The New York herald., 1921-09-24
2 PAYROLL BANDITS
Baked; One CAUGHT
Armed Men Defied by Boy
Messengers and an Ele-
yat0r Operator.
WOMEN AID CAPTURE
Dazed by Blow, Allen Shoots
Car to Safety With $10,-
700 Bankroll.
ONE SEIZED ON ROOF
Second Holdup Escapes to
Street From Building in
University Place.
ONE SEIZED ON ROOF


yesterday to rob two messengers from
the National Butchers and Drovers
Bank as they were about to leave an
elevator and deliver a satchel con-
tanning s10700 to Pragerson Reiches.
Inc. clothing manufacturers, on the
top floor of the six story building in
24-34 University place.
Although he was reeling from a
blow on the side of the head and the
muzzle of an automatic was levelled
at his abdomen. Charles Allen. ele-
vator operator, who lives in 165th
street and Gerard avenue. The Bronx,
slammed the door of the cage in the
faces of the gunmen and shot down
to the street level with the messen-
gers and the money.
Scores of workers on the sixth floor
Joined in an uproar and the two men
separated One Of them dashed down
the stairway and escaped, dropping
his pistol on the fourth floor. The
other made his way to the roof, but
fifteen minutes later the police cap
tured a man who said he was Frank
Colen, "a, Of 81 Forsyth street. The
police say he has served time in Sing
Sing Tor burglary. you've got me
right" was his comment as he was
locked in a cell at Police Headquar-
ters. according to the police.
Faced Two Pistols.
The messengers, Harry NJ. Sommers.
10. OF SOS Hart street. Brooklyn, and
. Jack Stein. 10. of Lexington avenue;
Maspeth. l.. L., left the bank at Broad
way and Third street a few minutes
after IL o'clock to deliver the currency
for Pragerson & Reicheg's payroll and
reached the University place building
without incident. They with Allen were
the only occupants of the elevator. As
II came to a stop on the top floor and
the operator opened the door two young
men were standing in the hallway with
automatics raised
Hand over that bag and be quick
about 1t = snarled one of them, lowering
y his weapon for an instant and swinging
1T Aliens head with his fist. The blow
landed just above the elevator man s
left car and staggered him. One OF the
messenger boys threw the bag contain
ing the money into corner OF the cage
and the other put his foot on it as Allen.
recovering his balance. closed the door
Of the elevator end began descending.
Mary Letona and Josie Farina, two
flnishers. on their way out to luncheon,
saw the bandits with drawn weapons
and rushed back into the workroom.
screaming. Sommers in reaching the
sidewalk began blowing police whistle.
taxicab driver hurried to Fifth ave-
nue. and Ninth street. where Petrolman
Frank McCarron OF Traffic A. was on
duty and gave the alarm. How Colen' s
companion managed TO reach the street
and escape is something of a mystery
to the police
Colen was taken TO the Mercer street
police station and then to Police Head
quarters to be finger printed. Accord
ing to the police the records show he
was sentenced for burglary in Brooklyn
IN 1915, and that he was sent TO the
Elmira Reformatory for larceny In 1912.
q Detectives Gilkerson and Trucci OF
:,ccthe Mercer street station last night went
= to Brooklyn ard arrested man de-
scribed as Louis Hahn. 81. of $50 Gen.
trail avenue. Brooklyn. on a charge OF
i. acting in concert with the bandits In
the University place holdup. Hahn
denied any knowledge of the crime, but
D the detectives say they believe he drove
the bandits to "a University place. Hahn
: was arrested iE his home and was taken
to Police Headquarters
Two Held ns Burglars.
Two alleged ten minute burglars
Frank Lake. So East 103d street, and
Joseph Palmer 2107 Madison avenue
were arrested yesterday following the
discovery OF goods valued at 5000 In the
basement of the eight story loft build.
:. ing at 80 West Thirty-second street
Z The loft of Meyer Brothers. dress manu-
facturcrs. had been robbed.
Lake and Palmer knew the methods
OF burglary protective agency detectives
according to the police. and executed
iobbcrics within the ten minutes which
they computed would clapse before the
sounding of the burglar alarm and the
arrival OF the agency detectives. They
deliberately set off the alarm in gaining
entrance, seized the goods they desired
and carried them to the basement where
the goods were concealed. While tho
agency detectives were searching the
building. the ten minute" men would
leave.
At the next opportunity. II was al
legged. they would revisit the basemen,
and take out the stolen goods. Louis
Herman who runs candy and fruit
stand at 26 West Thirty-second street
was arrested as n receiver OF stoler
goods in connection with the operations
OF Lake and Palmer.
Lake Is superintendent OF the build.
irg I'm which Meyer Brothers loft is To-
Gated. The police said there has beer
a series OF robberies covering several
months there.
An argument over the right OF way in
traffic at Mulberry and Kenmare streets
yesveisiay I-- 60 a fight In which Arthur
Pike. driver OF team OF horses at
tached to an cxpress wagon. was stabbed
In the face left arm and abdomen. His
assaiant was a taxicab driver. who
icaped out when Pixies horses got in
front of his car and called on Pike to
fight Pike got off the seat and the
chauffeur drew a knife. After Pike
fell tho driver jumped back TO his car
and escaped.
Pike was taken to ST. vincent's Hos
pitaI where 10 was found his cuts were
not dangerous and he went 10 his home
at Si3 Columbus avenue.
Three men suspected OF having ter
rorized motorists In the vicinity OF
Rockville Centre l.. l., were arrested by
Chief Of Police Conran and two police
men at Mineoia last night. A confess
sion was said TO have been made by one
OF the men that he robbed a grocery
store In Glen Cove.
The prisoners are James Rodg-
crs, 80 East Thirteenth street. Man
haitian James Mattler. 2036 Mermaid
avenue. Brooklyn. and Simon Krasner.
80 Aishwick avenue, Brooklyn.