New-York tribune., 1919-09-13
6 Auto Bandits
Rob Brooklyn
Man of $4,000
Harry Schmidt Is Held Up
i'll Store; Gang Believed
To Be Same That Visited
Four Manhattan Hotels

Six automobile bandits-apparently
the same gang that robbed four hotels
in Manhattan early yesterday-held up
Harry Schmidt, q dealer in Liberty
bonds, in his store, at 9S4 Fulton Street,
Brooklyn, last night, and took 81 900
in bonds and $1,000 in cash. In their
visits to hotels they collected only
S32240.
The leader of the band that held up
the night clerks in the Manhattan host
leries staggered when he walked.
Schmidt told the police last night that
the head of the gang that plundered his
store walked as if he was drunk"
The police believe that the men are the
same.
Hotels robbed early yesterday were
the Sherman Square, Seventy-frst and
Broadway; the Hotel Madison, q East
Twenty-seventh Street; the Holland
House Apartments, Sc West Forty
sixth Street, and the st. Paul, Sixtieth
Street and Columbus Avenue.
Schmidt last night was kneeling in
front of his safe, slowing away the
days proceeds, when a slight noise
made him look up.
Two men stood before him and four
revolvers were levelled at him.
Schmidt made as if to slam the safe
door.
Bound in Rear of Store
"Stop where you are" said one of
the men. Leave those things alone
Get back to the rear OF the store or
We'll fill you full of lead"
Schmidt obeyed. Followed by the
pair, he walked to the room in the rear,
where he was bound to window bar
by a curtain that one of the men
ripped down, and warned that he would
be killed If he made any noise. Pres
emily the front door slammed. He
tore himself loose. ran through the
store and saw four men leap into an
automobile in which two others were
already seated, and drive away
The Liberty bond dealer yelled for
the police, but by the time they ar
rived the empty safe was the only
thing that bore testimony to the rob
bers' visit All of the Liberty bonds
were unregistered and were in $50 and
S100 denominations.
Mayor Writes to Enright
Between the hotel robberies and last
nights holdup Mayor Hylan wrote
the following letter to Commissioner
Enright:
From time to time bandit gangs
In high powered automobiles have
made a practice Of holding up people
in apartments and hotels.
would it not be wise at this time
to instruct the patrolmen on post
where hold-ups of these kinds are
liable to occur after II o'clock at
night to make an investigation as to
the occupants of the cars, and if
anything suspicious appears, to take
the number Of the car, examine the
license number of the chauffeur, and
question the occupants of the car as
to their business in that immediate
neighborhood.
May | not suggest to you the
advisability Of having a special au-
tomobile squad detailed at points
which you may select, so that imme-
diate attention may be given to any
car that looks as though it con-
tanned gangsters who are out for
unlawful purposes. Should any
chauffeur refuse to stop his car at
the request of the police officer, in
struct the officer to take the num-
Der and description of the car, tele-
phone Immediately to Police Head
quarters, so that the number of the
car and description can be communi-
Gated to the police all over the city,
to the end that the driver Of the
car may be stopped and a thorough
investigation made.
Might l not say in this connection
that the police should see to it that
all license numbers are distinct and
properly displayed.
Three Rob Four Hotels
The robbery of the four hotels early
yesterday morning went off as smoothly
and efficiently as a we'll rehearsed play.
In each case three men-the staggering
leader and two others-entered the
hotel and held up those who were in
the lobby, while q fourth fingered on
the doorstep as lookout. In no in
stance did policeman appear until
long after the Quartette had had ample
opportunity to get out Of the district.
Since then the police have obtained
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