Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-27
Sheriffs and Detectives
Search Two Counties for
Sandy Spring Robbers.
OVER $50, 900 REWARD
OFFERED FOR CAPTURES
Rihed. Safe Deposit Boxes Found
by Patuxent River-Local
Authorities Aid.


swerinK descriptions Of the Sandy
Spring Bank bandits had been ar
rested at Elkton, Md. The men
were in two motor cars. ore car
being n Hudson and the other n
stutH. shortly after receiving this
message. MIR. Dawson learned that
two men travelling In n Buick car
had been arrested at the Baltimore
and Ohio station at Brunswick.
One OF the men purchased a ticket
for Pittsburgh. while the other
bought passage to WashinGtOn.
sheriff Nichols Of Montgomery
county will 20 to ElktOn to ques-
tfon the men arrested there.
Posses. sheriffs and detectives were
searching Montgomery and Howard
counties today for the group of auto
bandits who shot and killed Francis NJ
lialoweii. director of the First National
Eank at Sandy Spring, Nd. locked five
cthe- officials and employees in the
hanks vault and disappeared in a tour
ing car with at least $a4.700 in cash
and securities yesterday afternoon short
ly before $50 O'Clock
The first tangible clue was picked up
today, when Francis Miller, assistant
cashier Of the bank and one Of the five
who were locked in the vault, found
rifled safe-deposit boxes on the banks
At this point the road divides one spur
branching toward Ellicott City and an
other swinging down through the coun-
ty. u
A checking up of the missing cash
and securities today showed that the
bandits overlooked $4,000 in gold
upon which one Of the men at one
gotiable securities which were on the
counter of the bank At the time Of the
robbery.
Survey Of Leases.
The survey by oficials Of the bank
disclosed that $4,000 in negotiable
bonds. $500 in cash and $50 liberty
bonds. definite value undetermined.
in value from SSe 70 sl.eoe each. max
ing the lowest possible estimate 127.-
SOC of this variety. The propeS1iQa. Of
registered and non-reSisesred166 166etty
bonds taken has not been 6etermined.
Another Development today was the
by Detectives Scrivener and Thomp-
son from local headquarters that the
automobile did not bear = Maryland
lumber, but that q Pennsylania tag
was on the rear Of the car. Positive
statements as to this were obained
from several witnesses, it was said.
Authorities are. searching for the ex-
act number Of the machine.
The Washington detectives took
with them .everai photographs from
the rogues' gallery at police head
quarters to attempt Identification of
rhe bandita One of the photographs,
il was declared by the witnesses. pre-
Cd lu fa ~ no
,Aen in the group of bandits.
The robbery took place shortly after
sis O'Clock. A young man walked in
and asked for the Baltimore tele-
phone directory. He perused it and
left A few moments later a group,
tween five and eight. drew up in front
"f the bank in an automobile. sup
posed to be a Hudson.
Five Held Up Their Hands.
The men entered. A yell. Throw
mp your hands" met with instant re-
sponse from Ave of the six in the
hank. They were Asa H. Stabler.
president: Alvin Thomas. treasurer;
Frederick NJ Thomas. a teller; Fran
Sallie Brooke. a clerk. Director Hal
lowell. deaf. did not understand the
command. He rose from his seat.
one man fired. Mr.. Hallowell fell,
GNing, TO the moor.
One of the older men. it was de-
.lared today, chided the man for
shooting. From the scurry of action
came the reply: We'll. he wouldn't
throw up his hands
With revolvers covering them the
employees and officials of the bank
were ordered into a rear room There
they were faced to the wall and their
hands bound with cord. A single out
law was left to guard them. The bank
was rified. At the conclusion of the
robbery the entire group of prisoners
we're marched into a vault. the combi-
nation whirred. and the bandits made
their getaway.
Charles r. Kirk First on Scene.
After Mr.. Hallowelrs fall TO the
floor no attention was paid 10 him
F. Kirk. vice president of the Sandy
Spring Savings Bank. which occupied
the same building with the First Ma.
tional. arrived and found the form Of
3ir. Hallowell on the floor Then hs
heard noise from the vault. He Sc
cured the aid Of A. D. Farquhar a for
ner employe. opened it and released
the prisoners.
An hour later the entire county wa.
aroused and posses were organized
Another clue found TO-DAY according
10 detectives. gives a strong light upon
One phase of the. robbery. Description
Of the bandits by those in the bank
contained the item that they were an.
shaved. Detectives Scrivener and
Thompson found John w Wilson. a
<torekeeper at Fulton. in Howard
county. who told of camping part,
"f Ave men near that town last Fri
day. Two of this party had entered
he store and asked for tinware ant
provisions They declared that the,
would need il only for few days
Possibility that these were member,
~ the bank hold-up gang Is declared
nv detectives to be strong az resuI
Of the description aireaay furnished
Doubt They Were Professionals.
That the men were professionals !.
now doubted. The mount OF loo
PASSED over. the noisy methods pur
sued. the unnecessary shooting. de
tectives declare. point to the work o
snced man in charge.
Rewards totaling more than sac, ,Jo
have been offered for the capture o
the men and recovery of the booty
The bank offering a reward Of 3S,o 900
the country $4,000 and the stat,
$4,000. To this today was addet
mother $1,000 and 10 per cent of tn
recovered cash or securities by III
Fidelity and Deposit Company of Bal
t,more, which had insured the hani
assinst full loss George n Brio
v hinStol branch T.~nRcer or n
continued on t.sse Z, Column 81