New-York tribune., 1912-02-16
Five Bandits Hold Up Taxicab in
Trinity Place, Below dead
Line" and Escape in
Automobile.
MEN WITH MONEY BEATEN
Chauffeur Forced at Pistols
Point to Drive Ten Blocks
Past Three Patrolmen-
He Is Held on Dough
erty's Order.

The most daring and remarkable rob-
berry the city has known in years was
accomplished yesterday forenoon on the
margin of the financial district by five
automobile bandits, who held up a taxi
cab and robbed two bank messengers
who were inside of $4,000 in S5 and $40
bills
The robbers escaped In black touring
car that was waiting for them at the
corner Of Park Place and Church street.
leaving no clew behind them. After
working all day on the case the police
confessed that they were puzzled.
The police have little to work on. but
that little they are trying to make the
most Of, having detectives all over the
city detailed on the case
1t is believed that the robbery was
committed by the same gang who held
up a clerk as he was leaving a bank
last Saturday, at the Bowery and Great
Jones street, robbing him Of 1865 after
beating him with blackjacks, and then
escaping, as did the thieves yesterday,
in a black automobile with black hood.
Belonged TO East River Bank.
The money was the property Of the
stitution, at No. $50 Broadway, It was
being transferred in the care of two
messengers, both unarned.
The taxicab, in charge Of Geno Man
tani left the East River National Bank
al little after 10 o'clock Inside were the
two messengers, Wilbur F. Smith, sixty
one years old. of No. 9O1 Sterling Place.
Brooklyn, and Frank Worell. sixteen
years old, of Seventeenth and Vreeland
avenues. Paterson, n. J.
The taxicab took a somewhat round
about route in getting TO the Produce
Exchange Bank, at Beaver street and
Broadway. going down Broadway TO
Maiden Lane, to Nassau street. to
4 Beaver. and then to Broadway.
AT the bank the messengers presented
checks for $4,000 and received three
thousand s. bills and one thousand SO
bills some new and some old These
they put into a brown leather telescope
bag. about twenty-four inches long and
!; about sixteen inches in height, and the
same measurement in width.
The messengers. with the money. got
into the taxicab, and the chauffeur
started on different route going back.
He went up Broadway to Exchange
; Alley, turned west and reaching Trinity
Place turned north in that street.
In Trinity Place, between Exchange
Place and Rector street, were five men. .
Four had no overcoats. Three OF these
wore caps. a fourth wore a soft souch
hat. The fifth wore gray cap and a
we'll cut brown Overcoat.
They had been waiting there about
half an hour. When the taxicab turned
the corner the five jumped into the
street and surrounded the taxicab. The
chauffeur came to stop.
All that followed was I'm an ewes
twinkling, showing with what care the
quintet had studied their parts. One Of
the five Jumped on the chauffeur's seat
and stuck revolver against the drivers
| stomach. Two Of the remaining four
threw open the doors of the taxicab.
while the other two Jumped in The
two on the outside then slammed the
doors.
Ordered to Put On Speed.
Put on speed and keep going as fast
as You cant" ordered the bandit on the
scat alongside the chauffeur The chauf-
feur did as he was ordered.
Inside Of the cab the two messengers
were beng struck repeated blows on the
head with hlackjacks. They fought back
| but the older man soon fell in a daze
to the floor of the machine and a few
more blows Of blackjack put the boy
hors de combat.
When the chauffeur started the ma
chine be had on second speed. The BAN
| dit beside him pressed the revolver
| against his stomach and said:
You have on second speed. Put on
third"
The chauffeur did So carefully keeping
| clear of other vehicles, one OF which was
big heavy truck laden with iron grid
| ers
At Park Place and Church street.-the
latter being an extension OF Trinity Place
after going ten blocks, passing three
policemen and hundreds Of citizens. Man.
tani brought the taxicab to a stop. being
ordered to do so by the man with the
revolver.
Now. don't make a sound, and don't
rnake meyes that's all you have TO do
was the final warning of the hold-up
man, as he jumped from the chauffeurs
seat at the same time that his compan-
ions in the taxicab opened the doors and
Jumped out, one. of them carrying the
brown bag with its precious $4,000.
At the corner OF Church street and
Park Place, right under the uptown T.
station. on the north side, was a black
touring car, with its engine throbbing.
and a chauffeur at the wheel
Into this the robbers leaped. In
moment the car was speeding north in
Church street and was lost TO view.
Chauffeur Seemed in Daze.
A citizen who had seen this walked
over TO Mantani. who appeared to be in
daze and spoke TO him, telling him
there was a policeman on fixed post
block away. This reused Mantani
who turned his car around and drove to
West Broadway and Park Place where