The New York herald., 1922-11-10
Patrolman Chases Gang in
Motor Car Up Lafayette
From Canal Street.
ATTACKS WITHOUT SHELL
Rushes at Two Armed Oppo-
nents Crouching in Car
Flight Over $50 Alcohol.

bOOlteSSerS kidnapping a man WIN
whom they had negotiated for the pur-
chase of a. large quantity OF alcohol
fought a pistol battle with Patrolman
Eugene O'Connor of the Oak street
station in East Tenth street last night.
The noise of the ten shots or more
caused so much excitement in that
populous neighborhood that the re-
serves from three precincts and forty
detectives from Headquarters were
sent to stop trouble that almost be-
came a riot.
The bootleggers shot at Patrolman
OConnor while he was on foot and
while they had the protection of the
heavy windshield of big touring
automobile. They blazed away with
three guns, while their prisoner
crouched in the back OF the automo-
bile, but Patrolman OConnor kept on
advancing and finally shot one of the
men, Andrew Michaels, in the head.
Michaels died a few hours later.
Michaels tumbled out of the auto
mobile. seriously wounded. and his
Alexander Smith and
Mike Burke. jumped from the machine
and ran. Smith was captured later
in Chinese laundry near Fourth ave-
nue. after a woman had sent a taXicab
chauffeur in pursuit of him, but Burke
escaped
Made Denf FOR Alcohol.
The kidnapped man was Benjamin
Faust. a. chauffeur Of "a chrystie street.
who works in a garage at 40 Bayard
street. lie told the police that several
days ago Pike street barber intro
duced Michaels, Smith and Burke, who
said they wanted to get some alcohol.
Faust said he could supply them for five
dollars gallon. They agreed 10 buy
and arrangements were made for them
to go last night to the Bayard street
garage.
When they drove in with their biz
automoibe Faust had sixteen five gallon
cans waiting FOR them Faust said the
stuff was loaded into the back seat and
floor OF the car ana that he then asked
for payment. But instead of giving him
the $500 due the three men drew revoly
ers and ordered Faust and two other
men In the garage TO get into the ma
chine. They did 80. Faust being placed
In the front seat between Michaels and
Burke. and the others in the back seat
with Smith. Then the car left the gar
age. but as it went out and turned. to-
ward Canal street one of the prisoners
escaped. He ran to Canal street and
4 ~
20 the car which by this time had turned
into Canal street and was headed west
That's stick up car" he cried.
Commanders Automobile.
Patrolman O'Connor didn't wait to
ask questions. lie stopped tho first au-y
that came along, another tour
ing car. and got on the running board.
He ordered the chauffeur TO keep the
first machine in sight. The kidnapers
drove through to Lafayette and up that
avenue into Fourth avenue They turned
east In Tenth street. with, the other
only few yards behind them.
Between Fourth avenue and Third ave-
nue. other machines caused tho KID
car to swerve 60 the sidewalk.
and the automobile with oConnor ran
past #.
Patrolman OConuor stopped his ma
chine and jumped 10 the ground. He
drew his revolver and ran toward The
other machine. Michaels and Smith and
Burke, met him with several shots. Two
Of them ripped shreds from the police
mans coat, but he walked steadily on.
firing as he went, while Michaeis and
Burke crouched behind the Windshield.
with Faust between them, and fired as
fast as they could pull the triggers
ot their guns.
After two or three shots had been
fred Faust squirmed from between Tie
two men and threw himself over tho
scat into the back part OF the car, and
about the same time tho second man
" no had been kidnapped jumped from
the rear OF the machine and started on
! run along Tenth street toward Fourth
avenue.
The third or fourth shot fired by the
policeman shattered the windshield. and
he last shot that he had In his gun
,rashed into Michaels's head. Michaels
ilumpcd sideways around the wheel and
against the door. and then the door Of
he car opened and be tumbled into the
.trect.
Although his gun was empty Patroi-
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