The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-02-15
Automobile Bandits Of New York City
Add Another Crime to Their
List Which Is
Growing.
GET $4,000 IN CASH
TWO Bank Messengers Beaten uncon.
scious and the Money Taken
Away From Them En-
route to Bank.

i[United Press Leased Wire Service.l
NEW YORK, Feb. 15.--Between
4 $4,000 and $4,000 in cash was the
booty obtained by three holdup men
1 in one of the most desperate taxicab
robberies in the history of downtown
New York today. The cash belonged
to the East River National bank and
was taken from two of its messengers
who were enroute to the bank in a.
taxi to deposit the money. Both men
were hlackjacked into unconsciousnass
and the chauffeur of the taxicab, after
being terrorized with revolver, was
forced at its point to drive the robbers
to where they had big automobile
in which they escaped.
i The two men who were held up were
I VIM. Smith, 81, of Brooklyn, and
!. Frank Werrell, 16, of Patterson, N. j..
They were in the taxicab with the
money, $4,000 in five-dollar and prob
ably $4,000 in ten-dollar bills, when,
at Trinity Place and Rector street.
three men jumped on the cab One
sprang on the seat with the driver and
the other two took places at the doors
on the running boards.
The man on the seat with the drive.'
: showed revolver against his side
covering it with the lap robe Drive
: fast.n he yelled, and at the same time
the men on the running board entered
the cab. Two policemen We're PASSED
while the cab was running to Park
Place and Church street. but the driver
was afraid to say anything ana the
windows of the taxicab were up, sc
!. that the police could not see inside
There was nothing in the appearance
of the cab to attract attention.
At Park Place and Church street
the men inside jumped out. CARRYING
. the bag which contained the money
r All three Immediately jumped in q
4 black automobile which was waiting
r. and escaped. A number of persons
Il saw them, but they paid little atten
, tion to them and the police have onl!
via meager description to work on.
s The taxi was owned and driven b,
. Geno MARITIME and had been uses
;. many times by the officials of th'
a East River bank to transfer cash ant
securities. The cab had left the Eas
River bank at 1925 and gone to tn
y Produce Exchange bank. 1t was afte
III leaving that institution that the holdu
u took place. Both messengers were s.
badly beaten that they had to be take
70 to hospital to have their injurie
: ! dressed.
!. MARITIME told the police that he di
" not suspect any danger even whe
3 the men leaped onto the cab as h
70 thought they might simply want rid'
~ "The man who got by me- he sale
- "jabbed the gun into my side. kee
on agoing,' he Kissed at me, and
- you make sound or a turn | wi
fill you full of lead When felt tn
gun against my ribs gave the car tn
:, power. Then heard the door slal
, and could feel the struggle going Q
- inside the cab but did not dare loo
M Iaround.
,ir 1--WE whizzed past two policeme
,r- hut / was so scared that i was afrat
lir to make sound. As | neared Pal
Its Place the man beside me said:
so "'Slow down and stop at the co
to ner." did as was told and
al jumped off and streaked for the blae
MS automobile that was standing ther
/ felt the door of the taxi open al
ed | saw the other two men jump out al
ds run over to the car, the engine
lid which had been started They disa
IN. peared before / could tell anybot
M what happened
les After questioning MARITIME at leng
eir the police took him and his taxicab
headquarters. There the fingerpri
ri. experts of the department went ov
-ed the machine in an effort to find prin
lit. which might give them a clue. VIII
this was going on, Inspector Hugh
and Deputy Dougherty grilled Marti
~ and obtained from him good descr
'ct tion of the man who had ridden on t
ne seat with him.
% AS soon as the two messengers h
~ had their injuries dressed they we
~, taken to headquarters to inspect t
rogues' gallery to see If they coul
recognize any of the inmates as bel
ing implicated in the holdup.
II
,all
owl Aiv,,vss Somewhere Mar.