Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-24
BARTENDER HEARD MAN
SEND DECOY MESSAGE
Bank Robbers Said to Have Held
Frequent Meetings in Main
Street Saloon.
BAR TELEPHONE WAS USED
After Robbery. Men Took Train for
Newport News = Pullman Porter
Saw One Display Huge Roll OF
bills

Details Of the $4,000 robbery at the
Centra! National Bank. which was eff
fcctcd Tuesday by Il gang of profess
sonal bank robbers. were yesterday
completed when The Times bis patch
learned the location from which the
dccoy telephone call was sent. the time
the call was made and the MEANS by
which the thief succeeded In reaching
Main street station. AT the station
he caught a train for Newport News.
and is supposed to have left IL there
and taken a boat for New York or
Boston
The list OF events is continuous. and
according to persons related to each of
them. is HAWKES. with regard to time
There seems to be no doubt that the
robbery was planned to the most
minute detail Two OF the supposed
robbers were seen and heard making
the decoy call. ono OF them was seen
on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
train by parlor car porter. who no
ticcd the ends of Il number of bills
protrudnu from his pockets. Later
three Of tho men had disappeared from
their rendezvous. while one remained
in Richmond until yesterday. when he
too. disappeared
GANG BELIEVED no
HAVE MET IN SALOON
According to employees in a saloon
attached 10 a hotel On East Main
street. the gang Of four had been
meeting there for several days prcvi-
Gus 70 III" robbery OF the Central Ma
tional Bank and the attempted rob
berry of the First National Bank They
gathered in the place during the morn
ing and afternoon and engaged in low
toned solemn discussions. Then they
would separate and would be seen no
more until TIE time OF the next meet
ing in the saloon
Tuesday morning shortly after 1890
o'clock two of the men met in the
saloon. one OF them Is believed to
have been Louis London. This man
always Wore the brm Of his felt hat
turned down, and his face could only
he seen ut infrequcnt intervals. The
other was tall. stoop shouldcrcd
smooth shavcn and of rather n tiorid
complexion. 1t was he who did the
telephoning. London. if ii was him.
paced the floor of the saloon in a
nervous prccccupied manner This
man noticed that one of the barkeepcrs
was standing near the telephone while
his tall companion was at the mouth
piece. and. although another barkeepcr
was unoccupicd at the time. called the
man from the vicinity of the telephone
10 prepare drink for him.
The bar-kccper last night told n re-
porter for The Times Dispatch that
the man al the telephone was num-
to be nervously excited. although he
was paying no particular attention
to him nj the time. The bar-kcepcr
SAID that this man remained at the
telephone for several minutes and had
left when his companion had secured
the drink for which he asked The
TWO men then left the place and Lon
don was not seen again. However, the
tail, smooth shavcn man remained at
the hotel overnight and was in the bar
Yesterday morning. lie has not since
been seen.
MAY HAVE MADE ESCAPE
IN WAITING; AUTO
From this il is believed that two
men were sent 10 the bank to complete
the robbery. II is supposed that they
would take no chances on an incom-
petent chauifcr, and that an automobile
was hired and that this machine was
driven by one of the gang of robbers
The other stole the money while Re-
cciNinG-Tcllcr i.ynwood T.. Vincent was
talking over the telephone with the
confederate. II is thought that the
was probably left standing in
First street facing north and that
as soon As the thief appeared the en-
Siics. kept running, were opened and
that the ear sped to Marshall street
and thence rapidly 10 the Main street
station.
HN'pi ul't !" thH Dir Keeper in the
EAST Main street saloon. the man ,clc-
pn3nGd from his plac" about 1855
o'clock officials AT the Contra! Ma
roma isank wcEe. OF the opinion that
the robbery had. occurred about l:i5
"ciock, but We're unable To state deli
ni'eiy mat II was not before that time
maj me money was stolen. They
'hinK they discovered the loss of the
packc' OF 5000 about that minute. but
nave no definite way by which 10 de-
'er.i''hc'
me r"hners bud ample time to catch
ne ,ra!N Tor Newport News, which
t@i, NAN street station At l:oS o'clock
'hoH uaeH an automobile and if the
"ecoF telephone call was made about
- o'clock "a thc r-kecper as
SeT's; ihese times being correct. ii
: pe'leVrd tnai the porter. John Pierce,
90 correct /" saying that the man
no p"a neu tn" train so hurriedly that
""a "hac'e /" purchnS" a ticket was
-" "'"'' "h" actually stole the cash
CONDUCTOR TELLS or MAN
WITH BIG WAD on, MOVE,
Captain A. + ru,r, o., wv
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