One hundred years ago, in 1926, residents of Woodhaven were living in fear. A brazen criminal had been breaking into homes and stealing radios, items that were still relatively new at the time and both rare and expensive to own. As thefts mounted, homeowners began removing their aerials in hopes that the criminal, dubbed “The Radio Burglar” by the press, would pass their homes by.
The story of the Radio Burglar will be the subject of a free presentation by the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society at Neir’s Tavern, located at 78th Street and 88th Avenue in Woodhaven, at noon on Saturday, Feb. 28.
The crimes took a violent turn one night after midnight in early March. A police officer encountered a man at the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue carrying a bulky object concealed under a blanket. When asked what he was doing out so late and what he was carrying, the man replied, “Let me show you,” and placed the bundle on the ground.
As the officer leaned over to inspect it, the man fired a gun through his overcoat pocket and fled the scene. Although the officer’s injuries were not life-threatening, the escalation alarmed the police. The New York City Police Department flooded the area with uniformed patrolmen and plainclothes detectives determined to stop the Radio Burglar before someone was killed.
At approximately 2:30 a.m. on March 25th, 1926, police were called to a home on 78th Street after a housewife reported seeing a man behaving suspiciously outside a neighboring residence. When detectives arrived, they noticed a flickering light inside the home. One officer made his way down an alley and into the backyard to investigate.
Det. Frank Donnelly of Long Island City approached the back door just as it opened. A man identifying himself as the homeowner asked, “What’s the matter? Is there anything I can do for you?” Before Donnelly could respond, a gunshot rang out. The detective fell to the ground with a bullet lodged in his chest. Once again, the burglar had fired without removing his hand from his jacket pocket.
In the confusion and darkness, the suspect escaped. He emerged around the corner with Patrolman Arthur Kenney and another officer in pursuit. The chase continued for several blocks, with Kenney closing the distance, until the suspect disappeared into some bushes.
Kenney followed the trail into a dark backyard where he nearly collided with a man who claimed to be another police officer in pursuit. The man told Kenney that he believed the suspect had jumped a nearby fence. At the time, the streets were crowded with plainclothes detectives from across Queens who did not all know one another.
In that brief moment of hesitation, the suspect fired again from his jacket pocket, striking Patrolman Kenney in the neck. He vanished into the night.
Patrolman Arthur Kenney fought for his life for two weeks before succumbing to his injuries. He was only twenty-eight years old and left behind a wife and young daughter. His murder shocked the public and intensified the manhunt. Officers across the city worked overtime to find the killer.
The investigation eventually led detectives to a pawn shop, where one of the stolen radios was recovered. The receipt bore the name George Ebert, who denied any involvement but suggested that the name had been forged by an acquaintance, a known criminal named Paul Emmanuel Hilton.
Hilton was well known to police, having been arrested numerous times. Soon, officers throughout New York City were provided with his mugshot and instructed to watch for his distinctive nose, which was unusually shaped and easily recognizable.
Two detectives, Pike and Chiquette, decided to spend their day off looking for Hilton. Knowing he was an avid baseball fan dating back to his sandlot days in Brooklyn, they took a chance and stationed themselves outside the Polo Grounds on Opening Day, April 13, 1926.
Their hunch paid off. Pike recognized Hilton immediately and asked him for identification. When Hilton reached into his pocket, the detectives grabbed him and discovered a gun. Hilton was arrested, charged with the murder of Patrolman Arthur Kenney, and later convicted. He would ultimately be executed in the electric chair.
Nearly a century later, Patrolman Kenney has not been forgotten. In 2024, at the request of the Newtown Historical Society, the corner of 80th Street and 90th Avenue was co-named in his honor, ensuring that his sacrifice would be remembered.
