The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-15
FLORIDA MANS
HELD BY POLICE
IN HILL ROBBERY
CONTINUED From Page One)

aiming the car one Of the bandits
came up.
While Crane was at the car, jack
son put in call for additional Of
ficers which brought Officers F. J..
Smith and A. L. label. All officers
man walked up. He made re-
mark TO Crane, which was followed
instantly by a pistol shot-at short
range-which temporarily blinded
Crane.
Thirteen Shots Miss Marks.
Following the first shot the rob-
Der kneeled and fired four times
in rapid succession. with none of
the shots taking effect. Crane fired
six shots at the man, supplemented
by three shots from Officer label,
who came on the run to the scene
1t is believed the robber then real
lied there were more officers present.
He turned and fled dropping a pint
bottle of nitroglycerin as he ran. All
officers then Joined in the chase,
which ended at Fifteenth avenue and
Sixteenth street, south, where the
robber vast lost in the darkness.
At this time officers did not know
that the man was a member Of the
gang robbing the warehouse. John
Brown, a negro, heard Morris cries
for help, and called police headquar-
L
ficers found Mort handcuffed in the
lavatory. They cut the links and
freed him. He was then taken to
headquarters, where the cuffs were
taken off.
Police stated the Cadillac car had
been under surveillance for the past
two weeks. Motor Scouts Virgil San
difur and Roy Rehberg said they sus-
pected the car of being used to trans
port liquor, as it had been seen on
the Montgomery highway frequently
during the past few days. A Florida
tag was on the car and two bullet
holes are in the rear fender and body,
where it had been struck by flying
bullets during the shooting between
the officers and robber.
O O O
Takes Finger Prints.
NJ. L. McDuff Of the bureau of
Identification left for the warehouse
soon after the call with a finger
print camera. Police believed the
bandits are professionals as they
took precautions to wash the safe
with cotton and water after they had
completed their work. However, in
their rush to leave, some member of
the gang placed both hands on the
safe and a perfect photograph was
made, McDuff stated.
Working on the information that
the other members of the gang were
believed to have been seen on the
Montgomery highway in the vicinity
of several roadhouses, Chief McDuff
and Officers Paul Cole, Virgil Sandi-
fur, O. d. Brown, Roy Rehberg and
Sam Arnett left headquarters in the
Cadillac car which they had captured
from the robbers, armed with high
powered rifles. No trace of the men
could be found and the officers re-
turned to headquarters about
o'clock.
While being finger printed by the
bureau of Identification, Wells stated
he was SO years of age, an automo-
bile salesman, and was married, his
wife living at PALS Corona street.
Tampa, Fla.
The layout of tools left behind is
one of the most complete ever cap
tured by the police department. 1t
bandoliers of 1920 rifle cartridges,
two pistols, rs shotgun shells, a high
powered rifle, siXfoot Jimmy, several
smaller hand jimmies, l0foot safe
chain, wire and bolt nippers, 100 fee,
of electric wire with attachments
socket fer the electric drill and at
tachment plugs, 30 feet of heamy ma
Mia rope, set of hack-saw blades,
set of brace and bits. heavy sledge
hammer, several punches and small
hammer, many chilled steel bits,
reamers, dyes, dynamite caps, plate
steel to fasten against combination,
pint of nitroglycerin, soft soap, tai
cum powder and a complete set of
tools for a Cadillac automobile.