Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-13
Three Prisoners, Two Of
Them Arrested in Savan-
nah, Believed to Hold Key
to Crimes

i NEW YORK, May 12.-Three pris
oners in the custody of New York
detectives, two of whom are en-
route from Savannah, Ga, today are
expected to reveal methods crooks
used to rob Wall street financial
houses of vast sums of money.
The three prisoners now in Gus
! tody are under arrest in connec
ton with the theft of 100000 worth
of Liberty bonds from the Chase
National bank here April II.
Two men, former employees of the
bank, and a woman, are under ar.
rest for the robbery. All but $20,.
900 worth of the loot was recovered
in safe deposit bank in St. Angus.
tine, Fla, police declared.
Arthur F. Chase, Waterman ct the
bank, former Texan ranger, police
said, was the principal in the theft.
In a confession, according TO au-
thorities, he implicated John V.
Vardeman, also an employee, and his
wife, known on the operate stage as
F'erne Hollis. Vardeman and his
wife were arrested in Savannah, Ca,
as they prepared to sail to Europe.
Chase was arrested here.
Untangling of the robbery plot
was as interesting as a Sherlock
Holmes detective story. Practically
without clues at the start, police
were completely baffled.
Then Vardemon, who suddenly lief.
the bank two days after the theft.
fell under suspicion. Police were
convinced it was an "inside job He
was trailed by detectives to st. Au'
gustine, where he rented a safe de-
post box.
Later, accompanied by his wife.
Vardeman went to Savannah and
was completing arrangements to sail
for Europe when nabbed by authori.
ties. Chase was arrested when ii
was found letters had been ex-
changed frequently between him an3
Vardeman.
The original package consigned b.
registered mail to a banking institu-
ton in Massachusetts,, contained
100000 in bonds and was believed
at first, to have been stolen from the
mails. Later It was established thai
dummy package had been substi-
tuted and that the original never
reached the pesteA1ces ~As---a- ~. 4 -ls
The police declare they learned
that Vardeman cashed two $4,000
bonds in st. Augustine and the other
in Savannah, and that he had sent
money orders to his wife at her rest
dence here and to Chase. The letter
containing the order for Chase was
intercepted.
1t was Chase, according to police,
who substituted the package of blank
paper for a package of bonds which
the Chase National bank ordered sent
registered mail 70 the bank i'll Mas.
sacnusetts.
After the theft. Chase called Var.
demans by telephone, the police de,
clared, and delivered the loot to
him. Two days later Vardeman and
his wife were on their way south
with detectives close on their trail.
VARDEMAN COUPLE
DENIES COMPLETELY
SAVANNAH, Gas Nay 11.-John
Vardeman and woman believed tc
be his wife, arrested here late yes
terday in connection with the $780,
600 bank robbery in New York, to-
day denied all knowledge of the
crime.
The couple were going under sew
eral aliases when arrested, accord
ing to detectives. Vardeman had
called himself ]. w. Hollis, they
said, while the woman was known
in various places as Miss Hollis,
Miss Vardeman and Miss DuBarry.
Vardeman and his companion de-
MED they were planning to leave
America at the time of their arrest
They expressed considerable surprise
when they were informed passports
had been found in their baggage.