Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-06-15
Chief SHOT
IN Battle
IN OFFICE
MulSoff Finds CoIored Rob-
Der at Work on Safe in
Coal Office
OPEN SAFE WITH AXE
Gun Battle Follows Chief
Shot in m--AssaiIant
at Large

MATAWAN. June 15:-Chief of
Police John Mulsoff of this piace
was shot through the right arm
early this morning while having
gun fight with robbers in the coal
office of Hopla & Alderman near the
New York & Long Branch railroad
station. As a result of the affair
James Dawson. colored, has been
placed under arrest; Mary Cooper.
and a search is being carried on fo-
George Cooper. her husband. whs
is suspected by County DETECTIVES
John Smith as the one who fired fh.
shot which wounded Chief MulsoE-
Detective Smith stated that Jamts
Harris. also colored. is wanted as u
material witness. as he is understood
to have been with Dawson and
Cooper prior to the robbery.
The bullet. probably from
thirty-eight calibre revolver. enter-
ed the fieshy part of Mulsoff's arm
as he was in the act of pulling thu
trigger of his revolver and came
out the rear of the arm near the
shoulder. Before the arrival of DIR.
Millard Erwin, Mulsoff had lost con-
siderable blood and was in a weak
ened condition. Mulsoff will 20 10
the Monmouth Memorial Hospital
at Long Branch today where an "
ray will be taken and additional
treatment administered.
1t was shortly before o'clock
that someone called Chief Mulsoff
on the telephone and informed r.,
that robbers were at work
! coal office. The chief, accompanied
by Officer William n. StilIwell. went
to the scene and found someone
working about the Office safe. When
an arrest was attempted. the shos
began TO fly which resulted in MtC-
soft being wounded. During the
shooting the robber jumped through
a window in the rear of the Office
and escaped.
County Detective John Smith was
Immediately sent for and upon his
arrival he took charge of the case.
hat and axe were found on the
office floor. Investigation revealed
the fact that the hat was the prop
erty of James Dawson. who admit
ted this fact when confronted with
the article. In explaining the mat
ter, Dawson claimed that earlier in
the evening the hat had been taken
from him nv Cooper. Dawson elings
to this story. although questioned
several times.
The police then Went to Coopers 5
home, nearby but failed TO find any
one in. The house was open and a
light burning. About o'clock Mrs.
Cooper arrived and when questioned
as 10 where she had been. declared
she was at the railroad station 10
see if a box had come from Virginia.
The police put little faith in her
story.
Cooper could not be located, al
though County Detective ]. Il. Rue
was at Keansburg to arrest him as
he boarded the boat upon which he
is employed. Further Investigation
brought out the fact, according to
the police. that the axe found in
the office was Cooper's. This led 10
the arrest of Mrs. Cooper as a ma
terial witness. Cooper. IL is said.
was recently mixed up in a stabbins
affair at Oak Shades Detective
Smith stated that he thought the
man would be arrested before 2
O'Clock today.
Investigation also brought out the
fact, according TO Detective Smith.
that Cooper had been notified by his
landlady that he must pay his rent
this week or move, and it is sup
posed that IL he did attempt the
robbery OF the safe. as alleged by
the authorities. that he did so 10
obtain the rent money.
The same. which contained So.
showed the efforts made TO open Z.
the combination and hinges being
broken off by blows from the Ike.
The county detectives are assisted
by the entire Matawan borough AMI
township police in an effort 10 To-
cate Cooper.