New-York tribune., 1922-04-15
Thieves Work 3 Hours i'm
Office Building, Then
Eat Lunch, Bind Aid,
Walk Off With $4,000
E'arigght Orders All
Clerks Out ON Beats
Edict Hits Lieutenants,
''Pensioners,'' Bonds
men, Clee Club, Others

The ,looting of seven safes in the
Royal Insurance Building, 81 William
Street, by band of nine burglars was
the outstanding event in yesterdays
chronicle of crime.
1T was a comparatively simple mat
ter. the thieves having been admitted
to the building and assisted in the OBJ
GRAFTON by the night watchman. ac
cording to confession he is said to
have made to the police When they
had completed the work Of lootnc thew
all sat down and had little luncheon
of sandwiches spread out on one of
The battered strong boxes. They left
not only with satisfied appettcs but
also with $4,000 in cash and negotiable
securities totaling several thousands
more.
The palm for daring, however, goes
to two hlghWaymef who held up
ruth Avenue bus with some improve
ments on the fashion of the old West
ern stage coach days. The results.
however, were the same-the passen
gers shuddered while the conductors
pockets were emptied of all his re-
ceipts, $23.69
Brokers' Home Robbed
The robbng of the home of John A.
Hance, of the brokerage firm of Jessup
q Lamont, 26 Broadway, was also
placed on record. Mr.. Hance lives at
3l1 West 106th Street. Two hundred
dollars in cash and jewelry of CON
siderable value was stolen. The burg
lar entered his apartment on Wednes-
day night, said Mr.. Hance. and or
dered him to show the thief where his
'valuables were.
Commissioner Enright made addi-
tlonal moves yesterday in his offensive
against the lawless elements. He is
SUED an order temporarily abolishing
partment. The small number now away
viii be permitted to finish their leaves,
but no further vacations will be al
lowed until further notice. This will
add about two hundred more patromen
to the force who would otherwise be
absent at this season of the year.
The Commissioner further directed
that sHpolcc captains are to sleep in
the station houses of which they are
in command, and to make nightly tours
of their precincts to assure themselves
that the patrolmcn are performing
their duties properly, Inspectors also
we're advised Of further stringencies at
a conference in the office of Chief In
spector William j. Lahey last night.
Another drastic order, which be-
came effective at midnight, requires
all men now engaged in inside work at
headquarters in Manhattan and Brook
lyn to do two hours patrol work daily
Mere than 400 men will be affected
by the order, which will increase their
working day from eight to ten hours.
a nj fur t<,
their homes after finishing their work,
will report to the police station near
est their homes for patrol duty.
Men doing various kinds of clerical
work in the telegraph bureau, missing
persons bureau, lost property bureau
and criminal identification bureau are
affected by the order. 1t even applies to
the aged hall men on duty at Headquar-
ters, some of whom have not walked
beat in ten or more years. FIFTEEN hun
dred traffic policemen are affected, as
are 100 member of the marine division
and all desk lieutenants. Four hundred
men assigned to raided premises are
recalled and rehearsals of the police
band and glee club are suspended
Watchman Former Reserve
The man who made the cracking of
the seven safes in the Royal Insurance
bullulnS poSSiple Is GeOFRe bTeckcn-
ridge, the night watchman of the place
living at 1880 Avenue A. He was
former member of the police reserves,
and according to Jerome Simmons,
former Assistant District Attorney,
has an unsavory record in connection
with the operations of Elwood Cox
Adams snd the latter's sweetheart,
Jean Cunningham, in the thefts OF
$780, 900 from homes and Offices about
year ago. Adams is now serving a
ten-year sentence in Sing Sing.
Breckenridge was employed in De-
cember, 1920, at 1913 William Street,
where Miss Cunningham was steno-
grapher. The place was robbed and
Breckenridge was discharged, but not
accused of the crime. He was an elc
vator operator in a house on Seventy
fourth Street, between Broadway and
Continued on page three)