New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-01
LIVED GAY LIFE
TO TRAP SWIFT
BANK THIEF TRIO
Detectives Play as Spend
ers Rewarded by Arrest
in S150,000 RObberieS.
MEN TRYING TO HOOK
MONEY WHEN CAUGHT
Sneak Band in Auto Tried Cane
Trick in Three Banks as
OFFICERS Traiied Them.

With the arrest last night Of gang
Of .hc most daring bank thieves ln the
country. two New York detectives
ceased PLAYING The part Of spendera at
night along Broadway A week Of
riotous life lived by two Of the band
was noted by Detectives Finan and
Riley. who had hard time keepirc up
with Ire pace Their arrest. Inspector
Cray said last night. cleared up a series
Of countrywide robbcries. in whi,1 ;he
thieves proiited to ;he extent Of $780,
00O
Using the simplest and oldest method
known -"the cane trick" with chewing
gum or beeswaV at one end Of bam-
boo cane these thieves. according to
The police. managed to "hook' S9.1Oo
in bills from the Bronx Borough Bank
On November >. Five days later $1,000
Of this sum was invested in an auto
mobile. Each Of them had p private
car. and it was in one Of these auto
mobiles yesterday that the three sus-
pected bank thieves sped from one
financial institution 20 another, fol-
lowed By Detectives Finan and Riley.
l. was less than a month ago that
Detectives DAILY and Barron, o. the
Central Office squad. met two young
bookmakers in place near Forty-hfth
Street and Broadway. This is a gath
ering nlace for all sorts Of Broadway s
questionable types. Daily recognized
ore of them as postoffice thlef'
wanted by the Federal authorities.
Barron trailed his friend, and last week
thu two suspected men met their lcaoer
Then began one Of the swiftest PAGES
: ever set by crooks.
Roasted of Their Winnings.
/ There was nothing too good for 1nese
three men. They ate in the best am
ing places They ordered the most x
pensive clothes. Frequent trips were
made IN their machines from ono re
sort TO another One of them had an
snartment on Riverside Drive. and his
wife. a beautiful oll-faced blonde. was
b.iewelled. and simply bewildered the
police with her expensive gowns. Sew
eral times the three men handed out
oiib advice as TO how easy it was 10
"Lit the ponies out OF town. They
boasted Of their winnings and Literally
spent wherever they stopped.
A few days ago Detectives Finan and
Riley were detailed to assist DAILY and
Barron. When the trail became lot
Yesterday Barron and Daley were taken
Of. and Finan and Riley, who are not
so tall. were told to follow the three
men in an automobile. ITS the last
day Of the month and they'll pull job
to-day" they were told.
Spent Day Visiting BanL
Al. day yesterday these same men
visited the banks of Manhattan. Among
the financial institutions they visited
was the Gotham National Bank. where
they attempted to have a bill Of large
denomination changed. One of them
went into the booth reserved for wom-
en-. He was informed Of his mistake
and apolosized profusely. while Finan
and Riley saw the other endeavor 20
poke a small bamboo cane into the
cage Of the cashiers window. Their
they visited the Colonial Bank anC
D. made another unsuccessful attempt 70
steal roll Of bills. Nothing wa,
taken, however. The suspected men
left 50 hurriedly that it was not until
their automobile reached the New
Netherlands Bank, at Al West Thirty
fourth Street, with the police m an
other car in hot pursuit, that then
arrest was determined.
It was explained last night by tn,
police that when they found the mer
were growing suspicious after making
two unsuccessful attempts that rathel
than let them get away they took then
AT their next stopping place
1T is the habit Of thieves who oper
ate So daringly 10 plan long time
ahead" said Detective Finsn. These
men. he explained, had evidently mad,
survey Of the town. They ha,
spotted three or four banks whiei
would fall easy prey. When they nae
made TWO misses, We thought we'd tax
no chances and 50 we grabbed them II
the New Netherlands Bank, shortly
after they entered
Detectives Finan and Riley. OF IN
spec,or Cray's staff, jumped out OF me
police automobile and rushed into Jnl'
bank lust as the three men we're ~alA
ing toward the cashiers window. Da'5
and Barron were near by.
I'VE want you 70 come along s''O
Finan. - ,hs
trio.
Trio Arrested in Bank.
Thev protested vigorously, insisted
that he detectives were mistaken, anc
yhar Finan and Riley told them they
were under arrest they attempted 70
r,-h out and escape .G the crowd. A
police Headquarters they continued %
maintain their innocence but a crooke1
/ bamboo cane. two pennies with bees
Uax and TWO long. thin, round sticks
were found on them.
They gave their names as William
Elliott alias Evans. alias "Spilly.'
| twenty-seveu years old. machinist. liy-
lrrN.s On Eg4U fsl Al m N