The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-02-12
MACHINE GUN
IS WEAPON OF
BANDIT TRIO
Custodian at Scene Of
Attempted Robbery Is
Wounded in Chest.
COP IN BULLET DUEL
Fires at Outlaws as They
Escape; One of Three
Believed Hurt.

1IlIe6 UduulJS, WIN dJ lSdSJ one
machine gun, shot a man in an
unsuccessful attempt to rob the
Broad Ripple State bank, Sixty
third and Bellefontaine streets, to-
day and escaped after gun bat
tie with policeman.
They are believed to have doubled
back north after speeding south
more than a mile, eluding police
squads to head for northwestern
Indiana, from where they are pre-
sumed to have come.
Charles w. Parr, 81, of 615 East
Main street, custodian of the bank
building, is in city hospital with a
wound in his chest, but physicians
who made an X-ray examination
said they did not believe the slug
penetrated his lung.
One of the bandit trio is believed
wounded seriously by patrolman
Mowray Johnston, who dashed from
a cleaning establishment across the
street from the bank and fought
a gun battle with the gang at
distance of less than thirty feet
Fires at Fleeing Bandits
AS two of the men dragged the
third into the auto and sped south
on Bellefontaine street, Johnston
Communicated a truck and gave
chase.
The bandits returned Johnston's
pistol fire with bursts from a ma
chine gun, abandoned their machine
at Fffty-ninth street and College
avenue, carried the wounded man
into a black Studebaker sedan and
sped away on Fifty-ninth street be-
fore the truck arrived at the inter
section.
Police later learned a fourth man
was awaiting the others in the
Studebaker.
Three of Johnston's bullets hit
the rear of the fleeing machine
Different license plates Oh the
front and rear of the car were IS
sued to persons in Lafayette, and in
the car police found highway map
with routes marked to Chicago, VIA
Danville, and to Paducah, Ky.
Threatened With Gun
The Studebaker is thought to
have turned from Fifty-ninth street
south on Capitol avenue, whirled
west as soon as it was out of sight
of pursuers, and finally to have
headed northwest on State Road
%, toward Logansport, Lafayette,
or perhaps Chicago.
The bandits alighted in front al
the bank from a new, blue Chew
rolet coach. Two entered, and one.
a large man, described as more
than six feet tall and weighing
more than 200 pounds, requested a
cashiers check from Morris Dodd,
teller, giving the name of c. L.
Bum.
AS Dodd wrote it out, the big
man pulled machine gun from
his coat, and commanded Dodd
Stick 'em up, you'll"
Woman Summons Policeman
The other bandit, a small man.
not more than five and one-half
feet tall, and weighing about 125
pounds, also produced a gun, and
threatened other employees.
Dodd stepped on burglar alarm
button, and the alarm on the out
side of the bank set up a clamor
Just then F. c. Carter, 1905 College
avenue, a customer, walked into the
bank, followed by the third bandit.
The giant whirled around to see
why the door had opened, noted
his companion had covered Carter,
and as he spun back to force Dodd
to hand over the money, he saw
Parr looking in the window. His
machine gun barked once.
Crossing the street to the bank.
Miss Marie Simmons, employee of
cleaning establishment, saw Parr
stagger to pharmacy near by and
collapse. She heard the alarm and
ran back to summon Johnston,
standing in the shop.
Bullet Hits One of Bandits
Running across the street as the
bandits fed the bank after the
shooting, Johnston opened fire as
the trio came out of the door. One
of them shot four times at him, the
bullets whistling past his head. He
hit the smallest man, he believes,
in the leg. and as the bandit hob
bled to the machine he drew bead
between his shoulders and fired
again.
Then the small man crumpled.
and the giant dragged him into the
car and drove away.
In the bank besides Dodd and
Carter were Miss Mary Sheets,
bookkeeper. Robert Roe, book
keeper, and Miss Hazel Newly. as
sistant cashier. william Dawson,
president, sat in his private Office
near the front Of the bank. The
institution is subsidiary Of
Fletcher Savings and Trust Com
pany.