New-York tribune., 1922-03-10
Bandit Suspect
With ? Women
Taken LIN Chase
Newsboy, Peering Through
Hotel Window, Discovers
Hold-up: Calls Police bv
Pounding on Pavement
Fugitives Trapped in Auto
Cunmeu Desert Comrades
as Shots Fly: Wife of Ex-
Policeman Is Captured

man and two women, one Of these
/ the wife OF q former policeman, we're
arrested early yesterday after an auto
mobile chase that began immediately
/ after the night clerk OF tho Hotel
4 penn-post. Eighth Avenue and Thirty
/ first Street, had been held up and $500
! taken from the cash register During
the pursuit, which ended in a capture
at First Avenue and Eighteenth street.
more than q score Of shots were lired.
Frank Kelly, second mate of a Yteam
! sea rover. was leaning on the hotel
deck complaining to Night Clerk David
/ Pierce about the lack Of amusement in
New York since prohibition and the
| generally uninteresting shade IF life
ashore when two men walked briskly
into the lobby Twirlng the rcgster
about and dipping q pen into his INK
we'll Pierce greeted the ono who walked
] toward him with more or less genial
Path 90
put EN- Up. Quick"
Put 'cm up. Buddio." commanded
The undcrsizcd arrival. "Quick.' he
/ hAiNfU AZ MATE Nt4iR, WHO SlittcN
General George Washiugton's views or
cntaugliNg alliances, and had thought
it best to show neutra.ity by keeping
his arms down.
The taller highwayman kept posi-
ton close to the door. He was the
leader of this enterprise, but said moth
ing as his smaller companion forced
the clerk and the sailor-guest to march
into a small ente-room beneath the
staircase and cautioned them to be
as silent as possible. "lt's a case Of
croak or be croaked With us guys he
said and started for the cash register.
Take off your hat and coat before
you show yourself in trent Of those
windows, you fool, cautioned the other
robber. The short chap obeyod and
theN scooped s202.50 out Of the cash
register 1t was Just about that time
that q boy who thus far is Identified
in the police records of the case only
IS "Abey the newsboy.' peored through
the window from the street.
"Abey' carries q club as he pcddlos
papers. He began to pound this club
'rantically on the sidewalk. The echoes
it raised were heard several blocks
away by Sergeant Rosenfeld and Pa
troman Hofsaes; also they were heard
by the two robbers and their two spec
tators inside the hotel.
Two Robbers Dash Away
THE bulls boy cried the larger of
the robbers aud dashed from the hotel,
followed by the smaller, who paused
Only long enough to murmur a warn
ing against pursuit by either Clerk
Pierce or Second Mate Kelly, from
whom the robbcr snatched a key.
The larger robber is believed to have
I Ic1i No. ,,,&o ,tto hot
was waiting at the curb. about one
hundred Feet from the corner. In this
machine were man and two women.
/ The short gun man emerged from the
hotel leisurcly, dangling the key CON
spicuously as though he was Il guest
stepping out for air.
Seeing the policeman approaching ON
the run his air Of lassitude vanished.
and he began sprinting toward taxi
10 front OF The Pennsylvania railroad
station, yelling to the occupants of
the car: Don't wait for me Ser
gcant Resented darted for the tour
ing car, and was almost run down as
the driver threw his machine into high
before the policemen had drawn their
guns. and went roaring down Eighth
Avenue.
The policemen jumped to the running
board Of the automobile Of Harold Ger
! steneuer, who was proceeding south
ward with two passengers. "Speed!'
demanded the sergeant, and he was ac-
commodated. The race was run at top
speed. fer there was little other traffic
TO interfere. at that hour of the day.
At frequent Intervals the policemen
discharged their rcvolvers. The flee
ing driver kept maneuvering his ma
chine toward the east side. and as he
:. al, "a
Third Avenue and Eighteenth Street it
went on to the sidewalk, breaking an
axle.
Fugitive Auto Ovcrtakcn
At First Avenue the fugitive machine
was halted When the pursuers came
up there were only three persons in it,
OF the robbers had slipped out some
time during the chase. the police say.
Their machine was perforated in half
dozen places by bullets.
The shorter man, in the mean time,
ned tried to force George Martin, a
taxicab chauffeur, to help him escape.
He pressed revolver into Martins
ribs and demanded service. Martin
protested that his car was broken, and
after meditating few moments (the
taxi chauffeur said the robber was dc
ciding whether to Kill him), he jumped
from the seat and ran to another car,
the driver of which was more amenablc
to persuasion.
The three under arrest are William
Bunce. twenty years old. OF 427
Third Avenue, Brooklyn; Miss Beatrice
Rerman, a stenographer, twenty
who lives with her parents in PA
Grand Street, Brooklyn, and Mrs. May
O'Britus, Of 204 Grand Street, Brook
lyn. Mrs. O'Britus is the wife of a
former policeman, Solomon O'Britus.
known as the strong man Of the
department because of his weight-lif;-
ing ability, until his wfe's arrest on
Il narcotic charge resulted in his leav-
ing the force. Miss Berman, accord
ing to the police. also has been pre-
vious y finger printed by them. They
cited i charge of grand larceny, from
which, they say. she escaped with d
So pended sentence.
Magistrate Levine held the trio with