New-York tribune., 1922-03-12
Trio Enters Treasurer's
Office in Bronx House.
Bind 2 Employees and
Escape With $4,000
Audience Laughs,
Unaware of Hold-Ur
Streets Outside Building
Thronged as Thieves
Operate Unmolested

IL took three chunky bandits less
than ten minutes last night to enter
the treasurer's Office of Keith's Royal
Iheatcr, Bergen and Westchestcr ave
nues, the Bronx, bind ana Gag two en-
pIoyees, pour $4,000, which represented
the days receipts, into a bag, and walk
coolly out.
Nobody saw the bandits except the
two victims, and they saw but little of
them. The audience, convulsed by the
work of comedian, remained con
vulsed during the minutes that the in
truders were in the house, and the ma
Jorlty of those who attended the per-
romance left the theater in ignorance
OF the dramatic happenings immediate
~ prior to the intermission.
Theater Near Club" of Bronx
Inc theater is only a block from
Third Avenue and 149th Street. the
"hub' of the Bronx. The house was
crowded for the Saturday night show
and the sidewalks in the vicinity we're
thronged at the time of the robbery.
The treasurer Of the theater is
George Baldwin. His office is onIv a
few feet to the rear of the first bal
cony. The two men, with revolyers
drawn, found Baldwin alone in the Of
flee when they entered, and poked their
weapons under his nose He obeyed
their "hands up" command.
moment later George Bereuth en-
tered the Office. He was ordered to
line up against wall with the treas
urer. and did so. The gunmen then
stuffed gags into the mouths of their
victims and proceeded in brisk and
buslnesslike manner to gather up the
receipts All money taken in during
the day had been removed to the box
Office.
The thieves. then dartcd out as
swiftly and as silently as they had
entered, descended to the lower floor
tain had just fallen for the intermis-
sion when they reached the orchestra
floor, and it was an easy matter for
them to pass out with the intermission
crowd.
only few minutes elapsed before
Berruth succeeded in removing his gag
Rolling across the floor he repeatedly
bumped himself against desk on
which was telephone connected with
the box office. His efforts were finally
rewarded with success.and the phone
toppled beside him.
Berruth shrieked into the transmit
ter. The young woman who answered
the call shrieked for AL Darling, man
ager of The house, and Darling shrieked
for the police. He dashed up to Bald
wins office and released the two men
Police reserves from the Morrisania
station and a squad of detectives under
the command of Captain Andrew j.
Wines were swarming about the place
in a short time. A Gordon was thrown
about the theater and policemen and
detectives began searching the neigh :
borhood. 1t is believed, however, that
the bandist had lerc the vicinity be-
fore the police were notified of the
robbery.
Entered as Patrons
The police learned that the bandits
had entered the theater as "patrons'
and we're extremely coureous patrons
at that. When Miss Julia Donohue, an
usher on the right side Of the balcony
saw them and asked for their tickets
she was told by one of them that they
wanted to go to the office before they
AS the trearurer opened the door he
took their seats. When they did go
to the office they knocked Baldwin,
it is said, asked "Who's there?" and
one of the men said: zone of the gal
lery ushers. I've found woman S
pocke etbook ! want to turn it in.
stared into two pistols. The men pushed
Baldwin forward and closed the door
behind them. While one kept the
treasurer covered the other searched
around until he found some telephone
wire with which he bound Baldwin
Then he went to the safe and was in
the act of extracting it's contents when
another knock at the door sunded
Berath then entered and was covered
with revolvers.