New-York tribune., 1921-12-25
TWOHere Admit
Bank Hold-Up
In Niagara Falls
Confession Obtained From
Pair in Gang Who Shot
Policemen During Day
Raid and Got $12,5OO
Other Captures Expected
Same Cunmen Practically
Seized Yacht to Carry
Out Robbery in Ohio

Harlow Tower, twenty-five years old,
who is said by the police to be known
TO them also as "Miller," or "Slim,"
and August Reid, twenty-eight years
old, known also as "Augie," signed writ
ten confessions yesterday morning In
which they admit having been members
of gang of six men who on October
81 held up and robbed the Niagara
Trust Company, of Niagara Falls. N. Y,
of S12,500. The arrest of the rest of
the gang is expected.
In this confession Tower told how he
and his companions stole yacht to
cross Lake Erie, and on another occa-
sion an automobile to take them over
land. When the automobile broke down
they forced a farmer to drive them to
another town, taking his tive-year old
daughter as a guaranty that he would
not betray them to the police.
Two Trapped in Flat
The men were arrested in fiat at
30 East Fifty-ninth Street last Friday
night by Chief of Detectives George
Caiinan Of Niagara Falls and Hugh
Reilly and Harry Ford, of the local
automobile squad. The confession was
obtained after the pair had been grilled
all night by Inspector John Coughlin
and others at Police Headquarters.
The robbery of the bank was staged
in broad daylight, the six robbers dMv-
ing up in car which, it was learned
later, had been stolen in Cleveland.
One of the party, carrying an auto
matte pistol in one hand and with a
hunting rifle slung across his shoulder,
stationed himself outside the entrance
of the bank as a lookout The other
five men. armed with automatic pistols,
filed inside, covering with their weap
ons every one in sight.
Bank President Beaten
Among those who were ordered to
throw up their hands was Felix Wool
worth, president of the bank. He was
seated at his desk. He refused to obey
and was thereupon beaten unconscious.
The clerks, officials of the bank and
fifteen patrons who were there at the
time were driven into the vaults and
locked in. Two of the victims, failing
to move fast enough to suit the rob-
bers, were shot.
The robbers then went coolly to work,
climbing over the ratings and gather
ling up all the cash in sight. AS they
were making their retreat from the
bank, George Hallihan, of the Niagara
Falls police, attempted to halt them
and was shot in the head by the look
out. After he fell another of the rob-
bers put bullet in his stomach. Two
other policement tried. to intercept the
robbers, and one of them was Shot.
According to the confession made by
the two men the gang had got about
1lve miles outside the city limits when
the engine of the autom obile went dead.
They abandoned the car, leaving it in
a clump of woods and made their way
on foot to a farmhouse, where they
ordered supper and paid for it.
Child Held AS Hostage
They explained to the farmer that
they were hunters who had lost their
way and then proposed that he drive
them to Tonawanda in his wagon The
farmer refused until the robbers
threatened him with death.
The wagon was filed with straw and
flve Of the robbers hid themselves be-
meath it. The sixth. with his rifle. sat
on the front seat beside the farmer,
holding the atters five-year-old
daughter on his lap to make sure the
farmer would do as he was told.
SO they came to Tonawanda. where
they paid the farmer and separated.
each taking share of the loot. and
agreeing to meet in New York at a
certain house on certain date.
Tower said that he walked from
Ionawanda to Buffalo. lie said he
met a tramp there whom he induced to
give an OLD suit to him. Then he
came to New York He said that the
gang met here as agreed and that each
received $1,000 as his share of the re-
naming swag.
1t was also part of Towers confess
sion that the gang met last August
IN Rocky River, Ohio, where thew stoh
the yacht. He said that they sailed
across Lake Erie to Cleveland and that
after making tho boat fast to a dock.
proceeded to Ashtabula, where thev
held up banH. shot two policemen
and got away with considerable BOOTY.
Then they returned to the yacht. he
SAID, and went to Cleveland, where
they stole the automobile for their
most recent escapade~