New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-11
UP IN $4,000 THEFT CASE
Prisoner Tells Flynn How Aaron
Bancroft Was Robbed.
ON TRAIL OF THE PRINCIPAL
Police Expect to Capture Chief
of Band of Four Within
Forty eight Hours.

Frank Plass. who saws that he IL Jew
eller living ~ No. ~ West 18th street
was arraiened I'm the romhs police court
yesterday on q charge of grand larceny for
the theft Of ss5. no in securities from Aaron
Bancroft % the Consolidated Stock Tx
change house of George Bancroft & 90.
on March . With tho arrest of another
man that is expected within fortv-eight
hours DEPUTY Police Commissioner Flynn
expects 70 have the entire mystery Of the
theft solved
According 70 the information already Sc
cured by Commissioner FLYNN. who has
been giving his personal attention IN the
case four men we're concerned IN the rob
herv one OF them. II was said. was p
customer Of the brokerage firm two were
professional crooks. and PlaSs was The
fourth. The customer. n IS said. was init
mate with George Bancroft. the son of
Aaron and active head Of the firm and N
and out Of the Office AZ all hours of the
dev. Through his intimacy with George
Bancroft he knew that on March Aaron
Bancroft was going 10 take o10 IN So
rurites 70 the Produce Exchange safe de-
post vaults. and he prepared an envelope
would use and enlisted the help of the two
crooks and Plass.
The crooks were the ones who knocked
down Mr. Bancroft. who IS seventy years
old. in the corridor If the safe deposit
COMPANY and made the substitution ~ the
envelopes. leaving him one that contained
only two or three old newspapers. while ~
was Plass who arranged for the return Of
the securities on the payment Of S.Ho The
return was 10 10 made on March p through
W VI Sullivan. lawyer AZ No. p Nassau
street while riding uptown in a taxicab
According 10 the plan arranged by Com
missioner FLYNN and Inspector Russell.
Sullivan was 20 give a signal when the ex-
change had been made and four Central
once men following IN another cab would
nab Plass. The lawyer. however. failed 10
give the signal ami Plass ESCAPED ar shat
time. IIe was arrested on Sunday from the
description given by Sullivan. and con
fessed to Inspector Russell that he was
the man who had returned the securities.
II is the man VINO planned the robbery
whom the police expect 10 arrest to-day or
tomorrow Plass. they say. rs really "a
professional "fdnce and the two crooks
can be taken when they arc wanted.
When the securities were returned soo
shares of American Smelling and Refining
Company stock worth $4,000. were MISSING.
Little hope for their recovery is held ort.
The police think thar there was case Of
falling out among thieves. and there is
small chance for the return 0t the SUelters
stock
Plass was remanded 90 Headquarters ves-
terday by Magistrate Breen on the request
Of Detective Armstrong. of the Central
Office. who had him IN charge. Later IN
the day he was taken again 20 tin criminal
. Courts Building. where he had a long con-
ference with Assistant District Attorney
Buckner and Inspcctor Russell He had
already detailed his story to the Inspector at
Headquarters hut At the District ATTORNEY s.
office he went over the tale again and told
AL he knew Of the conception and carving
out Of the robbery