{ title: 'South side observer. (Freeport, L.I. [N.Y.]) 1870-1918, March 21, 1919, Page 2, Image 2', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84031784/1919-03-21/ed-1/seq-2/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84031784/1919-03-21/ed-1/seq-2.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84031784/1919-03-21/ed-1/seq-2/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84031784/1919-03-21/ed-1/seq-2/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
Image provided by: Alene Scoblete, Rockville Centre Public Library; Tom Tryniski
voL. Lif no. 12 WHOLE NUMBER 2808 Freeport Nat. Bank Held Up by Armed Trio and Robbed, Captured in Queens Borough After | Auto Chase--One Shot-- Money Recovered. The First National Bank of Free- port had enacted within it a few minutes before 11 o'clock Wednesday morning a bold hold-up of its six employes by three young men from New York, armed with revolvers, and was robbed of $3,181 in bills, grabbed from the cashier's drawer before they made an escape. R The trio fled in an automobile, but failed to make successful their get- away, as they were inter by the police of Queens Borough in Bay Side and at Jamaica, after a chase in which a commande automobile had pur- sued the bandits from Queens village in a car which they had stolen from Manhattan. Detection of the number plate on the car after the bank hold-up by Austin Wood of Roosevelt, a k- keeper of the bank, was one of the principal factors in furnishing a clue. street, Manhattan, was captured at Hillside avenue and Jamaica boule- vard, Queens, by a motorcycle patrol- man and another officer, after he had obtained a ride to that point with the driver of a car the police had pre- viously commandeered in their chase. The third hold-up man, Henry Ber- man, «1&5? years, who lives . in Eighty-first street, Manhattan, escap- ed in a woods, but was arrested later as he was entering his home, He was turned over to the Freeport police yesterday (Thursday) and locked up for arraignment this (Friday) after- noon on a charge of robbery in the second degree, before acting Police Justice Wilbur F. Southard. Brownstein, it is asserted, mads a confession to the Jamaica police, and Berman, question 'by (Police Chief Hanse of Freeport, is said to have given certain details of the escapade which coincide with those of Brown- stein. The . police recovered $2,200 from Brownstein, who maintains that was all the money taken from the bank What became of the balance the bank claims to have lost is not known An overcont lost from the autom>- It was about 10.30 Wednesday bile the hold-ups used was found in morning when the automobile appear- Grand avenue, Baldwin, by a driver w in Freeport, and a few minutes lat- for Merritt's Bakery of Rockville er swung into Railroad avenue. The Centre, and turned over to the Rock- occupants of the car, a big Hudson vile Centre police. Captain Will Pmil- Super-Six, attracted attention because lips took the arment to Freeport they were roughly dressed, and some Thursday evening. Berman is said were without overcoats, notwithstand- | ing the day was a raw one. The car turned around near the bank before it stopped on the Railroad avenue ! side. Two of the occupants alighted | and walked along the thoroughfare | for a time, thenwultmwthec‘r.’ and after talking with the third man, he alighted and followed them. All the bank employes, cashier Wil- liam F. Kraft, Jr.; G. Edwin Hem- ing, assistant cashier; Miss Mary Davis, head bookkeeper; Miss Kath- erine Golden, stenographer; Miss Florence Noon, liberty bond clerk, and Austin Wood, bookk T, were bus to have admitted that it was lost from the automobile that the hold-ups used The car bore the license plate 173,728 N. Y., and belonged to Dr. Albert Glass of Broadway and 94th street, Manhattan. It was stolen by the hold-ups, according to reports, while standing in front of a patient's house and was returned to the doctor on Thursday. WOMAN HISTORIAN h the trio of hold-ups entered. W NS $ 0 CLAIM gill: Emily - (Wallace, . widow - of I 15,50 Charles L. liace, and Louis Ruppel, a Borden Milk Company driver, were the only patrons in the bank at thel time. Heming was at the cashier's window | when one of the trio, said to have‘ been Brownstein, stepped up, and throwing down a $10 bill, asked that \ it be changed to $1 bills. Heming had just counted the smaller bills and looked up to view the muzzle of a ! big revolver aimed at him. 1 \Throw up your hands and don't move,\ was the command given by the man outside the window. Heming obeyed. The other employes looked to | se what was going on, and heard sim- ilar commands from the other men, and saw muzzles of revolvers pointed at them through other windows of the bank cage. 