The Detroit times., 1912-06-26


All OF the local police, the Pinkerton
detective agency, and Canadian au-
thorities all over the Dominion. are
making frantic efforts TO solve the
mystery of more than $500 worth OF
Bank OF Montreal $40 bills, all run
ming in sequential serial numbers,
taken from two young men under ar
rest in the central station as suspects,
and giving their names as Martin
Powell ST years Ufd Of f-UfedU, and
Frank c. Davis, 90, OF Chicago.
The two men stoutly maintain that
they are not acquainted. though Davis
Was arrested while going 10 Powell's
room in the Griswold house, where a
black satchel containing $4,000 was
found.
Davis had a bunch OF skeleton keys
and a chisel in his pocket. but says he
is ticket speculator,
The arrest OF Powell was due TO the
vigilance of Edward Hassenbush, a.
clerk in the Field store on Woodward
ave-. where Powell tried TO change a
$40 Canadian bill. and exhibited roll
OF bills as big as a hat crown as he
received the change. Hassenbush de-
cided TO follow the six-foot young
man, who repeated the trick in the
Regal shoe store, and again in the
Kline garment store.
Then Hassenbush instructed por-
ter TO call officer Nathan Fineberg,
who placed Powell under arrest for in
yestigation. He had $3.50 in bills, five
OF them being Bank OF Montreal $40
bills, running IN sequential serial
numbers. from 5s2.656 upward. The
bills found by Detectives Black and
Good after search OF Powel's room,
Monday night, followed the same num-
bers.
Powell threw away the $40 bills,
and his hotel room key while Fine
berg was taking him TO the station.
Then he offered the whole roll Of
s45O to Detective Tom Lally IL the
latter would let him blow TO To-
ledo."
When questioned, he declared that
three men. whom he met in Grand
Circus park, had given him the
money, in large rolls and asked him
to get IL changed into small bills for
them. He said he didn't know the
men who thus entrusted him with
more than $500
He gave a good description OF
Davis, before he learned that the
other was arrested, as one OF the
men who gave him the money. but
when Davis and he were brought
face to face In the station, each de-
other before.
Hasse nbush, however. identified
Davis as a young man who had fol-
lowed Powell from store to store.
watching through a front window,
and had run like deer when Powell
was arrested.
The police had suspicion that
the immense amount OF money
might have been part of a haul OF
$4,000 from the Bank OF Mont
real branch in New Westminster,
Canada, on Sept. 3 last
Assistant Supt Charles ]. Wolff,
OF the local Pinkerton agency, inves-
tigated this clue and says that the
serial number on the bills taken at
that time ran from $4,000 upward,
while the bills held here run in the
$4,000 numbers. However. Wolff
says that the bills may be a part OF
that plunder, and has not given up
the Investigation.
1T was a bank robbery. sure
enough" says Wolff, ION account of
the serial numbers. The bills show
that they we're new, and have been
soaked In acids and dirty water to
make them look old and used. Some
OF the bills are badly tattered. too,
which might indicate that q safe
blowing job was done to get the
money.
Chief of Detectives Palmer says
that the two suspects will be held
here while the matter is slfted to the
bottom, and he is certain that the
source OF the money will soon be
learned.