Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-11
ARRESTED FOR
ROBBING BANK
AT MONROWA
VAULT EXPERT CAPTURED AT
DAYTON, OHIO
WOMAN PRISONER WELL KNOWN
IN LOS ANGELES, is HELD
Prisoner Employed In Repair of
Vault and Subsequently Was
Found Spending Money with
Lavish Hand
WITH the arrest in Dayton. Ohio.

WI ITH the arrest in Dayton, Ohio. |
w yesterday of Allen George
" Beatty, safe expert, whose
home formerly was in Miamisburg, |
Ohio, and Fannie Wilson, we'll known
in local. race-track circles, the Mon
rovia bank robbery mystery, which
has puzzled the shrewdest detectives
of the west for nearly four months,
has been cleared up. Beatty has been
charged with the crime.
The Monrovia National bank was
robbed of s29,7OO. December IA. The
robbery was one of the most mys-
terious ever perpetrated in this part
of the country, and the best detectives
that could be secured were placed on
the case. Investigation at the bank
showed the vaults to be in perfect con-
dition. No tampering with the doors
was noticeable, and suspicion was first
directed toward the employees Of the
bank. That the theft had been COM
mitted by an outsider was at first be-
yond the belief of the banks officials.
When it was found, however, that
the spring in the time lock Of the vault
had been reversed suspicion gradually
began to, center on whoever might
have been at work on the vault. Be-
sides a few bits Of torn paper bands
which had held the paper currency
together tie bank rooms were free
from any indication of robbery.
These bits of paper were found outside
the vault the morning following the
robbery. The police on duty at the
bank during the night the vault was
looted were compelled to admit that
they had slept while on watch ana
were discharged. Every lemploye or
the bank was kept under surveillance
of the police and of private de-
tectives specially called In to investi-
gate.
Pays $500 for Ring
While the clerks and attaches of the
bank were suffering mental tortures the
real criminal was making whirlwind
trips from city to city In the southern
section of the country, spending the
money he had stolen with lavish
hand, $500 being a mere trifie for him
to pay for diamond ring. Hundreds
went on the gaming tables at Globe,
Ariz., and other cities.
Soon the reports of the private de-
tectives began to come in. They ex-
pressed the opinion that two men had
committed the crime. When it was
found that the spring in the time lock
had been tampered with President J. H.
Bartie sent for NJ. A. Bickford, lock
expert for the Maryland Casualty COM
pany, who took apart the time lock and
found that the spring had in some way
been reversed.
Investigation following this discovery
showed that c. S. Martin, a lock eX-
pert employed by the Diebold Safe
Manufacturing company, had over
A..lk EaxrT n inn q
to the robbery. When questioned, Mar
tin declared he had left the time lock
working in good order. j. Austin
Biddle, local representative of the safe
company, stated that the reversing of
the spring would in no way hamper the
working of the lock, With this an
nouncement the mystery deepened.
At the timeSof the robbery the Mon
rovia bank was occupying a building
which it had been in for years, but
after the discovery of the robbery the
bank moved into spacious new quar-
ters across the street, which had been
purposely built for the housing of the
institution. Martin proposed entering
intd-a contract with the bank to keep |
its looks in order for $25 a year. To |
show what he could do he volunteered |
to overhaul the lock on the old vault. |
Although informed that 1t was not |
necessary to overhaul the time lock
Ol TIE vault III hbS OAo Ouiiuii6 Nidh-
tin was allowed to go ahead.
Leaves for San Diego
Beatty helped in the repair of the
lock. The disappearance of the $685.
700 had hardly been discovered when
he left for San Diego.
There he caused considerable gos-
sip by the lavish way in which he |
squandered money. Detectives, who
had taken up this scent. found him
purchasing two diamond rings. He
paid $500 for each ring. This trip to |
San Diego was made by automobile,
which he sent back to Los Angeles in
charge of the chauffeur. The detec-
tives were led to believe that Beatty |
by this act hoped to leave the i'm
preston that he intended crossing the |
Mexican border. He returned to Los
Angeles, however, by train in a few |
days. After returning here he lived |
for a short time in a lodging house on
North Main street.
Detectives who were constantly shad-
owing him at last saw him leave the
house with a suit case. This was the
beginning of the chase which led |
through many states The first place
Beatty went to was San Bernardino.
He then journeyed to Globe, where |
he spent large sums of money. Much |
of his coin was dropped on the gam
ing tables. After short time he left |
for Ell Paso.
BY making this move Beatty be-
trayed the first indications that he re-
allied he was beini; followed. For some
time all trace of him was lost at Ell
Paso, but he was at last found in st.
Louis, and there he was followed to
Kansas City. There the detectives
were again outwitted. His trail soon
was found again and he was traced to
Omaha. where he remained, some time.
The detectives would have fpounced on
him at that city had they not hoped to
be able to locate the money they be-
lieved he had stolen.
Soon after Beatty's arrival in Dayton
he purchased a saloon and afterward
an automobile for himself and the
Wilson woman.
After the San Francisco earthquake
Beatty's service as safe expert were
In great demand in opening safes that
had gone through the fire.
Sheriff Hammel left Los Angeles yes
terday for his prisoner. About $4,000 in
cash was found in Beatty's possessionl
- L I'll