The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-05-24
BANK ROBBER
PAIR REPORTED
IN ST. LOUIS
Car in Which South Side
Bandits Escaped Is Said
to Be Found.
LINKED WITH GARY JOB
Abandoned Auto, Carrying
Arsenal, Discovered
by Boy.

tOOay received an unVer11ed report
from an insurance company that
the stolen Pontiac sedan in which
Harry Watson fled from the Foun-
tain Square State bank, 1859 Vir-
GINA avenue, after his pal, Jack r.
Landry, 30, was wounded fatally in
a holdup attempt Thursday morn
ing, has been found in st. Louis.
1t was at first reported that two
men III the car were captured, but
the chief had no verihcation Of this.
Weston ran to the Pontiac sedan
at Sanders and Leonard streets,
three blocks from the bank, and
drove away in it just after the rob-
berry. The car belonged to Leonard
E. Middleton, carpenter, 1922 Gale
street. who was working on
church at the corner.
Detectives today definitely linked
the bandit pair with the thwarted
attempt to hold up the American
State Bank at Gary Wednesday.
Landry. the bandit wounded In
the struggle with bank employees
here, died in city hospital at 10
Thursday night Of bullet wounds in
his head.
Killed by Pistol Bullet
Deputy Coroner O. H. Bakemeier,
after an autopsy this morning, an
nounced that Landry had died of a
single revolver shot wound which
entered his head one inch back of
the left eye, and plowed through
to the right side, puncturing both
eyeballs.
This definitely established that
the shot which ended the battle was
fired by Val F. Schneider, bank
teller.
1t had been thought at first that
the bandit died of buckshot wound
from his own sawed-off shotgun,
discharged in the struggle with
Schneider and other bank officials
and employees.
A legal struggle to obtain possess
sion of the $4,000 in loot found on
Landry and in the Chrysler coupe
was started today. Various banks
and insurance companies which
have suffered robbery losses in the
last few months are expected to be
the contenders.
The Fidelity and Deposit Com
pany of Baltimore, which paid more
than $4,000 to the Irvington State
Bank in January, got the jump when
&c ~ tHyy
Probate Judge Mahlon E. Bash of
Attorney Harold F. Healing as ad-
miniStrator of Landry's estate.
Skeptical of Confessions
Healing Immediately tried to take
The loot from police, but Detective
Chief Jerry Kinney blocked him.
Finally it was agreed that the $4,000
in bonds stolen from a st. Louis
bank, $1,100 in travellers cheques
stolen from Lansing (Tll) bank
and $1,700 in cash found on Landry
shall remain in the detectives Office
safe until a competent court orders
disposition.
Prosecutor Judson /. Stark de-
cl9red he wanted the money to re-
main in police custody for use as
evidence in case Watson is captured.
The Iryington banks claim ap-
peared to be based upon the admis-
sion by Landry before he died that
he participated in that robbery.
However, he retracted this adnis-
sion.
Detectives said they we're skepti-
cal Of his numerous Confessions"
during the day because he answered
nearly any question they cared to
ask him, yes"
The Marion County Bankers AS
ISOLATION has offered a reward Of
$1,000 for the capture Of the other
bandit or bandits in the Fountain
Square robbery.
Arsenal Found in Car
Definite linking of Landry with
the Gary job came after small boy,
whose name police did not get, &C
coSted Motor Policeman Mike Crit
fin Thursday night near the bank
and announced:
"Say, there's car down there by
the bank with a couple Of guns in
it,"
Griffin found the car, Chrysler
coupe, with the gas tank empty. APP
parently the two bandits had left
their motor running when they went
into the bank. When Watson fed
after Landry was shot, he ran past
this car and stole another, three
blocks away.
Police found in the car two load
ed rifles, nearly 1000 rounds Of am
munition for the rifles, sawed-off
shotguns and revolvers, an auto
matte pistol and s1,18o in travellers
cheques issued by a Lansing (ul0
bank. The Chrysler bore license
plates stolen from Harry z. VIII
son of Plainheld, Ind. several days
ago. The car was stolen from VAL
paraiso, Ind, Wednesday before the
robbery attempt at the Gary bank.
Officials Of the Lansing State
Bank, Lansing. Ill, by long distance
phone, identified the travellers
cheques as having been stolen with
$4,000 in a holdup April II.
Linked With Gary Holdup
Gary detectives assisted in linking
Landry with the attack here. Two
men walked into the Gary bank,
showed President Albert Defries
some bonds, similar to those found
on Landry after he was shot here,
and then felled him with a blow
so hard it broke the stock Of
sawedof shotgun.
The broken stock was similar to
that Of the sawedoff gun Landry
tried TO Use Ia tbs tracas hGaA