New-York tribune., 1919-09-16
Bank Robbed
While Enrigght
Scolds Police
Continued from pnge l

way as far as Paulding Avenue, where
they were lost in the maze of other
tracks.
Too Slow to Give Chase
AS soon as the thieves left the bank
employees rushed to the street shout
ing for help. Gcrmano had an auto
mobile in front or the place, but could
not get it started in time to give chase.
None Of the employees of the Will
iamsbridge central office of the New
York Telephone Company, which occu-
pies the two upper floors of the three
story brick bank building, knew of the
robbery until after the bandits had
escaped. A ticket chopper on the sub
way, which passes the door, saw the
gang enter the bank and leave, but did
not see anything in their actions that
aroused his suspicious.
Five of tho bandits are described as
youths between the ages of nineteen
and twenty-five. They wore caps and
were we'll dressed. Mr. Cash said he
was under the impression they were
Italians The leader did not have
dark skin like his companions, and
was much better looking Nc spoke ex-
cellent English and dressed we'll Mr.,
Cash told the police he looked liko an
lrlshman about thlrty-livo years old
of detectives from Police HcadQua rters
rushed to the scene as soon as Lieu
tenant Duane sent out the alarm Some
blurred hnger-prnts were found on the
safe, and photographs were made of
them. Whether the marks were LETT
by the bandit who tried to open tho
time locked strong box or by bank en-
plcyes could not be ascertaned
They Wore No Masks
As the thieves did not wear masks
. fairly good description OF them was
obtained. Assistant District Attorney
Michael Delagi Joined the police in
making minute study of the circum-
stances surrounding the robbery. He
at the time Of the hold-up
Dr. c. A. Becker, president of the
bank, said at his home last night:
"Just after the holdup Of the East
Brooklyn Savings Bank | talked to Mr.
Cash about taking precautions against
a hold-up. | asked him what he would
do if q bandit aimed a gun at him and
demanded the money. and he told me
frankly that if the man haid him COW
cred he would turn over the cash. He
has a wife and family to support. Well
at that time | ordered that the time clock
on the safe be set so that after the
money needed Tor the day was taken out
in the morning it could be relockcd and
set for the late afternoon when the re-
ceipts Of the day were deposited in the
vault That regulation saved us about
$4,000 to-day, for that amount was in
the safe and could not be reached by the
robbers"
Commissioner Enright held a secret
session with the various heads Of his
"plainclOthes" force Yesterday. and at
the conclusion of a lecture he told
them to stop this crime wave and
stop it right now" It was intimated
around Headquarters that the meeting
was ordered by Mayor Hylan.
Given 20-Minute Lecture
Commissioner Enright lectuged the
detectives in the office Of Deputy Com
missioner Lahcy for about twenty min
utes. One detective who was in the
conference said Enright was not in
vary pleasant frame OF mind and had
pat the crime wave right up to them
The police continued their hunt for
the women members OF the Red"
Hope gang yesterday, but failed to
make any arrests. Three members of
this gang who were former members Of
the Tanner Smith gang are in custody.
and, according to the police, have con
fessed to several sensational hold-ups
including the four hotels on last
Friday morning. The detectives are
anxious TO ascertain the whereabouts
of several women they believe acted as
gun carriers and lookouts for the three
prisoners.
The three men, who are held in
$40, 600 bail each for examination, are:
George Hope, known as Red; Ed
ward Mcintyre and Thomas Burke. The
police say they confessed to the hold
ups of the Hotels Grenoblc, Sherman
Square and St. Paul and the Madison
and Holland apartment hotels. Every
effort is being made by the police to
connect the men with the robbery of
Harry Schmidt. Of Brooklyn, who lost
more than $4,000 in Liberty bonds, bur
50 far they have not succeeded
The police are working On the theory
that the gang used women to make a
round of the hotel lobbies and report
when the coast was clear. 1t is be
lievcd the women were also used to
carry the revolvcrs, as none of the men
in custody was armed when arrested.
Two men walked into the saloon at
22S West Street yesterday morning and
told Timothy Donovan, the bartender.
they wanted to have a confidential talk
with him. Donovan walked from be-
hind the bar and was Immediately at
tackled by the visitors. A customer
blew police whistle, and Thomas
Healy, twenty eight years old, who
gave no address, was arrested by a
patrolman who rushed TO the scene.
He was held on q charge Of assault
Donovan identified lIealy as the man
who stabbed him. He was removed to
Bellevue, but the wound is not serious.