MELODRAMA OF NEW YORK.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, Issue 17692, 5 July 1927, Page 5

MELODRAMA OF NEW YORK.

LURID LIFE REVEALED.

HOLD-UPS AND MURDERS

SAN FRANCISCO, May IS

The crime wgve in the United States shows no evidence of subsiding, but, on the other hand, there are distinct manifestations that it is increasing in severity in most of the large ernes of tile country. New York would now appear to have outrivalled Chicago in tho gamut of crime, for another crop of daring hold-ups and sensational murders lias been further enlivened by the story of Abraham Scharlin and James H. Taylor, as lurid a melodrama ol real life as Mannattan has ever proeetl, a story which sped to a climax in a dingy Brooklyn house at 4 o'clock one morning in May, just 12 hours after a policeman’s bullet had brought tho opening chapter to public notice. Selected as easy marks by a gang of tlie type which has been preying upon wealthy bootleggers in Chicago and Philadelphia, the two were boldly and cleverly- kidnapped on the night of April 28. Fear induced their captors to turn them loose later, without a penny ransom having been paid. For an entire week they had been manacled to each other by handcuffs and their eyes covered with adhesive tape. News of the kidnappipg, the first case of its kind in New York, became public when Detective-Sergeant John Cordes, hero of a long series of police thrillers, attempted to arrest two alleged members of the band in West 65th Street, after he and other detectives had trailed them for several days. One of the two, firing at Cordes, was shot and killed by Motor-Cycle Policeman Richard O’Connor, and later identified as Joseph Marcus. The dead man who had a long criminal record, was identified as leader of the kidnapping band.

His companion, pavid Berman, known as “Dave the Jew,” a notorious character of Chicago' and associate of “Searfaee” A 1 Caponi, was knocked out with the butt of his own automatic by Cordes. “I can’t get more than life,” he told the police. FItIEND AS DECOY. 'File time at which relatives or friends of the kidnapped men reported their disappearance' to the police was not made clear, but is was shown that Marcus was slightly acquainted with Taylor, who lived with his wife in the stylish Buckingham Court Apartments in Brooklyn. He said lie was secretary of the Greendale Distilling Company of Lawrenceville, Indiana. Accompanied by several associates, Marcus lay in wait for Taylor in front of the apartment house, quietly poked the muzzle of a revolver into his back and escorted him into a telephone booth in a chemist’s shop a short distance away. Taylor, a close friend of Scharlin, was forced to decoy him to an appointment at Broadway and 72nd Street, Manhattan, a few blocks from where Scharlin ■ and his wife were staying in the fourroom apartment of Scharlin’s brother, Nate. Scharlin described himself as a real estate operator, with interests in Now York, in Chicago, and on the Pacific Coast. San Francisco police records show that lie has been involved in several narcotic cases. He was at one time under indictment in connection with a rum-running enterprise, but this case was dropped when necessary witnesses disappeared. Hie New York police called him , a “millionaire.” Scharlin walked over to meet Taylor, as requested. Before lie realised what was happening lie was surrounded and quietly escorted to a. Packard sedan. The two prisoners were then blindfolded, dumped to the floor of the car and given a long ride, apparently without getting any idea of the direction

taken. The following day, by letter i and telephone, Scharlin’s family began J to receive demands for ransom, first / 400,000 dollars, and then smaller and smaller amounts, as the kidnappers began to lose hope. The final sum demanded was id. Out) do lavs, with a threat tiiat Scharlin would be killed by 6 o’clock on the Thursday afternoon if this was not paid. CHEQUES FORCIBLY SIGNED. Lai or Ins Elks card waa n aned to Mrs. Scharlin, who was given directions to go to Philadelphia and pay the money to a man who would show her the other half of the card. Mrs Taylor was notified her husband was being held, but no demands were made upon her. In what manner police first connected Marcus with the case was not known, but it is believed Cordes, who knew him by sight, traced a telephone call to him. On his body was found the missing half of Scharlin’s Elks card. Upon him was-also found five 3000 dollar cheques which Taylor had been forced to sign, and which were made out to the order of Charles Kraemer. Kraemer, whoso police record tinder many aliases, goes back 20 years, was arrested j the same night, but lie denied being connected with tho kidnapping. Up to this point tlie detectives had made no headway in their efforts to learn where Scharlin and Taylor were being held prisoners. As it happen'd, a now>paper publication of the fact that Marcus had been killed and Berman and i Kraemer arrested, was what led to the j freeing of the two men. s About 6 o'clock on the morning of I Friday they informed the police they were back home. Detectives placed them in an automobile and spent the j I greater part of the day trying to find j the house.that had been their prison. I They knew it was in Brooklyn and somewhere near the open cut into which trains from the subway emerge : from Fourth Avenue. At last they ! selected the two-storcy house on 57st : Street. In the littered and deserted j dwelling the detectives found the barrel | of a shot gun. of a sawed-off type, a I bunch of artificial roses, a quantity ot I new rope and an early edition of a newspaper of the same day. The latter carried an account of the shooting of Marcus.