New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-24
Youths Battle
Bandits, Saving
Banks $1,000
Messengers Carrying Payroll
Refuse to Give Up Cash
and Spar With Armed
Thieves in Loft Building
Two Suspects Are Caught
One Is Seized by Police
man, Called by Whistle,
and Another Is Sought

Detectives of the Mercer Street po-
lice station last night arrested Louis
Hahn, thirty-seven years old, of $50
Central Avenue, Brooklyn, as the chauf-
fcur who yesterday drove two armed
bandits to 81 University Place, where
they attempted to rob two Butchers
and Drovers National Bank messengers
of $1,000 in an elevator.
Hahn's arrest followed that % Frank
Colem,. twenty-four years old. de-
scribed as an operator, of 800 South
Ninth Street, Brooklyn. Informat ton
leading to the arrest is said to have
been furnished the police by Colem.
Hahn denied knowledge of the hold-up.
fIc said he rented his car by the hour
and could account for its time during
the day, except an hour and a half.
He could complete the abb, he said,
when given an opportunity to look up
the name of the man who had it during
that period.
Youths Foil Robbers
The police insist Hahn drove the
bandits to the scene of the attempted
robbery and drove the one who escaped
away. He is still at large.
The robbers were fooled by Henry
Har. Street, Brooklyn, and Jack Stein,
sixteen, of Lexington Avenue. Mas
pcth messengers Of the bank. The two
young men fought hard and blew po-
lice whistles. The bandits became
alarmed and fed.
The attempted hold-up occurred just
IS the elevator in the loft building at
81 University Place reached the sixth
and top floor. The two messengers were
in the elevator So was one of the
hold-up men The other was on the
landing waiting for the elevator door
to open.
1t vas about 10:40. The messengers
had left the bank about half-past 10
and were on their way to the Office of
Pragerson & Reicheg. clothing manu-
factrrers, to deliver the payroll.
Follows Them In Lift
When they entered the elevator
stranger followed them in. and all rodt
up to the sixth floor. Charles Allen,
forty-five years old, of 972 Gerard Ave
nue., the Bronx, was operating the ele-
vator.
AS soon as the elevator stopped and
Allen opened the door Of the landin.
the stranger backed out of tfhe door
and crew revolver. The man on the
landing also drew his revolver.
AFTER that things happened quickly.
The hold-up man on the threshold Sail
something about wanting the satchel
Stein, who was carrying the bag, passed
it to Sommers. who dropped it to the
floor and set his foot on it.
When the hoid-up man saw that he
was meeting with obstinacy. he shifted
the revolver in his hand and began to
battle. The first person to get hit was
Allen, the second was Sommers and
the third was the hold-up man himself,
for about this time Stein smacked the
hold-up man on the jaw with sufficient
force to knock him out of the elevator.
"Shrt the door," the two messengers
yelled at the same time. Allen shut
the ooor and sent the elevator down
stairs. In the mean time Sommers ha
pulled out his police whistle and was
blowing it as hard as he could.
The bandits ran. One OF them made
good his escape. The other ran down
stairs to the fourth floor and through
the office of Goldstein, Rosenberg Bros.
He dropped his revolver there, while
climbing through window to the fire
escape.
He went down the fire escape to the
first floor and stepped into the office
of the Perfect Coat Front Pad Com
pany. Milton Bernard, one of the firm,
saw him looking around and asked him
what he wanted. The intruder said he
was looking for way to get out. Mr..
Bernard suggested that he try using