'The two patrons were ordered to \stand still,\ and they. Prepared Record of Aurora Chap- ter Member, Sued Estate. Surrogate Ketcham of Brooklyn has just allowed a claim of $15,500, made by Mrs. Leonora Sawyer of Rockville Centre, against the estate of Mrs. Eliza Mathisen, a widow, who died recently The claim grew out of the fact that for five years Mre. Sawyer acted as amanuensis for Mrs. Mathisen, who could neither read nor write, it was declared, although she was the His- torian of Aurora Grata Chapter No with the employes, exceptin® Mi8S% op; rjer of the Eastern Star, a imvlobeyed: She left 119541111“: “a\; | woman's Masonic organization. the directors' room at ar o Mrs. Mathisen left an estate the bank and ran into it. . The man at Heming's window, evi- dently fearing an alarm, told him to hurry and open a door which would | let him into J; cage. Heming obefied, and the armed bandit ran in, gather- ed all the bills from the front part of the cashier's drawer, backed out and told his pals to \hurry up and beat it.\ 'They obeyed, and as the last one left the bank he said: . \If anyone follows they will be giv- en a dose of hot lead.\ L The hold-ups hastened to their au- tomobile and were off in @ jlfif to- ward Baldwin, where it developed later they had trouble finding the right road to travel west without fining through Rockville Centre or Lynbrook ai nearly ditched their car. The F rt police were immedi- ately notified, and Adam Yulch, who was at fluid, had Captain Dun- bar on the way to the bank in h iffy. He was Lin-d a few minutes . (Word was gluon! of the hold-up and robbery by ulch to all surrounding villages, to Jamaica and the city. Banks in other villages, from the Suffolk County line to Greater New York limits were notified to be on ard agminat hold-ups, and a num- of them were guarded with revol- vers for time. It when word was that two of the ured, one shot f: & of $100,000. For many years prior to her death she was actively interest- | ed in the work of Aurora Grata Chap- ter. Mrs. Sawyer declared that for five years she prepared for Mrs. Mathisen the annual history of Aurora Grata Chapter. For these services she as- serted, Mrs. Mathisen agreed to pay her at the rate of $3,000 a year. When the executors of Mrs. Mathi- sen's will came to Mrs, Sawyer's claim, which was for $15,500, they rejected it and asked that the Sur- rogate hear evidence and pass on the question of whether Mrs. Sawyer was entitled to the money. At the trial, Philip A. Brennan, at- tornéy for Mrs. Sawyer, contended that a valid contract existed between her and Mre. Mathisen for the pay- ment of the money, and that the pay- ment was prevented only by Mrs. Mathisen's death. Tt was shown that after Mrs, Sawyer had acted as her secretary three years, Mrs. Mathi- men agreed in writing that her secre- tary was to receive $3,000 a year. After hearing the evidence, Surro- gate Ketcham held that Mrs. Saw- year had established her claim, and that she is entitled to the full amount demanded in the suit, which, with in- terest, is $17,500. BALDWIN THIEF SCARE Armed Posse Surrounds Duelling-- Officers Search, Find no One. «-_- Rockville Centre and scare £ Har- venue, , at resi- 5:2 r»! (Frederick Westpfal, a cut- lery manufacturer, on Tuesday even- ing. is wife and two sons drove in an afimflflhl’ohuflufififiuh meat him. While Wosent some one un- Freeport, Nassau Co., N. Y., Friday, March 21, 1919. TWO DOLLARS A YEAR FIVE CENTS A cory COUNTY JAIL SURVEY Rockville Centre Electors Vote WILKINS INDICTED BY ARCHITECT VOTED Will Also Make Plans for Supervi- sors to Alter Institation-- Other Nassau Affairs. Mineola (special) -At a meeting of the Nassau Supervisors on Mon- day, Architect Tooker requested the board to fix a date for the final in- spection of the heating, plumbing and electrical contract work in the tuber- culosis hospital at Plainview. - The board set March 21 as the date for inspection. William C. Raynor of Freeport was | appointed assistant engineer in the department of heating and lighting in the Court House and jail at a salary of $105 monthly. He was appointed from a civil service eligible list. The board voted to engage the ser- vices of a qualified architect to make a survey of the county jail conditions and further to make the necessary plans and specifications for altera- tions which will meet the require- ments of the law as to the