The New York herald., 1920-01-17
c. N. Bird, Head of Manhattan
Saving Institution, Prevents
Daylight Robbery.
ARMED EMPLOYEES
QUICKLY OPEN FIRE
Attempt to Hold Up Teller Made as
Policeman Stands Outside at
Broadway Post.

Inspired by "booze and Jesse James as
he frankly explained later, and knowing
the institution had been robbed thirty-five
years ago of s3.OO0,0OO comparatively easily.
James j. Stratton. a diminutlve. rouno
chested, goose necked little man, walked
down Broadway yesterday morning to-
ward the Manhattan Savings Institution,
at Broadway and Bleecker street On post,
in traffic position, was Policeman John
Shanley with whom Stratton had gone to
school years ago.
| Crowds were passing up and down the
street, as usual. Stratton saluted Police
man Stanley and passed into the brown
stone bank at the northeast corner. A
handful of depositors including a few
women, were in the marble hailed institu-
ton. paying in or taking out money. Some
Lof them stood before the receiving teller S
window, which faced Broadway. Others
were beyond this window and around the
1. shaped passageway which runs past
the windows Of the signature clerk. the
paying teller, the assistant paying teller
the interest paying teller and the bond
clerk. The j. formed a sort of runway
from the Broadway face of the building
to the back offices leading to those of the
president. Constant NJ Bird
Demands "S5,OOO Quick
Walking quickly up to the window OF
the paying teller, behind which David
Sands, round faced genial looking man
was counting money, stratton COM
manded:-
LET me have 5000 quickr'
| Mr.. Sands, who had been bantered time
and again by old customers with similar
commands, paid no attention to the order.
Mr.. Sands continued counting money
leisurely Then in few moments he
looked up.
Come on. quick, want the money right
away
Mr.. Sands was looking straight into the
through the bronze grating. Instantly he
dropped down below his counter, shout
Iing:-
Men. get your guns!'
f, Immediately there were two shots from
Stratton's revolver. They spattered
against the steel ceiling overhead. In
stantly the bandit was the target of re-
volvers popping at him from three posi-
tions in the bank. A watchman was shoot
bond clerk, from his window down the
IL" was firing up the passageway and
Samuel A. Swart. Jr., receiving teller.
opened fire from an enfiladng position.
Stratton was in about as enviable post
as if he had been walking into a covered
German machine gun position.
Mr.. Maloy, at the end of the passageway.
four times from his old fashioned revol-
yer. The shots spattered around STRAIT
tons feet and then ricochetted UP through
the big plate glass windows IN the Broad
way side. perforating the glass just at the
side OF the service star flag and making 2
n clean cut hole in the window to the left
of the flag.
Bandit Seeks shelter.
Meantime, Stratton. startled by the vol
ley. ducl<ed behind the partition where he
had appeared before Mr. Sands He held
his revolver in his hand. perplexed where
the next shot would come from.
Mrs. Adelaide Rothschmidt, who has a
restaurant in Bleecker street and who
was in the bank making q deposit. was
close to the burglar when he fired his first
shot. She ran out into the street and
notified Policeman Stanley.
Shanley started into the bank. but the
bullets were coming so ia st he decided to
try to gain entrance by the Bleecker street
side. AS the policeman ran down the out
side of the building Mr.. Bird, the president
OF the bank, calmly grabbed his revolver
and walked around through the rear and
up jutting part of the passageway which
was protected by a stairway. When he
reached the end of the stairway's protec-
tion he ran out and UP to Stratton and
poked his revolver into the intruder's side
before Stratton was aware OF what was
Happening.
Hold up your hands" commanded Mr..
Bird.
Stratton let his revolver drop. Mr.. Bird
made him prisoner and turned him over
to Policeman Stanley, who had entered
only second before, commanding every
one to stop shooting.
Meanwhile there was little commoticn in
the bank. sc quickly was the whole scene
enacted. Two young women. first at
tracted by the shots, stood watching the
fusillade until 1t was over. Then thsy be-
came very nervous. but were treasured by
Mr.. Bird when he said a policeman had
taken the bandit away.
Four Hide In Closet.
Four depositors who were in the bank