The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1912-02-23
HEART OF NEW Works. FINAN.
ciAL DISTRICT is SCENE OF
DARING ttolpuP.
VICTIMS BADLY BEATEN
Three Hishwaymen Leap into Machine
Secure Loot and Then Make
Thelr Escape In a Waiting
i. Automobile.


en- fSom taxicab in the heart Of the
financial district by three highway
men. who sprang into the vehicle and
overpowered w. F. Smith and Frank
Wardell, messengers Of the East River
National bank. Both messengers were
badly injured and the robbers escaped
with the money, $4,000. In S. bills
and $4,000 in 500 bills. The cur
rency was being transported from the
Produce Exchange bank In the lower
part Of the city.
The taxicab had proceeded up Broad.
way without mishap when, for some
unexplained reason, the chauffeur
turned west on Rector street into
Church street, skirting the side and
rear of Trinity churchyard.
About midway of the old cemetery
three men sprang from the curb. One
Jumped on the chauffeur's seat; the
other two got into the vehicle. The
man on the seat pressed a revolver in
his overcoat pocket against the side
OF the chauffeur, Gino Martini, and
commanded him to drive swiftly on
without making an outcry.
Inside the vehicle the two robbers
were belaboring the bank messengers
over the head. Smith, one of the mes.
sengers, is 81 years old, and, he was
bleeding. and almost unconscious
when the taxicab reached Park place.
a few blocks north. Wardell was bad
ly beaten about the head, but was not
so seriously hurt.
At Park place the highwaymen
jumped from the taxicab, bearing q
tin box which they had wrested from
the messengers, and which contained
the currency. In flash they had
sprung into big black automobile
which appeared to be awaiting their
coming and were quickly lost in the
maze of traffic.
Martini, the taxicab chauffeur, con.
tinued to run his machine until he
found policeman. Here he gave the
alarm and the two injured messengers
were taken to a police station. Smiths
condition was so serious that he was
removed to a hospital. Wardelrs
scalp was badly laverated, but because
OF his youth he stood the fight we'll.
The taxi was owned and driven BY
Gino Martini and had been used many
times by the officials of the East River
bank to transfer cash and securities.
Martini told the police that he did
not suspect any danger, even when the
men leaped into the cab, as he thought
tkcy might simply want to ride.
The man who got by me-" he said,
5abbed the gun into my side. Keep
on a.going, he Kissed at me, and il
you make sound or turn, I'll fill you
full Of lead When I felt the gun
against my ribs, I gave the car the
power. Then heard the door slam.
and could feel the struggle going on
inside the cab, but l did not dare look
around.
1--WE whizzed past two policemen.
but was SO scared that was afraid
to make q sound. As I neared Park
place the man beside me said: SLOW
down and stop at the corner did as
l was told and he jumped of and
streaked for the black automobile that
was standing there. felt the door of
the taxi open and I saw the other two
men jump out and run over to the car.
the engine of which had been started.
They disappeared before 1 could tell
anybody what had happened"
After questioning Martini at length.
the police took him and his taxicab to
headquarters. There the fingerprint
experts of the department went over
the machine in an effort to find finger.
prints which might give them q clue.