The New York herald., 1922-01-28
TWO SHOT BY THUGS
Truck Drivers Save $4,000
Worth of Silk, Although
Hit With Bullets.
MILK PAYROLL is STOLEN
Quartet Force Borden En-
ployees to Hand Over
$4,000 in Box.

PTSCOV HI Iva
Seven bandits with revolvers in three
separate exploits yesterday afternoon
and last night held up two Offices and
a truck loaded with $4,000 worth Of
silk. getting away with almost $1,000
worth of loot and shooting two men.
One Of the victims, negro from Phila-
delphia. is In st. Vincent's Hospital and
is expected to die. The other man will
recover.
The most daring case was robbery
in the Office Of the Morrison Fountain
Pen Company, on the second floor Of
the Gaiety Theater Building. at Broad
way and Forty-second street. At $3.50
o'clock three men entered and bound
and gagged Abraham Morrison, presi-
dent Of the company, and his ,pen ex-
pert, Nicholas Apple Of New Rochelle.
Placing them on the floor behind the
office railing the bandits drew the
shades of the window that overlooks
Broadway, along which crowds were
hurrying in the height of the theater
rush hours. and then they went to the
safe.
From the cash drawer they took 800
IN cash and from other compartments
more than $1,000 worth Of gold points
and silver pens. From Morrison's pocket
they got gold watch valued at $50
besides s75 in cash. Stuffing the loot
into their pockets the bandits walked
out into Broadway and escaped.
Go Into Theater Entrance.
There Is only one entrance to the
C,afety Theater Building, and that is
the entrance also TO the theater. where
Elsie Janis and "ffer Gang" are playing
The bandits came through this entrance.
mingling with the crowds and went up
the stairs. Two were ahead. They en-
tered the Morrison offices and one of
them. young man who managed the
adventure. said he wanted to look at
some combination sets. Morrison showed
them. Apple being busy examining pens
inside the railing. The window shade
was up and the crowds on Broadway
could be seen through the glass.
While the other two covered the VIC
Tins, the young man walked inside the
railing and bound the wrists of Nor
rison and Apple. They were pushed to
the floor and were tied at the ankles
and gagged with their own handker-
chiefs. One bandit drew the shade and
going to the safe went through every
thing in 1t. throwing away $1,000 worth
Of checks but putting $500 in cash in
his pocket.
The whole proceeding required about
fifteen minutes. and after II was done
the bandits cut the telephone wire. went
through Morrison's pockets and took his
watch and cash. Before gagging Apple
they started to take his watch, but left II
alone when he said It belonged to his
wife. Two of the bandits then went out,
the third remaining on guard for five
minutes. when he. too, opened the door
and went Into the hall. Apple began
squirrning about the floor and managed
to get his hands. free He jerked the gag
from his mouth and then pulled the
gag from Morrison, who was almost
smothered.
Detectives Are Sent For.
They went into another Office on the
same floor and telcphoned to the West
Forty-sevcnth street police station. De-
tectives Fitzgerald and Dennison. who
were sent over questioned everybody
In the building and found several per-
sons who recalled having seen the three
men go into the Morrison offices. but
nothing was thought Of II at the time.
The shooting Of the two men oc-
Cured in the holdup OF the silk truck.
The negro victim Is John H. Ovcrton.
chauffeur for the Triangle Transporta-
tion Company. n Philadelphia company.
vhich has a branch office In 1o3 Tenth
avenue. He drives truck every night
I, Philadelphia, and last night II was
guarded by August Koett of 81 Brevoort
rlace, Brooklyn.
The two started for the Desbrosses
street ferry about 7:30 o'clock. The
machine was loaded with silk worth
$4,000 They went down Washington
street and between Houston and Clark
rcr streets n taxicab came up behind
them ard cut across in front. so that
Overton had TO stop to avoid coi-
ijsion. Two men Jumped from the cab.
presented revolvers and ordered them TO
cren the cage IN which they ride.
Overton and Koett did so. but reached
in their pockets for their revolvers at
tho same time. The bandits saw the
n,ove and began shooting. The first
shot struck Koett IN the right arm,
knocking him from the truck. The next
two bullets hit Overton in the abdomen
end he. too. plunged to the sidewalk.
The shots caused some excitement and
when several men nearby began yelling
the bandits Jumped back into their taxi
cab and escaped
$500 MIX Payroll Gone.
Two hold-up men got $4,000 In the
afternoon from John Evans. superin-
tendent OF the Borden Farm Products
Company's plant In 342 East t33d street.
They went TO the pay window of the
company's Office and took the pay en-
veiopes. The bandits. one Of whom Is