The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-12-29
SUSPECTED BANK
ROBBERS CAUGHT
Two Men and Two W0Een Arrested In
New YOriI-N0 Increase In
Police Force

NEW York, Dee. 29-Two men.
charged with being members of the band
that held up and robbed the First Ma
tional bank of Midtown, n. j., Dec.
to have been implicated in the murder
and robbery Dec. Is of Edwin NJ. An
drews, Fifth avenue jeweler, were ar
rested here last night with their wives.
Liberty bonds valued at $4,000, said
to be part of the Midtown robbery loot,
were found in suitcase carried by the
women, police said, and added that all
four carried firearms. ..
COincident with these arrests came an
announcement that Police Commission
err Enright's latest measure to curb
lawlessness-the calling out of more
than 100 new policemen for training
had been dealt u knockout blow when
the board Of aldermen failed to vote
necessary funds for their pay.
The appropriation of S1,136,30
passed recently by the board of esti-
mate, was submitted to the aldermanc
body for final sanction in the form of au-
thOrization for special bond issue. In
denying the appropriation the aldermen
promised to reconsider it at a future
meeting.
The men taken into custody last night
said they were jerome E. Chaffee, IS
and Harry Bitzberger, 80. They were
halted when they alighted from an au-
tOmObile at Seventy Second street and
Broadway. Resisting arrest, they fought
| for several minutes before being sub
| dued. The women, who followed closely
in a taXicab. surrendered.
Fifth avenue was crowded with
| Christmas shoppers when two men en-
! tered the jewelry shop of Andrews on
| the eighth floor of a building in the CEN
| ter of q fashionable shopping district
/ Andrews was alone. He is believed to
| have been shot in an attempt to frus-
| trate the robbery. The jewelry sales
men who entered while the safe was be-
| ing rified, were bound and gagged. The
| men escaped with gems valued at $780,
| GOO.
The night of Dee. 20 four bandits
! entered the bank at Midtown, bound
| and gagged the Waterman, placed the
! loot in handbags and fed. Releasing
| himself from his bonds the Waterman
| sounded an alarm. a posse was formed
| and after Il long chase through the Jer-
! Sey marshes, two men were, captured.
/ During their trial they are said To have
! given information regarding the identity
| Of their cOnfederateS.
/ While operating under various aliases
| the prisoners are accused by the police
! of having taken part in many sensa-
| tiOnal hO!d-upS and rObberieS through
out the country. They have been con-
nected, the police asserted, with recent
| Philadelphia bank robbery, and served
| itcntiarv. They are said to have es-
capped from the prison at New Bedford,
Mass, where they were serving terms
| for burglary.
The prisoners were griIled by the po-
lice and are said to have confessed that
| they were members of the band that per
| petratcd the Midtown robbery 4 third
man, who accompanied them yesterday,
| was charged with being fugitive from
| inSticc. He said he was Chester !.
/ Levine, \ charge of acting in concert
! with Bitzberger and Chaffee in receiving
stolen bonds Will be preferred against
him later. police said.
Frank Flanagan. -. who, after
| spending 1ii months in the death house
al Sing Sing prison. was granted a re-
/ trial and acquitted of a charge of muir
der. was rcarrested on n charge of com
pAcity in the theft of 100000
II The suspected slayer of Monk" East
man is said to be an ex-convict and was
seen in the vicinity of the place where
IIEastman met his death on the night OF
IlDec. -.