The New York herald., 1922-10-11
BEAT TWO And STEAL
$4,000 in DIAMONDS
Thieves Invade Office and
Find Brokers Secret
Hiding Place.
HIT WITH GUN BUTT
Victim Says Both Robbers
Hid Their Faces Be-
hind Masks.
STONES FULLY INSURED
Cutters Former Employee
With Prison Term Is Being
Hunted by Police.
STONES FULLY INSURED

Side by side on stools in a little
office on the sixth floor of the Com
monwealth Building. 2S4 Pearl street,
sat yesterday morning Aaron Ira
whisky. diamond cutter, and Gailia
Gaier diamond broker, examining un-
cut stones by the light OF large
window
Gaier had brought a wallet full of
diamonds TO sell to Travitsky Spread
ing a few on a table he refolded the
wallet, tucked it down trouser leg
and hooked it to a chain fastened to
his belt. That was the brokers
method of guarding his wares.
Gaier's diamonds were offered at
$4,000. Travitsky had collection of
his own in the office safe valued by
him at between $4,000 and $50 900
Having occasion, as the dickering
went on, to compare his own gems
with those Of the visiting broker. he
opened the safe and left it unlocked.
AS the two haggled there was a knock
at the door of Travitskys workroom,
men, as business has been slack The
workroom lies between the office and
the outside corridor. Through 1t a visitor
to the office must go. Gaier went to
the door to see who was there. AS he
opened it two masked men flew at him.
He thinks there may have been one or
two others, but Is sure he saw two. AS
he shouted one of the strangers hit him
on the head with the butt OF a revolver
and knocked him senseless to the floor.
Finds Two bound.
When Gaier came to, few minutes
later, he found himself bound hand and
foot with twine. He had been thrown
against wall and further injured.
Travitsky said that as he heard Caller
call out and the thud of a falling body
he started to rise from his stool, but at
the same instant two men, one with a
light. the other with black mask cover
ing the faces, lunged at him and beat
his skull with something heavy SO
that he fell to the floor. Then they
pulled a workmans cotton jumper over
his head and proceeded to tie him with
heavy twine that they had brought The
jumper prevented him from seeing any
thing and was also wadded against his
mouth as a gag.
Working swiftly. the robbers scoopeo
Caters diamonds from the table and
then. ripping his trousers leg as IL they
knew his habits. got the wallet They
also took n smaller wallet from the
other trouser leg This made Gaier's loss
complete, except for one diamond later
found on chair. The robbers grabbed
all the stones from Travitsky's safe and
disappeared.
Presently the elevator operator, James
Hall, r negro. heard shouting in Ira
vitsky's office and found Travitslxy and
Gaier on the floor. Both had wounds
which we're bandsged by surgeon from
the Volunteer Hospital.
Suspect Being Sought.
TravitsSy told Police Inspector Cough
lin that he had insured his stock for
s50.000 against burglary about two
weeks ago but had not yet received the
policy. although the insurance was in
force. The diamonds that Gaier had
belonged to the Diamond Drill Carbon
Company, with offices in the Pulitzer
Building. He was trying to sell them to
TravitslSy on commission and received
them from the company only twenty
minutes before he went TO Travitsly' ]
office. Travitsky informed the police
that he had asked sGaier over the tele-
phone to go to his office at 10 80 A. M
and Gaier did so. The police also
learned that up TO about two weeks ago
Travitsl<y had in his employ man who
had served prison term for somewhat
similar robbery. The police are seeking
this man.
Gaier described the general appearance,
OF the two robbers he saw, but because
or the masks neither he nor Travitsly
was able TO describe their faces. At the
office OF the Diamond Drill Carbon Com
pany 1t was said that the diamonds II
had lost were insured fully.
The elevator operator said he had not
seen any strangers enter or leave the
building. but thought they might have
sneaked up and down the stairs while he
was working the car.