Daily News from New York, New York • 318

SUNDAY NEWS, DECEMBER 23, 1923 STILL BRONX POLICE MOP $200,000 DAD FORGIVES VANDERBILT IN ROCKEFELLER PAYS VISIT TO RUINS. AT CHURCH. FIRE NOEL REUNION Nine Trapped by Raiders; Shots and Bottles Fly By WILLIAM RICE. STUNG by the lash in the hand of its new police commissioner, Grover Whalen, a rejuvenated police department yesterday swung- into action with a sensational booze raid. One of the largest distilling plants unearthed in this prohibition era was seized by Bronx police after a sharp, quick battle in which shots were fired, and bottles hurled.

Inspector Joseph Thompson and Deputy Inspector James McKenzie, with four detectives and two uniformed men, located the still in a huge, barnlike building in a deserted section of the Bronx. As they entered they saw several These charred Continued from page eoL Vanderbilt had received a few hours earlier from his attorney, Max D. Steuer. Worthless stocks said to aggregate $608,000 had been peddled to his friends on the strength of forged guarantees of the erstwhile editor, he learned. Trail Forger.

"I think we know the name of the man who has been, forging my name to the stock guarantees," Vanderbilt declared. "He is a so-called society man and our investigators report he has just fled to Canada. "I have just learned that this Manhattan society man was able l. 1 V-i; men working. ruins were all left yesterday of the $5,000,000 Riverside Baptist church, swept by spectacular blaze on Riverside dr.

between 121st and 122d sts. When they started for them, the lights were switched off and bottles began flying at the heads of the raiders. The lights were switched on again after police shots answered the bottle barrage and nine men raised their hands. to induce a friend of mine to part with $52,000 for some of the worthless securities after he had been shown a forged letter in which I was purported to guarantee them." Young Vanderbilt declared he would pass Christmas on his ranch forty miles from Reno, where he has established a home for his recent bride, the former Mrs. Mary Weir Logan of Chicago.

Their i YV ,0 A' 7 marriage took place a few hours' Joe Daly Blaze of Friday Night Is! Third of Series. Saddened by the destruction of Riverside Baptist church the edi- fice on which he has expended $5,000.000 John D. Rockefeller jr. paid a visit to the charred ruins yesterday. Into the blackened skeleton of raping, burned out -windows and beared masonry the millionaire threaded his way, stepping over i burnt crags of scaffolding and a Snow for Santa's Sledge Forecast It looks like a white Christmas.

A heavy snowstormSs sweeping in from the Adirondacks, according to reports from Albany, and a cold wave is moving down from northern Canada. The two ought to strike here just about Christmas day. Yesterda-, the first official day of winter, also was the coldest of this season. The mercury stood at 20 degrees at 7 a. m.

Valued at $200,000. The plant was the most complete ever seized, with a value estimated at about $200,000. It occupied almost a square block. Six vats, filled with fermented mash, two stills, two large steam boilers, pumps, electric motors, and other apparatus for the making of "fine imported Scotch," were seized. Hundreds of bags of brown suger were confiscated.

The plant, taken over by the bootlegging gang less than-a fortnight ago, was not yet producing holiday booze. It was discovered a few days ago by Detectives Bauer, Dudely, Reiger and Nach-man. who marked signs of activity in the structure, formerly used as a monument works. The prisoners were taken to the Simpson st. station, charged with violation of the Volstead act.

They said they were Michael Rolph, 26; Jacob Levine, 29; Anthony Murray, 23; Albert Clark, 29, all plumbers and all of 980 Prospect Brooklyn; Irving Jacobs, 27, of 260 South 1st Brooklyn; Henry Rossi. 37, of 607 Grand Ho-boken, N. Joseph Lacker, 39, of 636 East 12th Charles Newman, 30, of 176 Mangin and Joseph Miller, 29, of 618 East 13th st. Action in Brooklyn, Too. In Brooklyn, too, the order to hunt booze brought swift action.

Capt. Ernest von Diezelski of the Ralph ave. station found a giant still at 21 Dodworth st. No one was on the premises. Alcohol worth $35,000 to the bootleg trade was confiscated.

While police in Brooklyn and the Bronx were hard at it, Whalen was after the divorce decree became final whjch parted Cornelius and his first wife, the former Rachel Littleton. The latter is now Mrs. Jasper Morgan. Going into the details of the Vanderbilt Christmas gift, young Cornelius explained that the in cash donated by his father and mother would become effective Christmas eve at the Citizens Trust and Savings company in Los Angeles. From there checks will be sent out to those who lost money in the launching of the now defunct Vanderbilt papers in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami.

(Other picture on page 1) 'Buried' 2 Years Ago, He Comes Home to Jersey City Widow Edward Dougherty, 38, of 142 Morris st, Jersey City, for whom Mooring of ice, as firemen on duty and the second two weeks ago, but no serious damage occurred in either of these blazes. Like the fire of Friday, the other two started by the ignition of the flimsy scaffolding utilized by con tractors in finishing their work on the nearly completed church. Renresentatives of th fnnf rsi. John D. Dr.

Harry (tors who accompanied the millionaire on his tour said the question emergency man, and charged with robbing a fifth floor loft next door at No. 141. The patrolman, Walter Mika, of the East 22nd st. held in $2,000 bail in Yorkville court. The others were also held for hearing the same day, tomorrow.

