Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-10
FEAR FOR LIVES
IN BANK EXPOSE
Agents of "SeCret Six" Un-
cover international Alliance
Between Robbers.
BY the Associated Press.

| BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, November 10.-The story
of a hunt for the $4,000, 900 loot taken
in the greatest bank robbery of all
time and of desperate bargain driven
| by a gangster for his freedom was told
today.
1t begins with the sacking Of the
Lincoln National Bank & Trust Co., in
| the Nebraska capital. September II,
$780, and the story Is still unfinished
/ Perhaps it is told too soon. For
Nebraska has not yet accepted the bid
of Gus" Winkler, pal of the Capones
and Fred Burke, to purchase his immunity
! from prosecution with the return of all
but pittance of the stolen bonds. And,
with the telling before the bargain is
| struck, those who traded with the
emissaries of this highly sorganized
bank footing syndicate wonder how
safe are their lives and the lives Of
! Winkler and his confederates.
Upon Max Towle, county attorney at
| Lincoln, the bankers and Attorney
General c. A. Sorenson rests the re-
| sponsibility for taking or leaving Wink
| lers tender.
ParIeys at Benton Harbor.
Operatives of the Secret Six" crime
| fighting body set up by Chicago bust
ness men, and of the Illinois Bank
erS Association traced the devious
paths the years Investigation has fol-
lowed Once it I'D to little cottage
rendezvous near Benton Harbor, Mich,
where the CaponeS and Winkler and
Phil dAndrea-the gun-bearing body
servant of "Sarface Az who is under
six months sentence for contempt OF
Federal court-had their business con-
ferences. In front of the cottage the
public street was barred to public traffic
by the gangsters' blockade; gunners
stood guard
Once it led to the Lexington Hotel in
Chicago, whence the Capone men re-
Gently decamped. There Phil DAndrea
received Winkler'S telegram from the
Lincoln jail and soon D'Andrea had ar
ranged 100000 cash bond for the re-
lease of Gus.
The investigators found traces of in
ternational alliances among the bank
robbers and counted up toll OF around
S., 000,0 900 taken in IS major robberies
since 1925 by these allies-the Burke
Winkler gangs, the Skeletons OF South
ern Illinois, Fitzgerald G. Minneapolis
and, more remotely related, the Fleagles
of Colorado Here and there the inves-
tigators dircerned traces of interrela-
tons of these gangs and blamed the
famous Denver mint Maid on C@e atflll-
ated band.
Again and again the trail led to the
Capone headquarters, IS when Winkler,
in the Lincoln cell, said to an Illinois
bank representative: Make the bond as
high as you like. Make it 100000 If
you want to. I'll get out. The big boy
is back of me-"
The detectives wonder whether 1t is
rot worth much to the CaponeS, as they
trundle of to prison, to have Gus free
to come back and take the helm.
1t was worth 100000 bond to get him
out, worth the $4,000 more he has
offered to pay the unnamed bandits who
hold the stolen Lincoln bonds without
which the bank and its six correspond
ents are in danger. Winkler protests his
innocence of the Lincoln ana the Plano
Ill, "jobs," claims he can prove an
alibi by documentary evidence in New
York, but fears Lincoln jury will rail-
road him to the penitentiary. And he
told the Secret Six he would die by his
own hand first. He makes the appar-
emily magnanimous offer to buy back
the Lincoln loot because he wants to
be washed up" prove his innocence,
prove he has been mistaken for a
up in Maryland last April 9. Secret Six
agents agree Slattery was almost his
twin.
No Arrests in Seven Months.
For seven months after the seven
machine gunners surrounded the bank
and held police at bay, speeding away
with So, 500 900 in their car while a siren
shrieked warning to traffic, there were
no arrests and no identifcations.
simultaneously, last April, Illinois
State highway police and Secret Six
operatives got wind that their quarry
was in st. Louis. They Joined forces
and with Illinois and Nebraska bank
whom Thomas Patrick Connors has
been sentenced to 25 years in prison,
Howard Lee has been convicted, but
not yet sentenced and Jack Britt has
just been tried with jury disagreeing
Then Winkler was caught after an
automobile accident at Benton Harbor,
in which he suffered fractured skull
and lost one eye.
Sergt. Roy Steffens of the Secret Six
spent hours with him in the hospital
Winkler claimed absolute innocence"
of the robbery, but did know some
thing about the bonds. Steffen con-
WINGED him if he could get the bonds
back he might save $4,000 to 10000
Nebraska bank depositors and redeem
himself in the eyes of that State.
County Attorney Towle, Steffens said,
approved his bargaining with Winkler.
The gangster got out on his 100000
bond.
The banks loss, Steffers said today,
would then be reduced to a mere
$4,000 or $4,000, if the offer is &C
cepteds