Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-12-08
DESPERADOES IN
PORTLAND LOOT
BANK OF $16,5OO
THREE HIGHWAYMEN HOLD UP
PRESIDENT AND SON
CRIME COMMITTED IN DAYLIGHT
AND CROOKS ESCAPE
One Bandit Guards Door While Com
federates Plumber Vaults-Deed
Declared Boldest in His
tory of the City

n ORTLAND, Ore, Dec. THE East
side bank, located at East Wash

hORTLAND, Ore, Dec. THE East
side bank, located at East Wash
n ington and Grand avenue, was
held up and robbed at 6 o'clock tonight
by three unmasked men.
1t is understood they secured over
$4,000.
The president of the bank, Henry II.
Newhall, and his son, Roger Newhall,
were just closing the days business
when two men armed with revolvers
entered.
The president and his son were or.
dered to hold up their hands and while
the receiving teller was under the cover
of one bandit, confederate crawled
through the cage window, passed out
the gold to his confederate and
crawled back into the foyer through
the window.
third man guarded the entrance.
The three men made their escape be-
fore an alarm could be sounded.
From the neatness with which the
job was done and the expeditions way
in which the robbers made their es-
cape the police surmise they must have
had other assistance or had a cache
somewhere in the vicinity of the bank.
AS soon as the frightened men re-
covered their wits an alarm was
sounded and the police notified, but it
was too late.
Both sides of the river are being
searched by corps of police and de-
tectives, but it will be no easy matter
to apprehend the criminals.
The crime was perhaps the boldest
ever committed in this city and is the
climax to date of series of murders
for robbery and a general reign of ter
ror which gang of yeggmen and
holdups has created in Portland for
the last three months
President Henry Fl. NeWhall made
the following statement of tie robbery
to the Associated Press:
Were Just Ready to Close
1--WE were just preparing to close up
for the night when the robbery oc-
Cured The bookkeeper, Mr.. Cotton,
had just gone out to post a letter and
Roger and myself were completing the
details incident to the closing of a bank
when an unmasked man entered.
He had big automatic revolver in
his hand and ordered us to hold up
our hands.
I'VE were in no position to make any
defense and Immediately complied. AL
most in an instant another man en-
tered and a third was standing out
side.
THE first man, protected by his con-
federate, then crawled through the
teller's window, always keeping us
covered, and commenced to hand out
coin and currency to his companion.
1.-THE third man entered and between
them they took away a bag of gold
containing $4,000 and package of
currency containing $5300-mostly in
large bills-and a lot of silver coins.
They had a receptacle of some kind and
dumped a portion of the loot into it.
Having secured practically all the
coin there was in sight, the robbers
made a hurried exit. My son Roger
and myself each secured revolver
and ran out after them.
1.-THE robbers ran easterly in the
darkness and down Washington street
toward the slough there.
I'VE fired several shots, but owing to
the darkness I don't think we hit them.
"They did not return our fire and dis
appeared as If the earth had swallowed
them.
From the time which the robbers Sc
Iected for their crime, l am Of the
opinion they must have been watching
us for some time, and knew exactly
what time the clerks went home and
other conditions necessary to a sue
cessful completion of the job.
II have a fairly accurate description
of one of the men.
banks stability In any way. We have
ample money on hand to meet all re-
quirements."