The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-02-08
BANDITS GETTING BoLDER
(Florida Times-Union.)

If Jesse James could return to this .roubled
sphere and look on while. he would be ashamed
+ himself. His daring" deeds that were so loud
y proclaimed his courage and resource, would
aot win him doublehead in a daily newspaper
n these brave days Of banditry. The lone bandit
now holds up bank CT payclerk, drives a bunch
ii people into vault, gathers the money and
HES away in taxi or other motor vehicle, and
The CRY is given front page position for day
only if the haul Is In five or six figures Ccca-
;ionaly the people told to stand and deliver pro-
tost squirm. and find themselves half filled
With lead or tapped the head and the bandit
GETS away just the same.
few days ago Two men entered a building on
i35th stree, New York city, at about 10 o'clock
n the morning They watched the paymaster
nil envelopes to pay off about a hundred men,
I'd them with four men already at the window
asking for their weeks earnings he bandits
Inmasked and unconcerned, ordered hands up
stood the four employees outside the pay window
and four others inside to face wall while they
gathered the money-and walked out The same
lay report was made of bandit who followed a
nan into his garage pointed gun and took the
mans gasoline money, jus like that" and when
he automobile owners wife appeared the bandit
ordered to be introduced as a friend-and was.
Another story comes of a man In a car seeing
'wo others apparently in trouble with their motor
He stopped to offer his asss ance and woke up
later with a chloroformed handkerchief over his
face and his money and watch gone with the
bandits. Every day some new phase of the bandit
business appears, and as it is as easy to buy
pistols matches or toothpicks and they cos
very littls, almost anybody can be a bandit The
wonder is that more people do not decide to be
ready fer the visitor.
A hundred years ago /: was expected that ever
man going about his business anywhere would be
armed; police departments and sheriffs and the
like were not numerous as now, and it was ex-
pected that man accosted by thug would de-
fend himself. Now the authorities tell us to call
for help, hut the call l. usually too faint to be
heard.
With all the publicity given to bank robbing
exploits, 1t would appear to be disgrace for
bank officials or employees to be caught mapping.
1t should be considered a duty to be prepared
for emergencies in positions of trust and too
Ii tile notice is given to the man who defends his
charge with his life. Some will scoff and declare
that it is only fool who would take chance Of
being shot to argue with bandit oyer someone
else's money--but the principle is the same
whether It is dollar or a million and the trusted
employe should hgh for that which is in his care
Just as though it were his own. 8
Banditry is having great swing just now---but
af;er while the peopte VIII decide to swing the
bandits-as they did Of old and the profession
WIN quickly lose SOME of its popularity. Hang
ing is too good for the average bandit and high
wayman, butSit Is the best" we have in the way
Of revardsfer such enterprises Cove them short
rope and theacountFy will become come conf,
icgtab!e place to 1--we in. A