New-York tribune., 1922-01-28
Bank Cashier
Slain; Bandits
Get $4,000
Five Robbers. After Loot
ing Pittsburgh Institution.
Battle With Police, but
Escape After Fleeing Auto
Plunder Left in Machine
Girl Clerks Ruse Gives
Alarm: Seven Are Held as
Suspects by Authorities
speci~' Dsspatch to 7hr tribune


PITTSBURGH. Jan. 27.-Fivc un-
masked and heavily armed bandit. en-
tered the First National Bank at Graf
ton, suburb. this morning. fatally
hot Harold T. Moss, assistant cashier,
stole Liberty bonds worth $4,000 and
$4,000 in cash and registry list Of the
honds and fled in an automobile. They
we're overtaken on the Poin. Bridge by
detectives in another automobile and
the detectives and bandits engaged in
p revolver battle while the machines
were travelling at racehorse speed
through North Side streets
At Irwin and Pennsylvania avenues
the thugs abandoned their machine and
scattered in various directions with
me detectives III hot pursuit. One Of
the robbers IS reported to have been
wounded in the battle.
Two bags containing money and many
bonds taken from the bank were found
on the rear seat of the automobile. A
eheck-up showed thst the bags con-
tanned s23 ,469-o4 in css!. and securities.
Work fast and shoot TO Kill if they
co not obey your orders"
These words from a mediums sized,
aray-hai-od man about fifty years old,
spoken III tone that was not to be
mistaken, greeted the employees Of
The bank within carshot es the bandits
entered the bank shortly after it
opened Employees looked up from
polvers Of FIVE men near the doorway
covering them.
Shot as He SeizeS Gun
Two Of the men. their guns still
leveled, ran noiseicssly toward the rear
Of the bank. one Of the bandits, di-
rected by the leader, moved toward the
cage and entered.
Assistant Cashier Moss. slow in car
'ying out the orders OF the bandit who
was Inning up the employees, reached
suddenly for revolver and leveled it
st one of the bandits. There was a
shot and before Moss had a chance to
pull the trigger he fell to the floor.
shot through the head He died 81
11;20 a. IN.
10 Miss Margaret Gricr, nineteen
Years old, clerk in the bank, goes
thr credit for giving an immediate
Al. rm TO the police.
Misc Grier was confronted by one OF
"e bandits. who pointed revolver at
tY and commanded hot TO Cline up
Eainst the wall with the others" In
ecad of complying with the order i'm
nediateiys Miss Grer pretended to
swoon and staggered toward the wall.
She swung out her arms as though to
steady herself, and in so doing was
able to press burglar alarm button
unobserved by the bandits. The alarm
sounded at the Grafton police station
,nd was Immediately spread broadcast
That a cool-headed, we'll trained band
OF criminals, with a capable leader
following carefully prearranged plan
committed the robbery is the opinion
Of detectives and county authorities to-
night. Every move made by the des
peradoes from the time they entered
the bank until they eluded the pursu.
ing automobile load of detectives wa.
carried out with precision and withou,
haste.
Though seven persons are under ar
Jcst in connection with the hold-up
city detectives admitted tonight none
had been Identified as members of tn,
robber band. but were being held with
the hope that they might throw som,
light on the identity Of the bandits.