Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-10
BANK N|PS SCHEME ]
OF ALLEGED CROOK
To OBTAIN $4,000
Money Still With Fourth Ma
tionaI While Detectives
Are Hot on Trail of Norris,
Alias Lewis.

Alias Lewis.
A deposit of approximately $10.-
| 600 in the Fourth National bank,
tied up by several garnishments,
serves silent reminder of the un-
doing, arrest and speedy escape of a
man who is alleged to be one Of the
cleverest crooks that has invaded
Atlanta in months. The deposit
stands in the name of Robert L.
Norris on the books of the bank, but
Norris, it is alleged, is man of
many aliases, and wanted by the
police of many cities, is now a
fugitive from justice, with the Pink.
erton National Detective agency
hot on his trail
| Norris, alias James P. Lewis.
alias Z. E. Bee, put in his appearances
in Atlanta last week, and on Thurs.
day opened checking account at
the Fourth National, with deposit
OF $500. Subsequently, the same day
he returned and increased his bal.
ance by the deposit of 1925.
On Friday, Norris appeared again.
this time for $1,000 in Travellers
checks which were issued by the
bank, leaving to his credit the sum
OF $25 He returned later in the
day with bundle of big bills-$9,.
900, in all, and deposited this to the
credit of his account.
The relations between the de-
positor and the bank had thus far
been entirely regular and had oc.
casloned no comment. But when
Norris left the $4,000 with the re-.
celVlng teller, he remarked that Ia
was about to close a deal for a
business in Atlanta.
| And" he added, "I NAV mead
this cash early tomorrow morninr.
SO L will thank You to have tba
currency ready for me-"
There was something in his man
ner that aroused the suspicious or
Inc teller, who reported the matter
70 Frank Berry, one of the assist.
ant cashiers. Mr.. Berry consulted
Inc Iles OF the bank. He had an
IDEA that the description of tha
new depositor and his reouest ratbar
tailled with Pinkerton circular thar
rs mao read once upon time--a
circular relating to a bank swind,ers
l1e looked up the circular ana MI
fdeas were confirmed.
4 a DANGEROUS Active SwindIar ),
II was headed. and it told in deta3I
COW man answering to the de.
scrlptlon of Norris had swindlea
banks in Huntington. w. Va. peoria
III, Dayton, Ohio, and other cities,
OUT, or Large sums.
| according to the circular n me-
tne pan OF the man to open an 80
Gouht ana then sdeposite large s,1,,,
re .sn the teller, informing MIN OF
ness ps 40 o,iase OF prospective busi-
a,,ss anu asking that he have tha
currency ready for him the nevt Ans .ns
Early the next morning If ny.
SAID the deposftor would snnaas
! fa cneck and get the money.
ba wy neW minutes later, it was Said.
ne would telephone the tells Sa a,'ls
INFORM him that his wife nr anu
Ganer member of his family had hen,,
tHiJured In an accident and reuuas,a
us presence Immediately at 4 loci
relipua1' Immediately the teller was
r Giri;eVed and had left the bank 70
VISIT the injured relative. tbe nro,is
~ was said, again would annesr a.,
the bank and present another ciaois
20 cover the balance in the bank The
e estb eraHi ~ coming so close to-
getner, 1t was said, little Or no ditfi-
Guilty would be encountered in ,a,,t
Ing through the second check. ana
then the crook would decamp.
norris plans in Atlanta, it is al.
n e1se a. contemplated $500 swindle
On the Fourth National. The second
check for this amount. accordine, -.
tne Plnkertons. most likely Womb
nave been honored before the firs+
cneck had gone to the bookkeepers
/ count. o
| The Pinkerton circular, however.
contained facsimile of Norris hand.
writing, although it contained the
name or James P. Lewis. When the
matter was called to the attention
pared the handwriting on the circu-
| lar and the Norris signature on the
at the Fourth National. He tipped
| off the Pinkertons.
| Norris was taken at the Piedmont
hotel and, it is alleged, attempted to
secure his liberty by bribery. 1t is
| said he offered F. f. Fenn a Pinker-
ton operative, $500 for his freedom,
| but the offer was declined.
| subsequently. at the police station,
| Norris made his escape. He was in
| the office of the detective department.,
| in conference with his attorney, when
| he got out of window. That was
| last week, and he since hasn't been
| seen.
The money, of. course, remains on
| deposit at the Fourth National, but
| banks in Huntington. Peoria and
| Dayton that are alleged to have been
| sWindled by him have taken legal
| steps to recover the funds.
| The escape of Norris from police
| headquarters was one of the most
| sensational ever attempted in Attain
| ia. Soon after he was arrested he
| requested that he be allowed to con.
| fer privately with Ernest Bentley,
| his attorney. His request was grant
ed by the detectives, and Bentley and
Norris were permitted to go into tho
private office of Detective Chief La+
mar Poole.
According to Mr.. Bentley few
minutes after they had entered tho
office Norris complained that the
room was too warm. and walked over
to one of the windows.
81 thought he was merely going ia
raise the window" Mr.. Bentley stat
ed to the officers. land before I rea1-
lied what his intentions were. he
was in the act of jumping out of the
window"
Norris made jump of about fifteen
feet to the hard pavement in the jail
ward just behind police headquar-
ters. He then climbed over wall
about ten feet high. and made his
escape through an alley running into
Rutler street.
n T n -