CRIME: Record Haul

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A cheerless birthday party took place in white-haired Commissioner O'Ryan's office. An oldtime militiaman, John Francis O'Ryan joined New York's smart 7th Regiment in 1897, was abruptly promoted from major to major general commanding all State troops in 1912. In 1916 he led the New York national guardsmen to the Mexican border, two years later went to France at the head of the 27th Division. He served with distinction, was the only militiaman to retain his command of a division throughout the War. His men selected for their divisional insignia a starry arm-patch supposed to represent the constellation Orion. Back home General O'Ryan returned to the law, took up commercial aviation, was boosted last year for Fusion Mayor of New York. As a reward for withdrawing his candidacy. Fusion Mayor LaGuardia made him the Biggest City's biggest policeman.

As such, Commissioner O'Ryan personally supervised the ensuing robber hunt. Interborough bridges were scrupulously policed, suspicious-looking autoists halted and frisked for guns or loot. Up from Floyd Bennett Field soared two police planes to scout up the Sound, down the New Jersey coast for Popeye and its companion craft. To work straight 24-hr. shifts on the case until it was solved, 25 of the youngest detectives on the force were selected, because their faces would be less familiar to criminals. On the supposition that the hold-up men had left New York, Department of Justice agents were ready to begin working on the case under a new law which makes interstate transportation of stolen goods, worth more than $5,000, a Federal felony.

As usual, suspects were loudly picked up and quietly released in other cities—Baltimore, Philadelphia, Scranton. As usual, Val O'Farrell, oldtime detective, masterminded the case for the Daily News (his angle: "inside job"). U. S. Trucking Corp. was quick to certify the good characters of its robbed guards, promptly sent checks to all who had suffered loss, was happy that it was fully covered by theft insurance. Turning an unprecedented lemon into lemonade, theft insurance firms bought space on financial news pages to advertise their protection service.

As the week ended, all the police had as evidence were the pushcart, some fingerprints on the abandoned car and a scuttled lobster boat which they were trying to connect with the case. In tracing the escape boats they were embar- rassed to find no less than 22 innocent Popeyes.