Evening star., 1924-05-14
BANDITS BEAT CLERK,
SEIZE $4,000 GEMS
Two Armed Men Stage Daring
Hold-Up in J. F. Cooper's
Establishment.
ROBBERS WERE UNMASKED
76- -Year-0ld Employe Assaulted,
Bound and Gagged.

Two armed bandits today entered
the jewelry store \of J. F. Cooper, at
5051a 11th street, clubbed into sub
mission with the butt end of a pistol
the seventy clerk on duty,
bound and gagged him in chair and
escaped with approximately $4,000
worth of jewelry.
The clerk, Charles F. Adams, had
just opened the store shortly after
z o'clock this morning when one of
the white men, unmasked, entered
the store and inquired about getting
a watch repaired. When Adams
started to examine a proffered time
piece he was dealt a couple of blows
on the head, stunning him. The other
robber meanwhile had Joined his COM
panion.
Struggling, Adams was then led by
both men to the rear end of a counter,
where he was bound with a rope to
a chair and gagged with a banker
chief. When he attempted to cry for
help he was warned that a repetition
of the attempt would mean his death.
Adams plea that he was about to
faint saved him from being partially
smothered with an overcoat which
the robbers were about to place over
his head.
Bit Bandit, He Says.
Adams succeeded in lifting one of
the men on the right hand before he
was subdued, he told the police
While the younger of the two men
was binding him to the chair his COM
panion was riding the show cases of
several trays of rings, many of them
set with diamonds and one valued as
high as $500. Watches and other ar
ticles were taken. The safe, which
had not been closed before the in
truders entered the store, was search
ed, but there was no money there. A
small amount of cash reposed in the
cash register, but in their hurry the
hold-up men failed to investigate the
register.
Getting the gag from his mouth,
Adams succeeded in unfastening the
rope that bound him, looked over the
stock to ascertain what had been
taken and left the store. He was
taken to Emergency Hospital and
treated for several scalp wounds.
Adams reached the store shortly
after $40 O'Clock, he explained to De-
tective Robert Livingston and Police
men +. L. Rawlinson and ]. E. Fon-
dahl of the first precinct, the two Uni
formed members of the first precinct
command being the first members of
the police force to respond TO the
elderly mans call for aid.
Adams was taking trays of jewelry
from the safe near the front window
and arranging them in the show
cases when, he stated, ne notlceo
two men standing at the curb In
front Of a lunchroom on the opposite
side of the street. g
Thinking the men were waiting
for a street car. he said. ne palo no
attention to them. Shortly after ne
opened the door to the place OF busi-
ness, however, he saw them cross
the street toward the store. The
younger of the men, he said, was
about thirty OF thirty-hVe years Ola
and wore a light suit and light cap.
The older man wore dark clothes
and a slouch hat.
Loss Estimated at $4,000.
Adams condition was not regarded
by the hospital physicians as being
serious and he was able to leave the
hospital later in the day for his
home.
Mr. Cooper, summoned from his
home, in Cherrydale, Va, reached his
place Of business shortly after
o'clock and conducted an examination
to determine the amount OF his loss.
While he was unable to give the
exact value of the property stolen,
he said he believed it would reach
$1,000. Many watches that had been
left to be repaired were taken, he
said.