Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-31
TWO MORE BANK
ROBBERS TAKEN;
$4,000 FOUND
CIGAR DEALER SHOWS WHERE
S4395 is HIDDEN
suNplN,s PARTNER coNFEssEs,
GIVING FULL DETAILS
Money in Gold and Bills Discovered In
Barn Encased in Chewing Gum
and Buried In Vacant
Lot

morning with determination 10
~ unrayel all the details of the
Monrovia bank robbery, Sheriff w. A.
Hammel and j. II. Walker or tne
Pinkerton agency of Cinclnnau, onio,
wound up the day at 10 O'CLOCK last
night with two additional prisoners
and more than $4,000 "of the stolen
money recovered or accounted FOR.
George Johns, a structural iron
worker by trade and now proprietor ol
cigar stand at Fifth street ana Cen
trail avenue, and Allen IL. McAllister,
the partner of Ernest Sundin, are the
prisoners. The latter, however, was
not locked up, but simply placed unoer
the eve of "a detective Tor the nisht.
A portion of the stolen money recoV-
cred was found in the barn in the rear
of Sundin's house in the soutnWese
discovered at Johns cigar stand, and
still larger amount was found buried
in a tin box in sump hole IN the rear
of the Southern Pacific depot.
In the sheriff's big red automopile
the two officers first called on brother
of Ernest Sundin. This young man
opened the safe of McAllister, MS
brothers partner in the umbrella busi-
ness, and gave the sheriff $3.50. he
stated that the money was supposed TO
be his brothers, but that he knew ne
did not own 1t and believed 1t TO pc
part of the proceeds of the bank ROD
berry, This afterward turned out to be
correct
Sheriff Hammel and Detective
Walker then went to osthe Sundin home
and there, hidden above the door or
the barn, they found a package con-
tanning $3.50 in gold.
Pinned Down to Figures
Previous to this, however, they had
had a long conversation with Sundin,
who, after Beatty's confession, also
had decided to tell all. He stated that
he had invested $2500 of his share of
the bank money in the business at
63Oh South Broadway with McAllister.
Pinned down to figures and prices. he
could make a showing of only about
$780, Then came the delivery of the
$3.50 by his brother and the recovery
of the $3.50 at his home, which made
an additional thousand dollars. Sun
din then admitted that he had sent g.
$1,000 bill to his partner, McAllister. in
Baltimore, to purchase stock for the
store Thereupon the officers went to
see McAllister, who up to this time had
not been connected with the robbery.
McAllister made clean breast of his
connection with the affair. He stated
that he was not in on the robbery and
did not know anything of it until his
partner, Sundin, tortured with fear,
came to him with the money and told
him of the affair. Torn in conflict be-
tween his duty as citizen and honest
man and lis regard for his partner,
McAllister pondered over the matter
for a long time and finally took the
money hide A. This was after his
return from Baltimore and the receipt
b, him of the $1,000 bill.
He stated that when he got the $1,000
in Baltimore he had gone to New
York. and there, in a jewelry store, To-
a I.a fhaafar had
purchased two diamond rings for $3.50
each. He then purchased $500 worth of
stock for the store and ordered 1t
shipped, paying down the $500 left
out of the thousand and obtaining the
regular credit for the balance due. He
turned over to Sheriff Hammel and
Detective Walker the two diamond
rings, gave them the bills of lading for
the goods now en- route from New
York, and, with Sundin, gave bill of
sale to the store on Broadway for the
benefit of the bank.
Asks Johns to Hide Money
McAllister then stated that he had
given $500, which was Martins share
of the robbery, to George Johns, for
merly a structural iron worker, and
now proprietor of a cigar stand at
Fifth street and Central avenue, to
hide for him until he called for it.
The officers then went to see Johns.
us your name Johns?" asked Sheriff
Hammel ofNthe man standing behind
the cigar counter. 1T is" was the
reply. "Well, Mr.. McAllister sent me to
get that money he gave you," replied
the sheriff.
are you?" shouted Johns, turning
deadly pale. 'I am Sheriff w. A.
Hammei, and want that money Nc
AlIister gave you," replied the sheriff.
.I know nothing about any money,
and / don't give - who you are"
replied Johns. The big sheriff just ar
rested him and took him to the county
Jail.
There. after he had seen the inside of
a cell and been informed of the prob
able consequences of his connection
with the affair, he also consented TO
make a confession. He went with and
showed the officers where he had bur-
led portion of the money. The hiding
place was located in q vacant lot in
the rear of the Arcade depot, in what
is known as the old Wolfskill tract.
Two feet below the surface, in sump
hole, was found a tin box in which
was $4,000 in gold, one $1,000 bill, $400 IN
five dollar bills, and $95 in ones and
twos, making total of $4S95.
Johns then took the officers to his
cigar stand IN from beneath one of
a large wad of chewing gum. which it
was in fact, but its size was made so
by the fact that $500 bill was in
cased in the center of it. He then told
the officers that he had paid $3.50 of
the money for The cigar stand, and had
spent the balance for stock. He prom
ised to make bill of sale today to the
sheriff for the benefit of the bank. The
recovery of this money brought the to-
tsI for the " up to $8145. which, with
the money and property recovered
from Beatty, makes the total little
over $4,000.
Sheriff Hammel was in the height of
good hurnor last night over the success
Of The day, and it was wholly owing to
his ability and 81 Sclness, according
to Detective Walker that the results
were brought about. OF the balance
of re r.onev vet missing, the officers
have little . say except that they ex-
pect to recover the greater part of 1t
before they are through with the case.