The evening world., 1922-09-25
BANDITS HOLD Up
MAIL TRUCK NEAR
ENR|GHT'S OFFICE
Three Thugs Leap From
Speeding Taxi, Block From
Police Headquarters.
BUT WAGON is EMPTY.
Armed Yeggs Use Same Tao
tics as in 81, 400, 900 Rob-
berry Year Ago.

Three heavily thugs riding in
a taXicab staged a daring hold-up of a
large mail truck at Las this morning
at Grand and Lafayette Streets, within
q short block of Police Headquarters,
few doors from Fire Engine Com
oany No. 20, and in plain sight of
corner where scores were emerging
from or entering the subway station
and crosstown buses. The thugs
made n clean getaway, despite the
fact that this corner usually is pa
trolled by Mt least one policeman every
minute of the day and night.
But the mail truck was empty and
the thugs got nothing for their pains.
It's driver was returning from the
Grand Central Terminal, where he
had delivered a large cargo of regis
tered and other mail. 1t Is the belief
Of police and postal authorities that
the thugs got the wrong truck.
The hold-up was fully as bold as
that at Leonard Street and Broadway
Oct. "a last, when cash. jewelry and
bonds valued at $4,000. 900 were stolen
from an armed mail truck by a band
of automobile thugs. For that rob-
berry three chiefs of the New York
Post Office were suspended. two of
the robbers were sentenced to twen-
ty-five years each in prison and sew
eral other arrests were made.
To-day's hold-up was managed the
same as that OF Oct. "a. 1t YVES testl-
fed at tho trial of thugs who took
part in that robbery that tho hold-up
was over in n minute and n half.
This morning, 1t took even less time.
The truck was driven by Robert
Mccoy, who was unaccompanled. It
was said he was accompanied by an
armed guard on the uptown trip, but
that the guard left him at the station
He was proceeding at n lively pace
south on Lafayette Street, when, at n
point about two blocks north OF
Grand Street, Il taXicab pulled up
alongside of him and kept there until
within n few doors of Grand Street
when the chauffer of the taxicab made
u quick movement and pulled in front
Of the mail truck. causing it to slow
down.
Three men, all armed, leapcd out of
the taxi and covered Mccoy and two
jumped on the mail truck on either
side Of Mccoy. The leader addressed
Mccoy in gruff tones:
Throw mp your mitts and throw
'cm up quick. Keep 'em up, too, If
you expect to see your folks again"
The robber saw at n glance that the
mail truck was empty. lie signalled
to the driver of the taXicab who drove
off east in Grand Street.
The three men who had stopped tho
truck stood on the corner watching
him, Mccoy told Post Office inspectors
who questioned him to-day, until he
was out of their sight. He said there
were scores Of witnesses OF the hold
up. but none Of them showed any in
dication of realizing what was going
on or that there was occasion TO call
for the police
Mccoy was so shaken when he went
to the City Hall Station to report tn
attempted robbery that he could not
remember the color Of the robbers
taXiCab.
Another mail truck bound from
Brooklyn and laden with valuall lc
mail it was said. was the objective
of the robbers. Investigation showed
that this truck, going in the opposite
direction, saw the truck that had been
held up only a few minutes after the
assault and finding what had hap
pcucd WAS the first TO give the alarm
10 the police.