The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-02-05
BANDITS ROB
BANK Of $4,000
Nine: Men Hold Up Trust Co.
atay0n.SSj0g, Hear Reading,
POLICE IN CLOSE Pursuit
Thieves knoe& Down Deposition,
Ccver Clerks Win Pistols and Es-
cape Afjer Owe 5ot>jag @2t0,O00.

Ccver Clerks Win Pistols and Es-
cape Afjer Owe 3o.>ag @2so,o02.
/ Reading. Feb. D Mir, Iarlis~ in an
lauGomobile swooped iowa GA the Peo-
t pies Trust company a. WyomisSing, a
| mile and a half from this city and es-
capped with $4,000
!, They were ,trailed fer twenty-seyon
miles by state police and members of
| the Read7ng force, doubled Oh their
purSCers and returned to Reading.
There The bandits car blew out Il
tire, They Immediately abandoned the
macflitie, stole one standing in the
street and fed off over the lincoln
! Highway toward Allentown.
! In coolly and Systematically going
| through the bank, the bandits over
looked, $4,000 in cash lying on a
table near the teller's desk. This was
Ready fer delivery to pay off hands.
The bandits, unmasked, worked crisp
ly, tut without apparent excitement
| Person in the bank were covered"
with pistols. One Of the clerks, Agnes
Bredbenner, they bound and gagged
and left or the floor.
Three men stayed outside and at
tended to persons on the street Those
attempting to enter the bank were fell
ed with a blow and then covered with
pistols. Others along the street were
warned against approaching by waving
weapons.
The bank stands alone on the Penn
! Boulevard from Reading near the
bridge across the Schuylkin. connect
inG Reading with WyomiSsing.
1t was just before noon when the
robbers drew up to the bank in a Hud-
son. car painted green, and believed to
have been stolen. One man remained
at the wheel. with the motor running.
Willie two others stood guard at the
door Ia prevent anybody from enter
ing.
The six other robbers entered the
bank with their pistols drawn.
Two Of the men, who went directly
to the window near the paying teller's
desk, revolver in each hand. With
our any hesitation they broke the
window and started to scoop up all
the cash Ill sight. 1t Is believed they
knew the bank had prepared payrolls
amounting to over $4,000, but they
missed the money because It was wrap
ped in three packages with brown
lpaper
Three employees were III he bank and
three depositors. Each was Jumped
urcn by the robbers and knocked to
the floor
Among them were The cashier. Wal
ten G. Wade, and Miss Bredhenner.
The young woman, who is athletic and
formerly was an instructor at a recre-
IatioL center, was bound, hands and
feet, when she attempted to nush an
electric signal to summon the police.
- llll-~t4fe-telephnne wires were cut.
lDr. John LivingoOd, physician tried
to enter the bank just as the robbers
arrived and was beaten to the side
walk
In less than five minutes the robbers
Ilub S(OopSu uD az lIlS IIlOuPN they
could find and fed. As soon as they
whisked away in their machine word
was flashed to the Reading police who,
in turn notified the state constahulary.
Within ten minutes after the rob-
berry, Chief Of Police Strobel picked up
the trail Of the bandits and was fol-
lowing them In his big red motor
car, recently purchased 20 chase ban
Ibits. A short time later word came
from the state police that they had
traced the fugitives as far as Bern
vile, twenty-seven niles away from
the scene of the robbery.
AT this point the bandits doubled on
their tracks, taking a road known as
short cut back to Reading 1t is
believed that they hoped that the po-
lice would follow along the William
Penn Highway.
Entering Reading at high speed, the
robbers had a elbow out" at Church
and Buttcnwood streets. as trey at
tempted to turn the corner. As ley
had 10 time to change tires they had
| 20 abandon the ma"hilo, which car
ried q New York license tag, No 1885,
J9G.
In the car they left two tass which
had contained money stolen from the
bank. One Of them was empty md the
either had two Liberty bonds left in 1t.
The bandits also !eft III the abandon
ID machine two caps One of these CON
tained the name of a Chicago dealer
and lie other was purchased in Detroit
Then the bandits went 10 the Read
ing Railway station. nearby, and rur-
chased tickets to Harrisburg. Upon
learning that they could not catch
| rain fer several hours they looked
round and found another motor car
1Stahding on the street.
This they stole and started of again
J The machine belonged 70 Harry Rau-
1pnbuSh. Reading contractor 1t Is
| 4 ChanliCr touring car. painted yellow
This time the bandits started off in
another direction. They went over
HE Lincoln Highway towards Allen
town and when last seen they were
| travelling at The rate Of between fit!
| and SfXtv miles an hour.