Drizzt
January 17, 2003, 05:02 PM
Robbers got more than they bargained for in 95-year-old
January 17, 2003
BY ANNIE SWEENEY STAFF REPORTER Advertisement
He oversaw one of the nation's leading clothing empires, and his idea of a vacation some 30 years ago was a 10-day expedition to the South Pole.
So it should come as no surprise that when a robber pushed his way into John D. Gray's Gold Coast home Wednesday night and slugged him, the 95-year-old executive slugged him back.
"He hit me. I hit him back,'' said Gray, chairman emeritus of Hart Schaffner & Marx.
Did he hurt the guy?
"Ah hope,'' said Gray, with a slight hint of his Southern Indiana roots.
Gray was in good spirits back at his office Thursday afternoon, where he even managed a chuckle despite suffering a bloody nose and needing stitches.
"There's nothing else to do,'' he said. "I could cry but it wouldn't help. I feel fine. I have no pain.''
Gray had just finished eating and was sitting in his favorite chair in his library around 8 p.m. Wednesday when someone rang the bell. Given the time of night and the neighborhood, Gray didn't hesitate to open to the door.
Three people--two men and a woman--shoved their way in.
"They were really low-lifers,'' Gray said. "Tough as hell. Young--and you know they were feeling their oats.''
So was Gray.
"He hit me first,'' Gray said.
A Chicago police spokesman said Gray's 38-year-old housekeeper was tied up but did not suffer serious injuries. The spokesman also said he did not have a description of the attackers.
Gray said he told the crew the only cash he had--$500--was upstairs. He led one of the attackers there, bleeding like a "stuck pig'' the whole time.
The three also asked about safes in the house, but Gray assured them they were empty and invited them to take a look. That was apparently enough for the three, who then bolted from the home in the 1400 block of Astor, Gray said.
East Chicago District Cmdr. Joseph Griffin said the crime is highly unusual for the neighborhood, one of the city's most upscale areas. Still, he said it should serve as a reminder to look before opening a door.
"We haven't had any home invasions there in . . . I don't know how long,'' Griffin said. "Sometimes you learn the hard way. You never know who is on the other side of the door.''
Gray said his feeling of security has been shaken and he thought he might install a peephole on the door.
"I walked out there thinking nothing of it at all,'' Gray said. "Not a single thought that I shouldn't open the door. The thing that disturbed me is I know I can't look on my house as a perfectly safe place. It's as vulnerable as anything. And that's on Astor Street.''
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-rob17.html
January 17, 2003
BY ANNIE SWEENEY STAFF REPORTER Advertisement
He oversaw one of the nation's leading clothing empires, and his idea of a vacation some 30 years ago was a 10-day expedition to the South Pole.
So it should come as no surprise that when a robber pushed his way into John D. Gray's Gold Coast home Wednesday night and slugged him, the 95-year-old executive slugged him back.
"He hit me. I hit him back,'' said Gray, chairman emeritus of Hart Schaffner & Marx.
Did he hurt the guy?
"Ah hope,'' said Gray, with a slight hint of his Southern Indiana roots.
Gray was in good spirits back at his office Thursday afternoon, where he even managed a chuckle despite suffering a bloody nose and needing stitches.
"There's nothing else to do,'' he said. "I could cry but it wouldn't help. I feel fine. I have no pain.''
Gray had just finished eating and was sitting in his favorite chair in his library around 8 p.m. Wednesday when someone rang the bell. Given the time of night and the neighborhood, Gray didn't hesitate to open to the door.
Three people--two men and a woman--shoved their way in.
"They were really low-lifers,'' Gray said. "Tough as hell. Young--and you know they were feeling their oats.''
So was Gray.
"He hit me first,'' Gray said.
A Chicago police spokesman said Gray's 38-year-old housekeeper was tied up but did not suffer serious injuries. The spokesman also said he did not have a description of the attackers.
Gray said he told the crew the only cash he had--$500--was upstairs. He led one of the attackers there, bleeding like a "stuck pig'' the whole time.
The three also asked about safes in the house, but Gray assured them they were empty and invited them to take a look. That was apparently enough for the three, who then bolted from the home in the 1400 block of Astor, Gray said.
East Chicago District Cmdr. Joseph Griffin said the crime is highly unusual for the neighborhood, one of the city's most upscale areas. Still, he said it should serve as a reminder to look before opening a door.
"We haven't had any home invasions there in . . . I don't know how long,'' Griffin said. "Sometimes you learn the hard way. You never know who is on the other side of the door.''
Gray said his feeling of security has been shaken and he thought he might install a peephole on the door.
"I walked out there thinking nothing of it at all,'' Gray said. "Not a single thought that I shouldn't open the door. The thing that disturbed me is I know I can't look on my house as a perfectly safe place. It's as vulnerable as anything. And that's on Astor Street.''
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-rob17.html