New-York tribune., 1919-09-21
Young Woman Cashier Loses
1913 When Men Blow
Powder Into Her Eyes:
Highwayman Gets $500
Daring Amazes Crowds
Guards Accompanying Aged
Clerk Arrested, Charged
With Hold-Up Conspiracy

Bandits operating below the dead
line in broad daylight Yesterday held
Up two payroll clerks, one of them a
woman, and escaped with S4,37o. One
OF the robbers was captured by civil
sans and is said to have confessed to
the police Thus far none of the money
has been recovered.
Michael Dobbens, an aged messenger
employed by the Burns brothers Coal
Company, was held up by a lone high
wayman at the point of a revolver in
Cedar Street and money bag contain
ing $500 snaoched from his hands be-
tore two guards who accompanied him
knew anything was wrong The money
was being sent to pay off employees of
the coal concern at Communipaw.
n. j.
James O'Neill, of $50 West Sixty
fourth Street and Thomas j. Geary. Of
500 Willis Avenue. Jersey City, the
guards, were arrested by Detective
Dunn last night and booked at the Old
slip station. According to the blotter
entry, they are charged with conspirng
with an unidentified man to cause the
hold-up. Both are employed by the coal
concern.
zee bdHulJS III tnc OthCf case threw
powder into the eyes of Miss GLADYS
Cohen, cashier for the Casino Truck
ing Company, of 155 Watts Street, and
seized SS75, which the young woman
had drawn from the bank to pay the
C>sino employees. The screams of the
Rlri attracted the attention of truck
drivers and they chased the thieves.
After running eight blocks man who
gave his name as John Simonell was
captured and beaten by the truckmen.
He was rescued and taken in custody
by Detective Crabuchi.
Makes Escape Easily
The bandit who attacked Dobbens
pressed revolver agains: the cheek
OF the aged messenger, grabbed the
money bag from under his arm and
darted across the street and made his
escape through building before the
startled victim or the amazed crowd
could give the alarm.
Dobbens left the offices of the coal
firm at 30 Church Street little after
9 o'clork. He carried $500 in linen
bag. wrapped III newspaper. such as is
used by bank messengers. The man is
employed as a laborer in the Commune
paw yards and said that he had carried
the payroll from New York every week
for thirty-iive years and never lost Il
cent After leaving the Hudson Ter
mlnal Building he proceeded through
Doy Street to Greenwich, and then
turned into Cedar.
There were many pedestrians in tho
street, but little vchicular traffic
Gcary, bookkoepcr. and O'Ncill. cash
jer Of the Communipaw yards Of the
coal concern, walked just ahead Of the
messengcr.
Dobbens told the police the first
thing he knew that anything vas
wrong was when he fclt a tug at his
coat. He turned and looked into the
eyes Of roughly dressed man.
Put up your hands quick. or III
blow your head Off said the thug
Before the man could obey he felt
The payroll snatched from under his
arm and saw the bandit dart across
the street, where he entered the hall
way of pa Cedar Street. Dobbens
shouted the alarm and his guards
rushed back Geary ran across the
street to follow the robber, but the
door was slammed in his face and
locked. 1t was ten minutes before a
policeman could be found. according
TO the guards, and then the man had
escaped.
Geary and O'Ncill had permits to