The New York herald., 1922-12-08
H. P. WHITNEY GEMS
amid S5O,OOOLOOT
HID IN FRUIT STORE
Detectives Track 100000
More Goods Stolen i'm
Nassau County,
GET 400 PAWN STUBS
Negro Porch Climbers Had
Invaded Homes i'm October
and November.
CONFESSION is ALLEGED
Prisoner Gives Evidence on
Valuables Found i'm West
Fortieth Street.
CONFESSION IS ALLEGED

Detectives of the West Thirtieth
street police station and men from the
office of Sheriff Charles w. Smith Of
Nassau county went into the back
room of the fruit store at 304 West
Fortieth street, run by Dominick CO.
afternoon and recovered diamond
rings, clothing and other articles val
ued at between $4,000 and $4,000.
Sheriff Smith said that this was part
of the loot, valued at more than $780,
900, which was stolen during the
months OF October and November by
negro porch climbers who invaded the
homes OF Harry Payne Whitney and
others in Nassau county.
In addition to the clothing, the jew
elry and the other things found in the
fruit store, detectives went to fur
nished room in West Thirtieth street
formerly occupied by Frederick Jack
son, a negro. and found there 400
pawn tickets calling for almost every
sort of object from costly diamond
rings to ordinary alarm clocks.
They said that Jackson told them
that these things were also stolen from
the Nassau county homes, and that he
and James Crawford, another negro and
member of the gang. had pawned
them instead of turning them over TO
Cohara with the Intention Of keeping
the money.
Operated for Two Mo,.ths.
The police believe that when they re-
cover the stuff for which the pawn
tickets call they will have recovered
most OF the loot which was stolen during
the two months operation Of the burg
lars for whom the authorities of Nassau
county and the State police have been
searching almost since the first OF Oc-
tober.
Both Cohara and his wife were ar
rested last night. charged with re-
ceiving stolen property. Crawford is
under arrest at the Nassau county jail
in Mineola. and Jackson. arrested on
December 10 and sent 10 Welfare Is
land for carrying weapon. was taken
from that institution yesterday on "a
Supreme Court writ and last night was
sent 10 the county Jail at Mineola. Both
he and Crawford have been indicted by
the Nassau county grand jury on
charges of grand larceny.
Sheriff Smith said last night that the
operations OF the negro gang. which Is
believed to have comprised several
others besides Crawford and Jackson.
were the largest In magnitude and gem
erel results Of any gang that has ever
operated in his section Of the State.
Besides robbing the homes of Mr.. Whit
ney they stole valuable jewelry from
the houses Of J. +. Gibbons, Henry
Holthauscr, William ALLISON, Acosta
Nichols, Martin HowardNand more than
fifty others at Plandome, Westbury,
wheatley Springs. Mineola and other
Nassau county towns.
Fiurerprints Tally.
The authorities were not able TO get
apy sort OF line on the gang until
era wford was arrested for another Of
fense on November 2s. Things found
on him led 30 his being questioned.
and he finally admitted that he was
a member OF the gang. But he said he
did not know the names of any OF his
associates. Finger prints. however,
found In the Whitney home Tailed with
those of jackson. and Crawford identi-
fled a photograph OF Jackson as that
of one OF the burglars with whom he
had worked Jackson was then taken
from the Island prison and after sew
eral hours of questioning told the de-
tectives that they would find some OF
the stolen goods if they went TO Co
hara's fruit store.
The detectives said that the LOOK found
at the fruit store included four dia-
mond bracelets. three wrist watches set
with diamonds. twenty diamond rings,
three trunks filled with clothing. four
suitcases filled with clothing. solid
gold mirror valued at $500. three tiger
skins and a bear skin SHOT by Mr.. Whit
ney and valued at $4,000.