Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-06-21
S15O,0OO MASONIC
TEMPLE BANDITS.
Fooled BY IEWELER.
CHASES AND APPREHENDS ONE
OF ROBBERS AFTER PAIR HAD
FELLED VICTIM WITH BLOW
ON HEAD.

Chicago, June PA thrilling
chase down twelve flights Of stairs in
the Masonic tmeple at State and
Randolph streets. during which n
bandit was captured, released and
retaken. was the climax yesterday to
Il daring attempt by two men to rob
the Office OF II. Klein & Bros dia.
mond brokers on the thirteenth floor.
Two men were injured, one serious.
~, by the bandits, and the chase,
which occurred Just as the building
Offices were being closed for the day,
threw the building into an uprOar
aud led to the report that a crowded
elevator had fallen.
Harry Kaplor, the bandit who was
discovered 20 have a police record,
(. record. was captured thru the cour-
age Of a. c. Mayerle a iewcler with
Offices adjoining Klein's.
Max Klein. member of the firm
and Leopold Bachner, salesman,
were examining a wallet containing
s125OOO worth of unset diamonds
when the two bandits entered the of
fee
The robbers drew rcyolyers and or
dorcd the men TO hold up their hands
Klein jumped for one bandit, while
Bacbner grappled with the second.
Klein was apparently getting the best
ct the holdup man, SO his pal after
choking RaChncr, ran over and struck
Klein over the head with a revolver
repeatedly. l|xsl$'''''
The wallet containing the diamonds
NFsa,. ~s1 a.,
trampled underfoot. Crashing OF
showcase aroused Mayerle in his ad,
joining office. and he rushed out in
time to see the bandits knock Klein
down and run into the hall
He was unarmed. but tackled one
man. and as the bandit fell TO the
floor he stepped back into his office.
got revolver, and was back in the
hail in time to see the man fleeing
down the stairs.
Then followed chase down ten
fights of stairs thru thronged cor. /.
ridors, On the third floor Mayerlc .
caught the fleeing bandit and turned ,
him over to a building guard
The guard was excited, however. /
and released the man. who dashed /
down stairs again with Mayerle att
his heels. Down to the lobby and out
into State street the two men ran
and between Randolph and Lake
streets Mayerle again caught the
turned him over to Sergt Fred Dun
sing and Mounted Policeman George
Yunker.
In the meantime Klein was found
in the office with his head and face
covered with blood. Tenants started .
q search for the second bandit, who |
had escaped in the excitement Kleirt
was taken to the Iroquois Memorial /
hospital where it was said that his
injuries were serious.
The captured bandit was taken TO
Central detail where. after being
quizzed by Lieut. William Peters. he
was taken TO the identification bureau
and found to have a police record.
He told Lieut.. Peters that his name
was Harry KapIor. y years old. 1902
North Troy street, but the records at
the bureau showed that his correct
name was Harry kaplan. He was ar
rested in the fall of 1919 and Judge
Richardson fined him 5000 on a
charge of carrying concealed wea-
pons and then put him on probation.
Police picked UP the wallet con
tanning the diamonds, which was
taken to the police station. while a
guard was placed around the Office
until check could be made to see if
anything was missing. When the ban
bits entered pouch containing $50.
600 worth of diamonds was in tho
showcase. while there were thons.
ands OF dollars worth of stones in an
open safe.