The other prisoners are Cornelius Peteris, 46, of 674 Lincoln Teaneck, N. the Holmes man; Joseph Mahon, 23, of 3070 33d Astoria, Edison man; John Ayres, 30, of 612 Silver st, Mas-peth, and Charley Krimsky, 27, of 421 East 76th both fire patrolmen. Mahon was held without bail because of a previous criminal record. The others, including Stephen Firment, 36, of 295 Avenue charged with receiving stolen goods, were held in $2,000 each. Guarded Lofts Looted.

Clothing worth $2,800 was stolen from the loft plant of Bernstein and Schwartz. It was also reported that another loft in the same building was broken into and beads valued at $1,000 taken. All but Firment were charged with suspicion of burglary. Mika was given the lone post at midnight ThursdayrTelieving the man left there by Whalen. In Brooklynthe order to hunt booze brought swift action.

Police Capt. Ernest Von Diezel-ski of the Ralph ave. station found a giant still at 21 Dodworth but no one was on the premises. Alcohol worth $35,000 was confiscated. When Whalen got through with the 5th Broadway, and pickpocket squads they were all under command of Lieut.

William Raftis, commander of the latter squad. Sergt. James Brelin of the 5th ave. and James Brannigan of the Broadway squads at present remain in the newly merged body. Detective Joe Daly, reduced to a patrolman by Whalen because of his lack of success in the Rothstein case, had not put in his application for retirement yesterday, indicating that possibly he would accept detail at patrol work.

(Other picture on page 1) chopping and paring the force in Emerson Fosdick Rockefeller jr. since the spectacular blaze Friday night continued to play streams of water from all sides. He looked at the shambles from very angle and then gave voice to his thuughts. "Sad. sad.

very sad," he said. "You don't have to go to Europe to see ruins. Here is one right here." It was revealed by the oil king that the fire which raged in the beautiful Gothic structure on Riverside dr. at 122d st. for two hours on Friday night was the third to occur in the church recently.

The first took place two months ago, a solemn funeral mass was sung on Dec. 10 in St. Peter's church, Jersey City, came back to life yes-terday. He came home for Christmas. The body of the man buried in his fiimily lot after it had been found in a rooming house fire charred beyond recognition couldn't have been him, he said.

His "widow" who has not seen him in two years collected insur-anee when other relatives identified the rooming house body as his. DEATH ON THIRD OFFENSE URGED FOR CRIMINALS Buffalo. Dpi- 22 (ll.P1 'T'riiti of whether the church will have to be rebuilt entirely cannot be determined until the ruins are tested. It w-as also announced, that in view of the repeated blazes within a few weeks, a careful investigation of the origin of Friday's fire will be started. Harry Emerson Fosdick, pastor of the Park ave.

Baptist church, who was to lead his congregation, including Rockefeller, into the new edifice when it was completed, talked to his distinguished parishioner during the day regarding plans for rebuilding. an effort to make its work more effective. At the close of the day he had broken further traditions of the department and eradicated numerous "soft spots." Such notoriously easy assignments as the 5th ave. and Broadway squads were "dis mantled and merged with the pickpocket squad. The industrial.

or gangster squad, commanded by Detective Johnny Broderick, was merged with the bomb, or radical squad, the latter prominent mostly Mate's Dislike of Double Bed of criminals who return to a life of crime after being released from a state nrison. was sjrKnflfofl ht-ra Led to Single Life, Says Wife for its guarding of distinguished visitors. He Gets One Setback. Whalen's speeding up of ef fici-: today by James W. Higgins, com If there is anvthimr in this world ency received one setback during missioner or ponce.

Higgins, incensed over the probable fatal shooting today of policeman HaTnlrl Walfflm Kir Kn r-o-1 the day. Thursday night he donned felt slippers and slipped about the declared that execution of criminals placed in that category would prac-j urany ao away wiin crime. The commissioner said Vio -fnxmrtiA i comfort, according to her suit for separation yesterday, and twice, during a series of quarrels, attempted to kill her. He jammed a napkin down her throat on one occasion, the petition charges, and again, when they were rowing on a summer resort lake, he rocked the boat, knowing that she could not swim. A life guard saved her.

But the climax did not come until they went to spend the night with a couple of her friends. The only bed available for them was a double bed. Fred raved like a maniac and then deserted her, his wife contends. He has since been living at 9 West 91st st. that Frederick II.

Smyth hates, it's a double bed. The mistake he made, however, was in not having it distinctly urderstond with his wife, before he married her, that they were to sleep apart. Mrs. Smyth tripped happily downtown to buy furniture for their honeymoon apartment at 155 West 95th, and the first thing she selected was a big mahogany double bed. Fred came home that night and slept on the floor.

That was the beginning of the trouble in the Smyth home. The husband secured his bride of deliberately conspiring against his city like an army officer checking on the watchfulness of his sentinels. At 139 5th a building burned out in a five-alarm fire, he found four patrolmen guarding what was left. He sent three back to the station house, leaving but one on guard. Yesterday a patrolman, who relieved the lone guard later in the day, was arrested with four other men, including two fire patrolmen, a Holmes Protective company operative and an Edison company paroling first offenders, giving stiff sentences to second offenders and executing them if the returned to crime after being released from a state prison.

The department chief said that a check of police records in this conntrv showed that tV. Police have fought and won the first battle in the war on rum declared by Commissioner Whalen. For further developments read tomorrow's Pink and other editions of the DAILY NEWS. of crimes committed were perpe-: iraiea Dy ex-convicts..