New-York tribune., 1921-09-27
Bullets Stop
100000 Holdup
AtCrandCentral
Railway Policeman Has Gun
Battle With Three Young
Bandits and Though Hit
He Makes an Arrest
Jewelry Safe Is Cracked
Crime Reports Include Be
low Deadline Robbery and
Despoliation of Taxi Men

When the Western plains we're dotted
with buffalo instead of fiivvers BAN
dts sometimes cave the nation. thrill
! by holding up train. Three young
men entered the Grand Central Termi-
nal yesterday and barely caused a
ripple of excitement by trying to get
away with 100000, the entire week end
passenger receipts of the New York,
New Haven G. Hartford Railroad
It was a day of bold hold-ups. in
genious safe crackings and fancy rob-
bing in which the loot ranged from
diamonds obtained below what was
once a real dead line for crooks to a
taxicab meter and even bolt Of black
crepe from an undertaking establish
ment.
In the Grand Central episode the
police saw a reaction from the pres
ent unemployment situation. The
other depredations appeared to be the
work of experienced thieves.
About year ago two men endeavored
to wrest from James NJ. Lewis, assist
ant cashier of the N. Y, N. H. & Fl.
r. R., bag of money ne was removing
from the ticket windows in the con-
course to the office of the treasurer
on the third floor. Mr.. Lewis sue
ceeded that time in frightening the
robbers away by loud yells for help ad-
dressed to whom it might concern.
Shay of Fighting Type
Since that time, however, he has been
escorted on his money-laden trips about
the building by Paul J. Shay, letec-
tive employed by the New York Cen
tral. Shay is thirty-seven years ola,
unmarried, tall and lean, lives at 90
Main Street, Tarrytown, and when he
has not been occupied with Mr.. Lewis
has watched for pickpockets in the
ccncourse. Mr.. Lewis is sixty-seven
years old, and lives at 479 Summers
Avenue, Stamford, Conn.
1t was about ten minutes to Q yes
terday morning when Mr.. Lewis and
his escort stepped from the elevator
that had brought them from the CON
course to the third floor. In his hand
on the side next to Shay the assistant
cashier carried yellow handbag filled
with gold, silver and bills, totaling
100000, two days contributions of
travellers leaving New York over the
New Haven road.
The corridor is dmily lighted The pair
strobe along until they were within fifty
feet of Treasurer Halls glass paneled
doorway They were then opposite a
stairway and precisely at the spot where
the former attempt was made to rob
Mr. Lewis. But even SO :. sudden cry
from the stair door of: Hey, there,
Mister" was sufficient to halt both
men for an instant, long enough for
y, fo Cn{
One of these devoted himself to an
effort to pluck the satchel from Mr..
Lewis's hand. The other engaged Shay,
attracting his attention first by slap
ping him on the side Of the head with
piece of lead pins wrapped in news
paper. Then the shooting began.
Lewis Saves the Cash
Nov Mr.. Lewis might have put the
bag of money down and fought shout
der to shoulder with Shay and the
robbers might have picked it up and
fed Instead. Mr.. Lewis streaked it
down the corridor as fast as his sixty
saven-s eaTSold lees would carry him,
shouting and yelling, and gained the
door OF the treasurcr's Office without
pausing to ascertain the damage caused
by four bullets, two OF which penc-
tratel his clothing, one of them in
hictiag bloody crease along shis hip,
and two OF which tore their way into
his precious money bag.
With the disappearance of the prize
they sought, two OF the robbers raced
heltee skelter down the stairway. their
going FASTENED by the whine Of bui- !
lets lrata the barking pistol of Detec
tive Stray. A third man was ca pturcd. |
Lieutenant Vincent Reeber. Of the |
New York Central police, told about |
that yesterday afternoon as he gath
cred up about dozen mushroomed
tcentsnyed on sage ssvsa}