GANGSTER WARFARE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 225, 24 August 1931, Page 7

GANGSTER WARFARE.

CRIME WAVE IN NEW YORK. MANY CASUALTIES RESULT. NEW YORK, Aug. 22. The gangsters’ crime wave reached a climax to-day, when warfare flared up in the metropolitan area. Two policemen were shot dead, seven others were wounded, two robbers were slain, and 17 citizens were wounded. To-day’s outlawry began in the district in which bandits recently fired into a crowd, killing a child. Three robbers raided the Mendoza Fur Company. They killed a patrolman who was guarding the pay roll and escaped with £IOOO. Speeding away, the bandits fired on a motor-car carrying a woman and child and a fireman whom the bandits mistook for a policeman. All were badly, injured ns the robbers raked the ear with a machine gun. The infant later died. The bandits were brought to bay in the Bronx after shooting another patrolman. and two were killed. All the police reserves were called out. Among those injured were a taxi-driver and a 13-year-old boy, who are now in a critical condition and are likelv to die. The dead bandits have been identified as belonging to law-abiding families living in New York. They were only 20 years of age. The pay roll which they tried to capture was one of onlv 4600 dollars.

Popular" feeling still runs high. The newspaper New York American, in a black-leaded caption on the front page, says: “Citizens of New York: This may be the fate of any of you unless you band together to put an end to the terrorism of crime. Every man and woman in this city sluvdd attend a monster mass meeting tomorrow night in Central Park.” The newspaper adds: “President Hoover is shocked at the story of widespread slaughter and has directed an immediate investigation by Federal detectives. Walter Ferguson, chief of the Secret Service, Eastern Division, has been directed to proceed to New York to co-operate with the Federal Department of Justice and the police. He also has been ordered to investigate the position.” Far-reaching changes in the New York Police Department’s signal and patrol system, with the introduction of radio-equipped automobiles for rapid concentration in any part of the city, has been announced by the aetingMayor, Mr McKee, as a result of yesterday's experience. More than 1000 bullets were exchanged in the battle, which extended over 12 miles of streets. Citizens are aroused to an intense pitch, and American Legion officers have offered to mobilise 30,000 ex-ser-vicemen to aid the police to patrol the streets.