New-York tribune., 1912-03-15
RUSH TO FIX TAXI
ROBBERY ON MONTANA
Chauffeur Finds When He Comes
to Trial That Other Prisoners
Are Against Him.
HEARS DAMAGING STORY
Albrozzo Declares Cab Owner
Got Him to Find Game Fellows
Who Wanted to Make
About $4,000 Apiece.

C;eno Montani. the only one of those ar
rested for the s25,OcO hold-up Of two bank
messengers in a taxicab on February 10
who has so far elected to stand trial tonnd
yesterday when he came to trial before
Justice Seabury. In the Criminal Branch OF
the Supreme Court, that the others had
turned against him lie was the owner
and driver of the taXicab and is charged
with robbery in the first degree.
Three of the others arrested-"Jess Al
hrozzo. "Scottv" Lamb and Edward kins-
man-tcsti6ed against him yesterday. Ap-
parently they had determined tn make
clean breast of the whole affair. IN the
hope of saving their own skins Jess
Albrozzo. q stocky young Italian with a
vigorous fashion Of talking. was the most
DANA ging witness. He had met Montanl,
toy whom he used to he employed on teo-
ruary 6, he said after an interval Of foW
years At Montanis request he had taken
him 10 - moving picture house in Avenue
4 which was for sale The proprietor
wanted Sl2M2 and Montani left. saying 1t
was too much.
We walked off" said Jess" and he
asks me II I know three or four game fell
lows that want to make about $1,000" apiece.
Sure | SAYS: I know million OF en-.
He saws that he is riding couple of
hank messengers every week in his ma
chine. that they carried "A lot Of money and
il wouid no nuts 10 mold them up. |
thought that no was kidding, but I says
that [ could find some one. and he SAYS to
let him know when ] have.
TN walking down Third avenue later.
and II 18th street picks up Dutch Keller.
I told Dutch that there was chance for
him to make a hig piece OF change-that
fellow was willing to be stuck ny. and for
him 10 get a couple Of his friends.
Says Mon.ani Pointed Out Spot,
Albroszo said he and Dutch went 10
Sd street and the Bowery and that he tele-
phoned Montsni that he had one man for
him. Montani came over and Albrozzo in
troduced Dutch" saving: Here is one
game fellow Then they walked down 10
Trinity Place and Rector street, and Mon
tani pointed out a spot on Trinity Place
This is about the place where YOU want to
stick us up." said Montani to Dutch,
according 10 Albroz2o.
After that Jess" and Dutch" went to A
cafe in West oath street. There Dutch
told Gene" Splane of the plan to make
big piece of change" DO you want to
make some money by sticking up chauf-
four that wants 10 be stuck up?" was the
way that Albrozzo said Dutch put it up
to Splaine. Splaine not only agreed, hut
got another recruit right on the spot-Ed-
ward Kinsman, also known as Eddie
Collins or Eddie the Boob Eddie the
Boob" was a waiter in the cafe.
"a few days later" continued Albrozzo,
dutch and me was walking down Sixth.
avenue and along comes Joe the Kid
Dutch knows him and let's him in, too.
] told the boys that Montani had told me
that because the 18th was Lncoln's
Birthday there would be an extra lot of
money on Thursday and they seemed glad
10 hear IT, Dutch and l walked down
Sixth avenue and we met 'Scotty' Lamb.
] told 'Scotty there was chance for him
30 make few dollars if he came along
with the bunch Thursday, and ne said all
right"
Albrozzo was not on the scene at the
hold-up His duty, he said, was TO select
the men. He went down to Jimmy
Push's' saloon, at No Ss Thompson
street, on the morning Of February 10 and
waited for his men TO return. They came
by ones and twos, Dutch carrying a
satchel, and all six went into the back
room of the saloon, where they opened II.
There were four bundles of bills $1,000 in
ALL
"All Of a sudden said Albrozzo, 'in
rushed Matteo Arbano. man ] had been
talking TO outside before the gang came.
He grabs the nearest wad of money and
out he goes We were all thunderstruck
and didn't know what to do
What did you do?" asked Charles c.
Mott, jr, Assistant District Attorney.
All Make Grab for Money.
We'll. We all looked at each other. Then
we decided to make the best of 1t and we
all dove into the satchel Montani
had told me TO get his snare for him and
] grabbed 1900. Then l got 500 from
Splaine and $3.50 from Dutch l put all
but 5000 into the safe in the saloon and
/ don't know where II is now. The 5000
l put in a safe deposit box in a bank on
the Bowery and the cops have it,"
Wilbur +. Smith. sixty-one years old,
one of the messengers who was robbed,
was helped TO the stand by an attendant.
His head was swathed in bandages and he
said Il was the first time he had been out
of the house except for short morning
walk since he was attacked on February
l6 He and Frank Wardell described the
attack In the cab.