The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-15

With one man in the city Jail on
hold" charge. police and detec-
tives are continuing their search for
other alleged members of band
of yeggmen who early Monday morn
ing blew the safe of the Hill Gro
Gerry company warehouse. Sixt zenith
street and Avenue y. ard escaped
with approximately $4,000 in cash
and S15o,000 in non-negotiable secur-
tiles after they had handcuffed o. S.
Mort, 106112 Twentieth street
night Waterman for the company,
and eluded police in running gun
battle.
James w. Wells. PALS Corona
street Tampa, Fla, was arrested
shortly before il o'clock by Dctec-
tives Riley and Hubbard a. First
avenue and Twenty-first street after
the officers had hunted since early
morning for Moon roadster auto
mobile, reported parked near the
scene of the robbery. Wells was
brought to headquarters and in two
grips he had, We're found dynamite
caps two REVIEWERS. about so rounds
of ammunition. Y bandana handker-
chief and several small wires.
%
Davis Questions Wells.
Wells was questioned by Solicitor
James A. Davis and denied any par
ticipation in the robbery. He stated
he had just been in Birmingham a
short while before he was arrested.
Mort came to headquarters during
the afternoon and picked Wells out
from room filled with detectives
as being a man whose general char
acteristics resembled one of the men
who had handcuffed him in the rear
of the warehouse. Dick Broom, of
Route s, Montgomery highway, and
Andrew Davis, negro, same address,
also identified Wells as the man
who drove Cadillac car to the
house Sunday week ago and tried
to purchase some whisky. Davis
recognized him. he stated, from tat
too marks on Wells wrist and hands
A web of circumstantial evidence
was being wound about Wells by
police. Chief Fred McDuff, person.
ally conducted the search for the
where he measured footprints where
the men had been working. These
measurements Tailed with pair of
shoes which Wells had in one of his
suit cases. Even small hole in
one of the shoes was found in the
prints.
kilograms have been sent to the
insurance underwriters for line on
the Moon roadster and the Cadillac
touring car taken into custody. The
Cadillac motometer bore the name of
Claud Nolan, Jacksonville, Fla. The
Moon car did not have the regular
Moon type motometer, the original
being found in the rear of the Cad
lilac car. Information from the in
surance companies is being expected
hourly.
According to the statement of
ri n his q
near the warehouse where he was
reading about 1920 o'clock Monday
morning and called out Hello Dad.
where is the big boy?" Instfnc-
When he had it nearly out they
seized him and told him to make
no noise. While two of the bandits
held him, the third climbed on top
of a box car along side the ware
house and entered the building
making his way through the build
ing to the front door. where he adj
mitted the other members of the
gang and Mort.
Handcuffed To Pipe.
Mort was taken to one of the
larger supports of the building,
where they attempted to handcuff
him. The pole was too large and
they took him to the lavatory, where
they nanucul1eu MIN 10 WAFER
pipe.
The robbers then rugged up their
electric drill and began work on
the outer door of the safe. After
breaking the combination. they used
jimmies and nitroglycerin, blowing
the outer door to the floor. Sacks
of sugar were placed against the
door to silence the noise of the ex-
plosion. Once inside the first door
they were compelled to drill through
a two.foot brick wall to enter the
safe room. The Jimmy was again
used, this time on the inner door,
which was drilled open. 1t was in
this safe they got the cash. They
later blew open a small safe in
the office which contained the stocks
stolen, made out to ]. B. Hill, pres
ident and N. p. Hill, vice president
1t was at this time the yeggmen
are supposed to have sent a member
of the gang to the Cadillac car,
which had been parked a block and
a half away. tcs bring the car back
for the loot. This car aroused the
suspicion of residents in the vicinity
and police were notified Police
Scouts E. NJ Crane and Z. w. Jack
son were sent from headquarters to
Investigate. While Crane was ex-
Continued on Page Two.)