Omaha daily bee., 1920-01-28
BOLD BOY R0BS
PRUDENTIAL CO..
OF COLLECTIONS
Chats NonchaIantIy With
Men Covering Under Re-
voIvers While vaIuabIes
Are Dropped in Hat.

your money he said quietly, "ane
put it in that hat"
When this was done he ordered
the hat bearer to collect all valu
ables and money from the men.
He next ordered Manager Bailat
to open the safe. "and while yor
are about il unlock every drawer
and money box here. and put every.
thing in the hat" he commanded
Sees Diamond Ring.
When this was done the ha,
was full of money. The band;,
gazed at it with much satisfaction
and then surveyed critically the
line OF men before him.
His eye caught the. flash of d
diamond ring on a finger Of F. W.
Clifford. general inspector of the
Prudential. who had just arrived
in town from the home office al
Newark, N. ]. '
Put it in the hat" he com,
manded. His eyes twinkled. There
was a little reluctance on the part
of the victim, and the bandit stepped
forward and removed the ring him
self. gazing at it a moment before
he placed it. in his vest pocket. His
next move was deliberately to trans
fer the contents Of the hat to his
coat pockets.
I'm very sorry to do this" he
said, "but it is the way | make my
money. I've always done it and
was brought up to it,
Bowing profoundly he backed out
OF the office, and none of the
stupified men remember hearing his
footsteps as he fled down the hall.
In Heart of City.
The Rogers block is located in
the heart Of the city, on Pearl street
opposite Bayliss park, with entrance
on both Pearl and Main streets. The
Prudential offices and the quarters
OF physicians and lawyers use all the
third floor.
Ed Rogers, owner Of the building,
was operating the elevator, but he
has no recollection Of having taken
a stranger to the upper floors within
an hour previous to the robbery.
The belief is that the bandit slipped
into the building and used the stair
way adjoining the elevator.
When The bandit first entered the
Prudential office he told the occu-
pants not tc attempt to break away.
I've got tour more armed men in
the hail." he said.
That there were two men on the
Job appears proved by statement
of Tom Delaney, Red Cross secre-
tary, who was in the building at the
moment and saw two men walking
rapidly dowr the hallway. He heard
one of them inquire of the other, as
this the way out?" They descended
the stairway and went out OF the
building without attracting attention.
Police Are Reused.
The whole police departments de-
tective force was at the building
within few minutes, and a general
alarm was sent out. Up to late
hour no clue to the identity of the
bandits was found.
Within 20 minutes E. A. Litz, gen.
eral manager of the Omaha office,
had reached the Bluffs Office and
the checking up disclosed the loss
of $500. which may be further in
creased as the checking proceeds.
A clue lies in the fact that the
bandit was, thoroughly familiar with
the details of the Prudential busi-
ness.
Inspector Clifford, who is an
Englishman and not easily disturbed,
could not conceal his astonishment.
"I've heard of the wild and wolly
west, but there was nothing wild or
woolly about this" he said.
J. H. Kymer and Orel Brunson,
taxi drivers, both Of 707 South Six
tenth street, were arrested at II 40
last night on suspicion of being
connected with the holdup earlier
in the evening. The men were ar
rested at Sixteenth street and Cap
ital avenue, Omaha. Each, in gen.
eral way, answers the description
of the bandit wanted The youths
held appear to be about 2l years
of age.
Captain J. c. Schafer, Council
Bluffs, and two detectives took the
men across the river last night.
Victims of the holdup will en-
deavor to identify them. Each taxi
driver had a gun when arrested and
denied knowledge of the crime.