New-York tribune., 1921-10-25
Trio in Auto Halt Truck
Near Criminal Courts
Building; Flee With
Four Registered Sacks
Driver Stopped ON
His Way to Train
RobberyTa Place Soon
After Chauffeur Leaves
the City Hall Postoffice

InTee armed DanQlCS intercepted a
United States mail truck carrying
seventeen pouches of mail, at Broadway
and Leonard Street last night, near the
Criminal Courts Building, compelled
the driver to steer into Leonard Street,
and escaped with four pouches Of
registered mail. The pouches are said
to have contained bank mail. The
wagon was bound for the Pennsylvania
Station.
1t was at first reported that the bags
contained $1,O00,0O0. On investigation
1t was found that this report was based
on a conversation between the driver
of the truck and the helper who loaded
the automobile at the City Hall station.
AS the helper tossed one of the bags
which was stolen into the machine, he
shouted to the driver, "Here's a million
dollars for you" AS matter of fact
it has not yet been established what
the pouches contained.
Frank Havanck, chauffeur of the mail
truck, a Ford machine carrying post
office No. 23O6, left City Hall Post
office soon after 10 o'clock and started
up Broadway under orders to make
mail train departing at 10:40. After
he had progressed Il few blocks north
ward he observed a touring car with
two men and driver, trailing him.
He thought nothing of this until Just
before he reached Leonard Street, the
touring car drew alongside and two
young men, wearing caps with long
peaks, leveled revolvers at his head.
"Drive down Leonard Street or die
right where you are," one of the men
shouted.
Compelled to Swerve
According to Havanck, the touring
car cut in ahead of him, SC that he
was compelled to swerve or crash into
it. When he slowed down one of the
bandits jumped for the running board,
placed a revolver at his head and COM
PEELED him to drive into Leonard
Street. There the other two men also
aimed revolvers and demanded that
he open the door of the truck. Under
compulsion he complied. The bandits
selected four bags of registered mail.
tossed it into their car and drove away
rapidly.
Havanck drove to the Beach Street
station, where he told his story to
Detective Sergeant Rocco. Notification
was at once telephoned the postotice
inspectors department and detectives
were dispatched from Police Headquar-
ters in an effort to pick up the trail
of the robbers. Havanck was uues-
toned by Detective Sergeant Rocco,
who later turned him over to the post
office inspectors. His description of
the bandits is declared to have been
detailed. The men were not masked
Havanck asserted the men who held
him up were young-he thinks between
twenty and twenty five years old. The
man at the touring car wheel wore a
leather drivers coat and long peaked
cap pulled far down over his eyes.
The other two bandits wore dark
clothes, Havanck said, and caps of
mixed material, also with long peaks.
He thought one of the mea had a
slight mustache, but said two o. them
were smooth shaven.
In Service Three Years
Havanck told postoffice inspectors
ne tried to make out the number of
the robbers car, but could only dis
tlnguish the numbers 200. There were
three other numbers he could not dis
tlngulsh. Being an experienced chauf
feur, familiar with makes of automo-
blles, his statement that he identified
the make of the bandits's machine has
considerable value.
Havanck lives at s6s Webster Ave
nue., Long Island City, and is married.
he has been employed as truck
driver in the postoffice for three years
and is given a gofd reputation. The
highway robbery of last night is the
first experienced by the New York
postottlce for more than fifteen wears.
Leonard Street at the point where the
robbery took place is i'll lighted and
virtually deserted at night. Havanck
told the police there were only three
persons in sight. One of these, a boy
about fourteen, paused as the bandits
ordered Havanck to throw up his hands.
One bandit ordered the boy to "be on
nus way" A woman crossed the street
just as the four bags of mail were
being transferred from truck to tour
ing car. She paid no attention to what
was happening. Havanck told post
ofhce Inspectors one of the robbers