The New York herald., 1922-01-14
BANDI7SGE7 $4,000
| INHOLDUP And FLEE
ASCROWDLOOKSON
Attack Trio With Payroll
in East 40th Street, No
One Interfering.
DEATH THREATS MADE
Robbers at 3 o'clock in At
terHoon Forge Through
Jam to Reach Motor.
THIEF CHASE in 5TH AVE.
Man Steals WOman's Fur Coat
From Automobile; Caught
as He Runs.

Three bandits. armed with revolvers,
held up three employees of the dyeing
and cleaning firm OF Rees & Rees in
front Of the firms main Office in 232
East Fortieth street yesterday after
noon about o'clock. and robbed them
Of black bag containing the weekly
payroll of about $4,000. After the
holdup the bandits backed through
the crowd which had gathered, and as
no attempt was made to stop them
they drove off in an automobile which
they had left standing across the
street.
The employees held up were W.
Roberts, the manager; Michael Hen
nessey and Charles Doran. driver of
Rees & Rees wagon. The three
went to bank in Forty-second street
near Fifth avenue early in the after
noon and got the payroll. which was
put into a small leather bag and
thrown into the wagon. Then Doran
drove back to the main store, follow
ing the procedure that the three men
lad followed every Friday afternoon
for several months.
Doran stopped hs wagon in front OF
the firms main Office and Roberts and
Hennesscy got out, the former carrying
the black bag. Three men who had
been lettering near an automobile across
the street walked over when Hennessey
L, d.. ,td n
stopped them just as they started into
the building.
Bandits Demand Payroll.
"Hand over the Bag one Of the band
said. "or we'll kill you both"
Each bandit had gun in his hand.
and Roberts and Hennessey dropped the
bag and held their hands over their
heads.
The bandits. picking up the bag
crowded Hennessey and Roberts into the
doorway of the building and told then
to remain there. Then they backed
across the street, still holding their guns
IN their hands, and climbed into their
automobile. The of,:ce of the company
Is situated in busy street, near Third
avenue. and large crowd gathered
during the holdup. But there were NJ
policemen, no one was armed.
Several of the people told the police
that the number of the car used by the
robbers was 595s4s, and that tn,
machine was a Buick. This machine
was stolen from Forty-second street late
Wednesday night. 1t was found again
last night at 8 o'clock by Patrolman
Michael Manning Of the West Forty
\, OF .uft In nf
Fifty-second street. In the machine
the policeman said. were a blackjack. an
iron bar and leather bag containing
checks and bills of Rees & Rees, but no
cash.
Grabs Fur Coat i'm Fifth Avenue
An hour or so after the Rees robbery
the Fifth avenue shopping district, a
few blocks away. had an exciting thief
chase.
James Hampton. age "a, of 523 East
Fifteenth street, 1t Is charged. was lurk-
ing near by when Mrs. Theodore Blanche
of Rye, NJ Y. drove up to the corner OF
Fifth avenue ana Forty-second street,
parked her automobile at the curb, and
walked into a department store. AS soon
as she had disappeared Hampton, 1t is
alleged, walked over to the car and
snatched from one of the seats fur
coat valued at $500 that Mrs. Blanche
had left behind.
The chauffeurs and truckmen who
we're held up at the corner In traffic
jam saw Hampton as he took the coat
from the automobile seat and followed
him when he started to run down the
avenue. Men and women who were in
the vicinity at the time also had taken
notice of the theft and they Joined in
the chase. Their cries attracted Detec-
tive Barron and he caught Hampton.
At Police Headquarters a complaint OF
grand larceny was made against tho
prisoner by Mrs. Blanche.