The New York herald., 1922-02-27
TRAP LANDS
DINNER BURGLAR
Halted by Shot After He jim
mics Window in East 72d
Street House.
CONFESSES TO ROBBERIES
Worked District From 6Oth to
Both Street and Lexington
to Fifth Avenue.

InOmaS. "A. Beii, ageQ "a, dIleGeu 10
be the dinner burglar" who has been
operating in tie district between Six
tieth and Eightieth streets and Lex
ington and Fifth avenues for the last
six weeks. walked into a trap last
night at the fourteen story apartment
dwelling at 125 East Seventy-second
street. He was about to enter an
apartment on the first floor from the
fire escape when detective fired a
shot. Tie bullet fiicked Bells coat.
Bell put up his hands and descended
the fire escape to the ground.
The detectives said Bell had a loaded
revolver. long steel jimmy and fash
light. Questioned at the East Sixty
seventh street station Bell was said to
lave admitted entering a week ago the
home of Charles Walter Band of $50
Park avenue, vice-president of the grain
brokerage firm Of James Carruthers g.
Co. Ltd, of 100 Produce Exchange.
Twenty Detectives Sent Out.
Twenty detectives were sent out last
night under Capt. John Duane OF the
Third Detective Division to capture the
dinner burglar" whose visits on Satur-
day and Sunday evenings while families
were at dinner have spread alarm
through the neighborhood. Reserves we're
held at the station for emergency in
event of capture and pursuit.
The house at 1875 East Seventy-second
street was entered week ago and the
apartment Of Edgar z. SaIinger on the
third floor was robbed Of silverware and
jewels. On the theory that the dinner
burglar might return to make another
haul in the house Detectives Edward
Cousins and William Jones We're as
signed there. They went into the base
ment rooms of Edward w. Raycraft. su-
perintendent of the building, and waited.
In the house live Hiram Z. Manville,
secretary for the II. w. Johns-Manville
Company; Arthur J. Singer. vice.
president of the Lackawanna Steel Com
pany OF Rector street. and many other
prominent business men.
The detectives waited until o'clock
when they saw young man enter the
house by the servants door, and then
start to mount the fire escape. The
detectives let him go and kept a close
watch. He reached the fourth floor,
according to the detectives, and put the
jimmy to a window In the apartment OF
Edwin Lynde Dillingham;.
The detectives sent telephone call
for the reserves at the station house, and
remained where they could watch. De-
tectives Skelly, Smith, DNshley and Mach
arrived and were sent into the house
But the man on the flre escape became
uneasy after he had pried the window
Of Mr.. Dillingham's apartment UP. and
did not enter. The detectives could sec
him looking down and then descend to
the apartment below. His dashlight
glimmered for an instant.
He reached the first hoor apartment.
tenanted by Edgar. Novello, IN which
NO lights showed.
Priea window with Jimmy.
With a quick motion he stuck the
jimmy under the window, gave a push
and the sash moved up. In Novelties
apartment two detectives lurked. They
saw the dinner burglar's'' revolver and
one of them fred. Bell dropped the
weapon into his pocket and put up his
hands. He was ordered to walk down
the fire escape, where Cousins and Jones
seized him.
Capt Duane said that they obtained
statements from Bell admitting bur-
aSaries at 1877 East Sixty-sixth street.
Madison avenue and Sixty-third street,
Madison avenue and Slxty-sixth street
and Park avenue and Forty-ninth street
apartments. When he entered the home
OF Mr.. Band at $50 Park avenue, II was
charged, he held up servant girl.
Bell wore no ovcrcoat. but had a
sweater under a silk shirt. Detectives
went to a house in Brooklyn where 1t
was said he admitted conccaiing some
of the loot.