The New York herald., 1922-06-11

I'M January IS. 1921, telegram was
II sent from the Belmont Hotel at
Reading, Pa, to John Mccarthy
at - Quincy street, Brooklyn, N. Y. This
was the message to Mccarthy:
Convention ready. Come tonight. Wire
what train Will meet you"
1t was signed 81 Tobin."
That same telegram was sent that day
to about dozen other men in New York.
Buffalo and Detroit j. Tobin had sent
out the summonses for the Reading con-
vention of bank robbers which was to
come to it's climax two weeks later in
daring bank delivery in Wyomissing, Pa,
the notorious holdup of the Peoples Trust
Company of that fashionable suburb of
Reading and the theft of $1S3,OO0 in cash,
securities and Liberty bonds.
The telegram was not misleading. Two.
bands of criminals-one from the West
and the other from New York-met in
Reading and planned the whole series Of
startling robberies. AS the result of this
convention:
At nocn February 4. 1921-Friday-a
touring car with storm curtains up, oc-
cupied by six men, came to halt before
the front door of the Peoples Trust Com
pany Building at Wyomissing. Five men
dismounted from the automobile; the
sixth remained in his seat. Each one
wore sun glasses.
There was one depositor at the cashiers
window at that hour, Glenn oliver, well
-are worker. Three employees of the bank
were on duty-L. P. Leisenberger, Charles
Miller and Miss Bradbenner, clerk.
The four men in dark spectacles went
about their work efficiently. Five min
utes after the car had stopped before the
door Of the bank 1t was on its way again,
speeding toward Reading with it's six
bespectacled occupants and $1S3,000 in
cash and securities.
At P. M. the Reading police found a
side street. The license number was IN.
Y. 190596-1920" In the car was found
copy Of New York newspaper Of Janu-
airy 10. The police found also cap with
the label of Buffalo haberdasher in it
and a duster bearing the name of De-
troit clothing shop. These were all the
clews.
At $40 o'clock the robbery car was
identified by H. J. Raudebush, a Reading
contractor, as his property stolen the
day before from the street. He dis
claimed all knowledge of the license
plates. He had no idea where his own
license plates had been taken.
The police were somewhat confused.
They were no longer convinced that the
bandits had come from New York city.
The newspaper and the license plates
were probably false clues, left by design.
Perhaps, too. the cap and coat were left
to misdirect pursuers.
deity and Deposit Insurance Company
of Baltimore, which had insured the Peo-
pies Trust Company against loss by rob-
berry. and the Burns Agency was engaged
to recover the money and bonds. Wednes
day night James Mclaughlin, one of the
youngest of our investigators. was sent
to Reading. Thursday morning Nc
Loughlin sent all available information
to me. He sent me the license number
of the car among other things, and nat
urally the first step for me to take was to
go to the Secretary of States Office and
look for the owner of the car registered
IN. Y. 190596-192O." found it. Such a
number had been assigned to George
Rossi of 3Os West 125th street, New York
city, for Locomobile. We learned that
Mr.. Rossi's license tags had been stolen
In December while his car had been in
storage at the Eureka Garage at 122 ST.
Nicholas avenue.
Mclaughlin first checked hotels to
learn whether or not suspicious charac-
ters had registered at any of them. His
first success was at the Belmont Hotel.
There he was informed that guest had
registered as J. Tobin of Providence. r. l.,
The daysafter they arrived Tobin spent
much time at the telegraph counter.
Jax Tal n