The Washington times., 1920-04-28
PROBE A[|B|S
|NBANK THEFT
Baltimore Police Seek Proof
Four Men Held Were Not
Sandy Springs Bandits.

peradoes who shot and killed FRANCIS
M Hallowell, a director OF the First
National Bank OF Sandy Springs.
Montgomery county. and robbed the
securities, were not Identified as any
OF the gangsters by officials OF the
bank last night.
They were not released from police
custody. however. The quartet. In
charge OF Detectives Peter Il. Bradley
and Joseph Dougherty, of Baltimore
were taken TO the Monumental City
pending an investigation OF their re-
cent movements and possession of
the two automobiles they were driv-
ing when arrested by Sheriff Louis
Seth, OF Cecil county. II they prove
an allbi, and the police confirm their
story that the automobiles they were
driving were purchased legitimately
In Norfolk, they probably will be re-
leased today.
Offer an AIibI.
Two OF the men, Charles Roschl, of
New York, and formerly OF Newport
News, Va, and Charles v. Henkel, of
New York, claim they purchased the
automobiles in Norfolk, shipped them
on a steamer OF the Chesapeake
Steamship Company to Baltimore, and
tut ITOTH the WudTI
$3.50 o'clock Monday afternoon
fifteen minutes after the daring hold
up and killing at Sandy Springs.
Two OF the quartet, Herbert Parks
and George Masters, the latter also
said to be known as George Ashton,
are Washington chauffeurs. They
claim they were hired Monday morn
ing by Roschi, who says he is an
automobile dealer engaged in buying
and selling secondhand cars, and
Henkel, to drive from Baltimore the
two automobiles said to have been
shipped to that city from Norfolk.
Accompanied by States Attorney
Dawson and w. e. Viett, former
sheriff OF Montgomery county, Fred
erick NJ. Thomas, cashier of the bank,
and Francis Miller, assistant cashier,
went to Elkton last night. When they
were confronted by the four prison.
ers each declared he was of the
opinion that none of them was with
teh seven bandits who swooped down
on the bank.
Believes Them innocent
Alfred w. Metcher. manager of a
service station, at 1912 Z street
northwest, believes the four men in
nocent OF any connection with the
Sdhuy oiioi.
he engaged Parks and Master, the
Washington chauffeurs. for the New
York men Monday morning. stating
they left his garage at IL o'clock to
catch a car of the Washington, Bal
timore and Annapolis Electric line
for Baltimore to get the two automo-
biles to drive to New York. Mr..
Metcher also said he knew Roschi
as an automobile dealer. He said
Roschi had been to his garage on
three or four occasions before in
search of chauffeurs to drive newly
purchased automobiles to New York.
THE two men came to my garage
on Sunday, and asked If l knew of
couple of Chauffeurs who wanted to
drive two cars from Baltimore TO
New York" said Mr.. Metcher. "They
stated they had bought the automo-
biles in Norfolk. and had shipped
them to Baltimore.
when Parks and Masters came to
the garage on Monday morning, told
them of the job. saying that the New
York men would pay each of them
1880 and expenses to drive the cars
to New York. Parks and Masters
took the job
shortly before il o'clock. the New
York men came to the garage and
employed Parks and Masters. The
latter then left for the car for Bal
timore. That. was the last ! saw OF
them. l do not believe they had any
part in the Sandy Springs affair"
Homemade License Numbers.
When arrested in Elkton, the four
men were driving a seven-passcnger
Hudson automobile. with blush black
body and red hubs and spokcs, and
tive-passenger Stutz, with wire
wheels. According To residents of
Ellicott City, automobiles of this de-
scription were seen in that vicinity
Monday morning.
Arrest of the four men followed
the discovery that both of the ma
chimes carried homemade New York
licenses. each license bearing the
same numbers-2-9-9-4. In addition
to these, the cars carried Virginia
licenses.
Investigation by the Montgomery
county authorities today revealed
that six men, believed to have been
the bandits, parked an automobile in
meadow at Fulton, Howard county
near Ellicott City, on Sunday, and
spent the afternoon pratcicing pistol
shooting. A piecS of newspaper
nailed to tree was found perforated
from bullets.
4 storekeeper in Fulton stated he
sold canned goods, such as sardines
and salmon, to some strange men.
who stated they were camping out"
for the day.
Working on the clue that several
II not all, OF the desperadoes sped tc
Westminster and along the 1ke to
Hanover. Ia, Detectives Bradley and
Dougherty. Of Baltimore, and former
Sheriff Niett today are motoring
along this route, inquiring from farm.
ers II they saw anything of men an.
swering to the description OF the
bandits.
Several photographs of gangsters
and holdup men, taken from the
bureau of Identification Of the Balti-
more police department, today were
shown to officials of the bank. While
several of the bank officials declared
the pictures resembled tho bandits
they would not say so positively The
pictures are being shown today by
the detectives to farmers along the
nike from Westminster to Hanover.