor Of 90t
broadway to the premises at 6-8 East
Twentieth Street.
Every Building Searched
After the block had been picketed
detectives swarmed INTO the buildings
most of which are, occupied by silk
MERGERS and manufacturers of embroid-
cry. Systematic search was made of
every structure entered, searchliChts
being used to examine every nook and
corner.
While the floor to floor search was
being carried out in more than a
dozen structures five to eight stories
high, big searchlight was played on
fire escapes and cornices to prevent
unobserved escape Of the burglars.
Squads of men armed with rifles were
stationed on the roofs of several
buildings commanding the others with
instructions to stop any one attempt
ing to escape over roofs.
The unusual police activity attracted
crowd of thousands, which packed
about the patrolmen picketing, and 81
detail of uniformed men was assigned
TO keen spectators moving. The main
floor of the building in which the burg
lar Kit was found is occupied by Daw-
son. Rogers. Splitter e. Co., silk hosiery
manufacturers. 1t was at first believed
that the burglars were hiding in cal
doors were forced by the police, but
Thirteen buildings within the block
were searched before midnight, unsuc-
cessfully.
Police Call for Keys
Among the buildings searched were
those occupied by Robert Rcis, manu-
facturers, at s93 Broadway. and Cal
houn & Robbins, manufacturers, at
S9b and Se7 Broadway. Representa-
tives of these and more than twenty
other firms appeared in response to
police telephone messages with keys to
their premises. In cases whore it was
fesred delay might contribute to pos
shle escape of the thieves doors were
forced and windows broken.
Tho detective squads visited safes IN
all floors, using hand searcnlights. In
several instances watchmen were en-
countcred prepared to fight who, on
finding their visitors to be police Off
GERS, turned on lights and thus mate
rally aided the search.
The information received by Captain
Stap!eton was declared to have come
from a reliable source, and doubt ex-
listed as to whether one or two gangs
of burglars were operating. After find
ing the kit the building at 901 Broad
way was placed under a close guard
and a second search on all floors was
begun at 1 a. M.
Searchers Ask for More Lights
Early this morning the batteries of
the flashlights being used by the
searchers began to grow dim one ny
one. A hurry call was sent for fresh
ones and the search slackened some
what in the fear that someone might
get hurt stumbling around in the dark
ness.
The police took up headquarters in
9O7 Broadway on the corner opposite
the beleaguered building. They we're
confident that with the coming OF day
light the robbers would be found.