classifica- tion of prisoners and to do all things necessary incidental thereto. The ac- tion of the board in engaging an ar- chitect for this work was prompted {by the fact that for some time the State Board of Prison Commissioners has been urging the supervisors to en- large the county jail. _ At present there is a proceeding in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, where- in the State Prison Commission is asking for a writ of mandamus di- rected against the supervi the construction of a building with a maximum of 100 cells for the pris- oners County Superintendent of High- ways W. «Fred Starks was authorized to appear before the State Highway Commissioners at Albany in relation to the improvement of Seaman and | Lakeview avenues as county high- | ways. ---_--4- | ACQUIT B. R. T. MAN | Jury at Mineola Finds Supt. Blewitt® Not Guilty of Manslaughter. Thomas F §Iewnm a division su- perintendent of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit, was acquitted of an indict- ment charging him with manalaughter ) by a jury in the Nassau County Su- preme Court at Mineola on Tuesday evening. The jury deliberated several hours before reaching a verdict The charge against Blewitt emanat- ed from a wreck last November on the | Brighton Beach line of the B. R. T., when 92 persons were killed. Blewitt, it was alleged, had assigned an in- competent motorman, Edward Luci- ano, to run the train, which was wrecked. Trial of the issue began on March 3 ,,,,, _- The question as to whether town elections will be held in Nassau Coun ty this spring has not been finally settled, but is expected to be in a few days ollowing the court orders obtain- ed, directing the several town clerks to show cause why they should not call the elections for which candidates were filed by both Republicans and rate, Justice Lazansky of the Supreme Court decided last Saturday that the law passed last year chan- ing the time of the elections in Nas- sau to November was unconstitution al. An appeal from his decision to the Appellate Division was decided on by the Republicans on Tuesday hy a vote of 3 to 2. The count sustained Justice Lazansky. Further appenl to the Court of Appeals was deemed ad- vimable and taken. A decision is ex pected before this week ends Probation Officer Examination. t ingola, under the civil service REMA 7, Tor the position or ition lon of 'tor homun- | at the citizens primary, being present- | o'clock for organizat LIPT OF LIQUOR BAN | FIRE CHIEF INDICTED | the Against Fire House Phones Only Proposition Tarned Down-- Vote is Light--Citizens Ticket is Unopposed. In strong contrast to the lively elec- tion in Rockville Centre last year, the annual event on Tuesday was one of the most quiet in recent years-in ed. The voting was conducted on a new basis, the trustees recently cre- ating two districts, one north and the other south of the railroad tracks. of last year. The total vote cast Tuesday was 227, of which Charles J. Dooley, re- elected treasurer, received all. Seven propositions, calling for spe- | cial appropriations, were submitted --- {to the taxpayers, and all voted upon favorably with the exception of one , asking for $300 to inuLaYl telephones { in each fire house as an addition to the alarm system now established. This was voted down by 94 to 65. A proposal to take $1,000 from the | light fund for extension of the electric light distribution system was carried 'by 145 to 20 \ The proposition to raise $7,000 for oiling streets was adopted by 140 to 111) votes; another to spend $1,500 for candidate for president, received 182 votes; Edwin G. Wright, defeated at the citizens' primary, 17 votes. There were a number of seattering votes for various citizens. For trustees, two years, Arthur G. Ackert, now in office, received 207 votes; Frank B. Gardner, a new nom- ince, 210 and Ronald Daisley, 2. For treasurer, Charles J. Dooley re- ceived the entire election vote of 227 For collector, Arthur J. Flanagan received 220; George J. Quinn, who was a primary candidate, 4; E. Mc- fact, to speak correctly, it was dead. Carten, 1, and Miss Nellie O'Neill, 1. This was due to the lack of competi- | The newly-elected village board will tion, only one ticket, that nominated | convene next Mandi! evening at 7 ion PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. RUSS I REFUSED BY STATE FOR DEATH OF GRL George Roffey, a salesman and chief of the Bellmore fire department, | was arraigned before County Judie Lewis J. Smith last Saturday, on an ndictment charging him with man slaughter in the second degree, and | on another indictment charging lim Hempstead (special) -The Town | Board on Tuesday voted to request the state commission to with- draw the restriction placed upon the liquor dealers of the township which prohibits them from selling botteled goods not to be drunk upon the prem- ises where sold with violating a certain section of The board, in its resolution, to he the highway law forwarded the excise commission, The indiatment, in substance, charges Rofey with causing the death of Emily Stratford on January 28, in Merrick road at Lynbrook. The state's claim is that the Stratford girl, when riding on the front seat of an automobile driven by Roffey, called to him to stop, saying that she wished to alight from the car. Roffey, the state will claim, refused to stop his car, and the Stratford girl leaped, falling to the roadway and sustaining injuries which later resulted in her death George M. Levy, who represents Roffey, entered a plea of not guilty for his client on Saturday, and bail was fixed at $5,000. Surety was furnished by William F. (Bowne and Mrs. Nich. nlvu Meyer of Bellmore. Counselor Levy stated Saturday that Roffey did not know that the Stratford girl was going to leap from the car, and that he his machine as quickly as possible after she had left the auto. Viola 'Fatecher of Valley Stream, who was with Roffey and the Strat- ford girl on the night of the accident, was a witness before the Grand Jury which indicted Roffey. HEROES HONOR DAY Memorial Club House, Freeport, to be Officially Opened March 29. The Soldiers' and Smilors' Memuri- al Clubhouse at Freeport will be of- ficlally opened on March 29 to honor the war heroes of that village and surrounding in Nassau County The chub, under auspices of the states that the only effect of the reso lution restricting the sales of liquors was to prevent liquor dealers in the town of Hempstead from selling bot- tled goods not to be drunk on the premises where sold, while the said bottled goods could be purchased in adjacent towns and brought into Hempstead, ind that as a further ob- ject the resolution was passed to pro- tect the soldiers of Camp Mills from obtaining bottled liquors. The board calls attention to the fact that following a request to with- draw the restrictions, a public meet- ing was held and tt no objections were offered at the meeting to the granting of such a request. The re- quest referred to was made lmat week the Liquor Dealers' Association of town of Hempstead through its president, Frank G. Holly. Town Clerk Gilbert today (Friday) announced that he had received a let- ter from State Excise Commissioner Simsion refusing to rant the requert of the Town Board. The commissinn- | er asserted that both himself and Gov- | ernor Smith were opposed to rescind ing the ban without approval of the roper military authorities, which it had 'not been possible to obtain HOSE HOUSE Winning Freeport Company is Host at Party | in New Headquarters. Hose C any No. 2 gave n house warming at its new building in North Main street, Freeport, on Monday evening. An elaborate turkay dinner This resulted from the heavy vote | ire hose sanctioned by 119 to 34; to ! spend $500 for crosswalks, adopted by 108 to 31; to spend $2,000 from the light fund for an additional air pump to be used in the condensing system at the power house, adopted by 106 to 17. and the proposal to spend $3,000 for a dra n pipe from Hempstead and Village avenues to Mill river, part cost of draining village villuse streets, | by 108 to 35 votes.. Nassau County | will contribute a sum larger than that voted by the village toward the drain system and will improve Hemp- tead avenue with concrete at a cost of $35,000 For village officers, Joseph F. Russ, Walter E. Johnson. Baker; collector, ; treasurer, Dele- .o.-=;\-uuo«anm «(or extra ithu. M al as 'the Memoria Com- carried. was served to fifty-three guests. The hose house was decorated with Ameri- and the favors were Ameri- can Irish flags intertwined. Short dent Robert (i yor is e Mnhllnu'nmdflnfimnm chi present chiefs, new candidates and mm . Sch-Eden- on L pla ano were halk Irian ® Ret toes in: thud-dd- active and min mem- bere the y, ex war- Sous \and \ members of the Village Beard of Trustees. BENZOMINT dependable bourehoid rematy f and tonaftitis “ml-471.7: mo guryline. A standby that & Te grey hame. \Get a boise at your Solders' Welfare Association of Nas- sau County, extends to every man, through the Observer-Post, its grate- ful appreciation of his patriotic ser- vice with the American forces, whose achievernents made possible the