Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-11-29
FORCES PROPRIETOR AT
POINT OF GUN TO
RAISE HANDS
CUSTOMER ROBBED
VISITED BY DARING BANDIT,
WHO GOT St7 IN CASH. BUT
MISSED 1856 UNDER SAFE
DRAWER.

All uhIlldchtu DuliiAl Win q lNNblftl
in his left hand entered the service
station of the Central Oil company at
the corner OF La Sale and Lafayette
streets at about S;l5 last night, point.
ed the gun at Frank O'Neill. the mana.
ger and took s22 in money, valuable
watch and pocketbook from O'Neil
and a customer. The bandit missed
1856 in paper money and SGl in checks.
When interviewed by reporter this
morning Mr.. ONoill told the following
stery of the robbery:
He was counting up the days re.
ceipts in the Office at about S:45 when
the bandit entere2 on tiptoes and
caught him unawares. The first he
knew of the mans presence was when
he received "A terrific jab in the ribs
and was told to stick EN- up He
thought the command Joke. and, not
seeing him. told the stick-up to quit
his fooling" Still thinking the bandit
joking friends, he began to snicker.
The came a second order ito reach
skyward" The GILMAN still did not
heed the order, and in an angry voice
the bandit remarked, C d you,
stick en- up or I'll blow your brains
out" With the third order O'Neili
rapidly shot his hands skyward.
The bandit then ordered the mana
ger TO sit in chair in another part
of the room. He complied and plant
ed himslef In front Of the door of the
safe, which contained Sl95 in money
and about SEQ in checks
Scoops Up Money.
With his right hand the holdup man
scooped ST. in silver from the table
and put 1t in his pocket He then
asked the agent. "ls this all you got!'
O'Neill replied, Yes You're a liar
shouted the angry holdup man, and he
began to search for more money.
A drawer from the safe was setting
on the desk and under it lay $50 in
bills, which the thief failed to find
He ransacked the drawer, but found
nothing. He seemed about to head
for the safe when Stanley Lambert. an
East Ottawa boy, came whistling up
the driveway Stepping into the cor
ner, he awaited the boys arrival
When he entered the door he ordered
Lambert to reach skyward, also Lam
bert thought it a joke, and began to
laugh. but another order from the
holdup man soon got him over his
funny ideas" and he took his position
alongside O'Neill. The robber then
went through the clothing and took
valuable watch from o Neil and =
splendid leather pocketbook, with s.
in it, from Lambert.
Dsappears Down Street
Without another word the bandit
walked out Of the door and was last
seen heading west on Lafayette street.
ONeill called the police and in few
seconds the officers and the blue
devil' were on the scene and thor
ough search was started for the hold
up. The cops combed the railroad
yards under Chief Ford's orders and
seven suspects were brought into the
station for questioning. None of the
men picked up could be identified by
Lambert or ONeill and they were
turned loose One man did resemble
the robber, but needed shave, and
the man who held up ONeill was
smooth shaven.
It is probable had it not been for
the lucky coming Of Lambert the oil
company would have lost around S275
instead OF SIT Lambert Just happen
ed to drop in to get a bottle of gaso-
line for testing purposes for William
Tydeman, who does that work for the
company. The coming of Lambert
made tho thief think that somebody
else might drop in and he might be
caught, so he seemed anxious to get
away after the second mans arrival.
The job was q one-man affair and
was done bv outside talent. CHIEF
Ford also expressed the belief this
morning that the thief may have had
an accomplice close by who was in an
auto and waiting to whisk his pal
away.
H. WI Fray. general manager of the
concern. with headquarters in Gene
SEQ, ILL.,, is expected in town today TO
look over the affair and probably
place a detective on the case. This
is the first of the company's stations
to be held up and the officials are de-
sirous of having the culprits run down.
Loitered Around Station.
O'Neill decribes the man as wear
ing a dark gray suit, light gray cap,
tan shoes, was fiN- loot seven inches
tall, smooth shaven and light COM
plexioned. At first he appeared calm
and collective, but after Lambert ap-
peared he became nervous and was