New-York tribune., 1922-06-10
Workers Save
$4,000 Payroll
In Gun Battle
Rout Five Bandits in Bold
Attempt to Hold Up Girl
Distributing Weekly En-
velopes in Orange Plant
Two Captured in Chase
Hauled From Sewer Pipe
After Taxi Driver Jumps
Amid a Rain of Bullets

The employees Of the A. p. Smith
Manufacturing Company, at East
Orange, lined up as usual in the plant
at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon to file
past a long table and receive their
weekly pay envelopes from Miss Ger
trude Arlington. No one noticed that
in the long line stretching away from
the table were four men not in the
employ Of the company.
Nor did any one notice that these
four were casting furtiyc glances at
the box containing $4,000 that lay be,
fore the paymistress. The line had
just begun 20 move forward and Miss
Arlington, working swiftly. had hand
ed envelopes 10 several OF the mer
when two Of the four bogus employees
sprang from the line, darted TO the
table and snatched the money box.
Bandits Open Fire
Their two comrades then jumped
from the line and the four, with drawn
reyolvers, began TO back out. The en-
ployees, disregarding the leveled re-
volyers, surged toward the bandits. and
the four bazed away. They continued
moving backward, firing IN rapid sue
eession. Several Of the employees sue
ceeded, however, in closing in on them,
and In the struggle that followed the
man who had grabbed the box contain
ing the envelopes dropped IL, and
neither he nor his comrades had an op-
portunity TO pick il up.
The four bandits, having failed in
the hold-up, finally reached the street.
Two Of the company men had been
wounded. A number Of shots we're fred
by the four gunmen from outside the
plant.
Near the plant stood a green and
black taxicab. with driver at the
wheel. Near the taxicab stood a fifth
man who had accompanied the other
four to the plant and who had served
as a lookout. This man sprang into
the taxi and was followed by two ban.
dts. The other two decided to take
their chances on running. and dashed
of down March Avenue.
Driver Abandons Taxi
One Of the trio who had climbed
into the taxi yelled; ride like hclll'
az the driver, and the taxi started
The Smith company employees gave
chase and rained bullets after the
fleeing taxi as they ran. One bullet
clipped a strip Of wood from the steer.
ing wheel, and came within an inch
Of the drivers finger. This was toe
much for the driver, who said he had
been in ignorance Of the intentions OF
the bandits when they hired his car
and after he had gone some distance
from the factory he slowed up and
Jumped out. The three bandits leaped
out when the taxi hit the curb and
stopped.
The pursuing crowd forced the tax
chauffeur back into the car, and IL ther
set out in pursuit Of its late passen.
gers. Two Of the men finally were
caught hiding in a sewer pipe. The
other three got away. Al East 0rang,
police headquarters the prisoners de.
scribed themselves as William Brad
ford and Joseph Thomas, both Of New
ark.
The two employees wounded wer,
Charles How.and, Of Newark, and l.
Wavcerowskf Of Bloomfeld Neither
Is seriously hurt. Two Of the hy'
men who undertook the robbery were
discharged by the plant a short tim'
ago, 10 was said.
The driver Of the taxi was John II
Parker, Of 1872 Boyden Street. Newark
He told the police that his car was en-
gagged at a tube station In Newark.
Girl Drives on Bandit
Miss Catherine Schmedes. the nine
teen-year-old assistant cashier az th'
plant Of the Hoboken Box Company
Hoboken. went TO the jefferson Trus
Company for the company's s729 pa.
roll yesterday afternoon and returned
on a trolley car. She noticed a maj
following her when she got of.
Within block Of the plant he seize'
and tried 10 choke her. She screamed
and struggled. but retained her hol'
on the bag containing the money. He
assailant finally ran. He was arrestel
later by Patrolmen Kelly and O'Con
nor and identified by Miss Schmedes.
He gave his name as Rocco Griete
nineteen years old, Of 7i6 Adams Street
Hoboken.