glori- ous victory of the great war for world freedom. For the comforts and pleasures of these boys te masociation has pur- chased and furnished a beautiful house at 202 South Grove street. Membership in this memerial club is free of cost. See the membership committee on Sunday, March 23, from 2manm,.uundm. Bring AS WIFE SLAYER Doctor Sent to Jail After Surren- der--Pleads Not Gailty to Warrant. Dr. Walter K. Wilkins, whose wife, Julia, was brutally murdered at Long Beach on February 27, was taken into custody at the Pennsylvania station, New York, Wednesday night, after returning from Baltimore, and on Thursday was committed to the Nas- sau County jail by Police Justice Cas- sus Coleman on a warrant charging him with the murder. The physician pleaded not guilty to the charge and waived examination. County Detective Carman Plant swore to the complaint against Dr. Wilkins. Soon after the doctor's commit- ment, the Nassau County Grand Jury returned a murder indictment against Im. It is planned to try him at the May ter r of the Supreme Court. Dr. Wilkins, n statements, has reiterated that he had nothing to do with the murder of his wife, and holds to his early statements that robbers found in his Long Beach home upon . returning . from . New - York were the slayers. Testimony taken from nouchbors by Justice Neu, acting as coroner, on Tuesday tends to sup- port the robbery claim of the doctor Circumstantial evidence gathered by Burnes detectives and others is suid to involve the doctor to a certain extent Dr. Wilkins went away last Sun- day He said he intended visiting a step-dauihter in Washington, D. C., but changed his mind and went to Baltimore. While in that city he had his whiskers and mustache removed. He said he did this to escape no- tomiety as his picture had been print- ed in many newspapers. He returned to New York voluntarily after read- ing that his case was to come before the Grand Jury at Mineola - FREEPORT ELECTION IS LIVELY EVENT Police Justice banal Won by Al- bin Johnson and Firemen's Proposal Attracts. Voters of Freeport on Tuesday turned out to the number of 1094 for the annual election, about one-third of tne number who had registered. At intervals the voting waa lively and considerable interest manifested in the outcome of the police justice contest between Clinton M. Flint, the present - incumbent, and Albin N. Johnson, village counsel. The propo- sition of lose Company No. 4 for $10,000 to ubtain a combination motor house wagon and pumper also aroused interest amon the taxpayers, especi- ally the firemen, who ably supported the proposition of their asaociates The police justice victory was achieved by Johnson, who received DMT votes to 468 votes for Flint. All the propositions were carried by good mu‘jnrltmn for village president, Robert G. Anderson was re-elected by a vote of For trustees, Silas A. Williams and Henry L. Maxson were also re-elect- ed by 817 and 794 votes. For treasurer, D. Frank Seaman, candidate for re-election, received 901 votes, and 'S. Dimon Smith, coHlector, candidate for re-election, 906. The vote on propositions follows: . No. lwagothtinx $15,000 for all night street lighting mnd repairs to plant; yes, 286; no, 94. riating $12,000 for o. 2-App maintaining police department; yes, 256; no, 128. No. %-Appropriating $5,000 from light fund for extensions; yes, 267; no, 112 No. 4-To expend from the water fund, £5,000 for extensions; yes, 254; no, 96 No. 5-To expend $10,000 for motor driven hose wagon and pumper; yes, 817; no. 215 No. 6-To pay $10,000 of water bonds from the light sinking fund; yes, 255; no, 98 No. 7-Giving authority to combine the water and light sinking funds into a general maintenmnce fund ; yes, 234; no, 108, The board of trustees will meet to organize next Monday evening _--4 __ Lutherans Call Mew Pastor. Karl H. Miller, a theological stu- dent at Mt. Airy Seminary, Philadel- phia, has accepted a call to the Luth- eran Church at Freeport. Mr. Miller will complete his studies in June, and then assume charge of the church. Rev. A. C. Karkan, who resigned in January, will continue as pastor in the interim, unless personal affaire demand attention elsewhere. arr peee , 'Mrs. Frances at her home, Lakeview . nvente, - Rockville Centre, last Saturday of carcinoma. She was sixty-seven years of age, and is survived a daughter, Margaret and a won, Christopher, The fune was held from St. Agnes' R. (G, Church on Tuesday. Interment took r discharge rs and got a mem- hip card, so you will be in- vited the festivities on March 29 place in Calvasy Cometery,
