WHOLESALE ROBBERIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19221, 9 January 1926, Page 2 (Supplement)

WHOLESALE ROBBERIES.

SUSPECTS IN AMERICA. POLICE MAKE SEVERAL ARRESTS. A "round-up" of tv/o alleged robber gangs, members of which, it is claimed, have been concerned in thefts of jewellery valued at more than 250,000 dollars during the past three months, was accom-' plished on November 17 by the New York Police, following a six weeks' hunt, the story of which reads like a detective novel, In all, eight men were captured, including one, Raymond Seeley, \vho is alleged to have been what is known as the "pathfinder" for the rest. Search is still going on for a third gang. Nearly two months previously detectives came to the conclusion that the success of robbers in locating men on tho streets with wallets of precious stones was not accidental, and that "inside information" was being furnished to the thieves from the Maiden Lane district. Several detectives were detailed to watch the locality for persons who did not seem to belong there, and after weeks of patient work a number were picked out. With, at first, little more than suspicion to work on, the detectives continued their search, eventually noticing that Seeley, who had a jewellery business at Fifth Avenue, was frequently met by the men they were trailing. Slowly, but surely, connections were established between suspected robbers and dealers in Maiden Lane, who, it was believed, were disposing of the loot. Fventually three men in what had come to be known as the "Broadway Utch" gang, were trailed in their motor by defectives in a police car. The latter read in the siens of nervousness in their quarry enough to convince them that the suspects were out on a job. Taking advantage of a block in the traffic the detectives ran their car alongside the one they were pursuing and faced the tin ee with drawn revolvers. Arrests were made, quietly and without resistance. Following this capture the remaining fi ve su'pects were arrested as nuicklv as possible. One, Alexander Schnitzer. was ra'-ght on the Pennsylvania Railway fit ion as be was abo r, to leave f or Philadelphia. A telegram in his pocket indicated that he was ffoir.tj to tnfre nnrt ' n a theft there, and with the information received. Philadelphia police weie able to frustrate the projected hold-up of trucks en Tying silk. During the morning following the ar- • rests,, each of the accrued whs identified by viqtims of robberies, and later, the police stated, one of the prisoners broke down and made a long confession involving the others.