New-York tribune., 1918-12-21
Is
Identified as
Bank Raider
Detective Shot by Thieves
Says Roy Tyler Was Taller
of Brooklyn Robbers
Wide Search is Started
Other Witnesses Are Not So
Positive in Picking Out
Criminal From His Photo

Roy Tyler, notorious bank robber,
yeggman and jail breaker, for whose
arrest rewards have peen offered in
several cities, was identified bv his
Rogues' Gallery photograph yesterday
as the taller of the two gunmen who
raidcd the East Brooklyn Savings Bank,
killed two bank officials and carried Off
$4,000 in loot.
Second Deputy Police Commissioner
William J. Lahcy, in charge of detec-
tives, who returned suddenly yesterday
from Atlantic City, where he went for
a three weeks vacation on the day of
the hold-up. made this announcement
late in the afternoon.
The identification, which Mr. Lahey
says is positive, was made by Detective
Albert Doody, of the Brooklyn Detec-
tive Bureau, who was shot while pur-
suing the escaping bandits. Doody, who
is still in the Williamsburg Hospital
with bullet holes in his arm and thigh,
was shown Rogues' Gallery picture
of Tyler, one of whose aliases is Rob-
ert II. Phillips. According to the police
Doody said:
"That's the taller of the bandits, the
one who shot at me just before he and
his pal escaped in the taNicab.'
Other Witnesses Cautious
Other eyewitnesses of the hold-up
were not so certain as Doody that Ty
Ter was the taller of the gunner.
"Some of the bank officials. say they
think Tyler is our man." said Lahey,
"but are not certain. Others make no
identification. But on the basis of
Doodys identification we are making
every effort to find Tyler. This looks
like the kind of job he would stage"
Tyler is notorious in the West. The
police of Cleveland are looking for him
for bank robbery job he engineered
there in 1917. He is also wanted in
Minneapolis for looting a jewelry store.
He served a tiveyear term for burglary
and another two and q half year SEN
tence, both at Auburn, for receiving
stolen goods, according to Commits
sioner Lahey.
He ran afoul of the New York police
in January, 1917, when he was picked
up here on a charge of receiving stolen
goods. The police found him trying to
pawn siverware, which had been
stolen in n series Of robberies in STAN
ford. He was sent to that place from
here, but the police have no record of
what disposition was made of the case.
Escaped from Cell
Tyler, whose home is said to be Ton
awanda, n. Y, was sent to the Erie
County Penitentiary in March, 1917,
for receiving stolen goods and escaped
from there in September of last year.
Since then his trail has been lost.
The police have no clew to the tall
highwayman's stocky companion, ac-
cording to Commissioner Lahey, who
conferred with Inspector John j. Cray,
who has been conducting the investi-
CATION. Later Lahey went to Brook
lyn, where he talked with most of the
witnesses of the hold-up There also
he conferred with Acting Captain
John L. Coughlin, of the Brooklyn
Detective Bureau, and the heads of
various district detective staffs. and
announced he would give his entire
attention to clearing up the Brooklyn
case.
The little black handbag in which
the bandits carried off their loot has
been traced to a firm in Desbrosses
Street. this city, where it was manu-
factured. The retailer who sold the
bag has not been found