Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-05
DEL RAY BANDITS
ARE SOUGHT HERE
Sextet Made Escape Into
District With $4,000 Loot,
Police Believe.

The trail of six bandits who yester-
Gay robbed the Bank of Del Ray, Va,
pointed strongly toward Washington,
District and Virginia police officials
bearing out their theory that the Job
was accomplished by members of the
Districts criminal world.
Several suspects picked up here late
yesterday afternoon and subjected to
severe grilling were later released when
police were satisfied that they had no
connection with the holdup. 1t is
known. however, that the police have
at least one other suspect under obser-
walton, and his arrest is expected mo-
mentarily.
A check-up at the bank by Nelson T.
! Snyder. jr., president; Clay T. Brittle,
cashier. and officials of an insurance
| company revealed that the total loot
amounts to $2.808,70. including $10818
which the bandits took from F. L. Holt.
| a depositor when he walked into the
bank during the holdup. The amount
of the theft is fully covered by insur-
ance according to Brittle.
The robbery occurred at 1905 o'clock
Charles E. Jones of Braddock. Va
assistant cashier. and Miss Mary Ford
of Alexandria, stenographer, were in
the bank at the time.
Jones looked up from his books to
see two men covering him with pistols
while three others. also armed. we're
standing nearby, with a sixth guarding
the door, Miss Ford was ordered into
the vault and forced to face the wall
where she was joined by Jones.
Boy Bound by Bandit.
Roy Thomas, IL. of Mount Ida.
walked into the bank and was grabbed
-.
wire from two telephones and trussed
him up. tying him to chair near the
vault.
One of the robbers found $50 in small
bills in the boys pockets, but refused
to take it when told it was money the
boy had saved and had come to the
bank to deposit.
Holt entered the bank after the
bandits had taken all the currency from
the vault and the drawer at Jones
window. Several hundred dollars in
coins was passed up by the bandits.
Taking Hollis money, they added that
to their haul and forced him to join
Miss Ford and Jones in the vault. An
attempt was made to lock the vault
door. but safety catch, which is kept
sprung. thwarted the effort.
Warning the trio to keep their faces
TO the wall the men walked casually
into the street, crossed Mount vernon
avenue and entered an automobile
headed toward Washington for quick
getaway.
Hearing the roar of the bandits car
as it sped away, Jones rushed from the
. bank and told his story to Mayor Wal
ter B. Fulton and Town Police Sergt.
A. F. Driscoll, who Immediately phoned
the District Alexandria, Arlington and
Fairfax Counties police.
Roads Are Guarded.
All of the roads leading out of Del
Raw were guarded carefully, but since
no machine answering the description
az the one used by the bandits was
'"-rtured, it is generally conceded that
the bandits made their getaway into
Washington before the watch could be
posted at this point.
An Arlington County officer chased
speeding machine into Alexandria, but
lost it In the heavy trafic. The car
when first observed was travelling
toward Washington at an excessive
rate of speed. 1t later doubled back
towards Alexandria and taking it to
be a. drunken driver. the officer gave
Mayor Fulton asserted he believed the
men separated after leaving Del Ray
and that the machine chased was prob
ably trying to escape into washington.
The theory that it might be a "decoy"
employed to throw police on the trall
while the actual robbers made good
their escape also was advanced.
From descriptions of the men police
agree that they were foreigners"
j. w. Stunkle. who lives near the
bank. said he noticed a. machine occu-
pied by six men come to halt In front
Of his house shortly before 10 o'clock.
The driver. he said, cut of the motor
and two Of the occupants got out and
walked toward the bank. Soon after
two more alighted and walked in the
same direction, followed moment later
by fifth, who carried tan suitcase.
Observing the suitcase, Stumble con-
cluded that the men were statesmen, and
walked away from his window as the
I car turned round and pulled to a halt
in front of the bank. Shortly after
ward he heard of the robbery. The car
bore a District Of Columbia license
plate, he said, but he did not observe
the number.