Evening star., 1932-10-22
F|NGERPRMTS ONLY
CLUE TO BANDITS IN
ROBBERY ATTEMPT.
Car Used by Men at Mechan.
les Bank Found Aban-
doned in Northwest.
TELLER TURNED ON GAS
AND THWARTED HOLD-UP
Outlaws Fired at William 7. Mat
thew5 as He Set Off Tear
Vapor Device.

Fingerprints found On the automobile
used by the men who attempted to hold
up the Washington Mechanics Saving
Bank yesterday were virtually the only
clues in the possession of police today.
as the search for the bandits was pushed
throughout the District and in Mary
land and Virginia ss we'll.
The car. bearing Maryland license
plates stolen in Baltimore, was aban-
doned at Sixteenth and Irving streets
by the hold-up men, who were routed
from the bank when William T.
Matthews, 22-year- old teller. set of a
recently installed tear-gas device.
Matthews. who lives at BIS Maryland
avenue northeast, narrowly escaped be-
ing shot, one of the bandits firing at
him as he dropped behind the counter
after stepping on the lever controlling
sear-gas outlets in all parts of the bank.
Many Fingerprints.
The hold-up mems machine was ex
amined by Lieut. Fred Sandberg, police
fingerprint expert, who said
There were numerous prints on the
automobile, but, of course, they may
or may not be the bandits. I'm check
ing them over carefully, however, in the
hope some of them may help us learn
the identity of the hold-up men"
Other investigators, voicing the theory
the attempted hold-up was the work
of an cut-of-toWn gang, were doubtful
that it had any connection with the
two recent raids on branches of the
same institution. The banks branch
at Ninth and East Capitol streets was
held up last January Is and its branch
at 1908 Georgia avenue was the scene
of a similar robbery last June 10, the
bandits obtaining a total of approx
mately $4,000.
Matthews and three other employees
of the bank were preparing to close for
the day when two hold-up men en-
tered, one of them shouting, Stick 'em
up!' The teller responded by stepping
on the tear gas lever.
Fired and Fled.
Pausing only long enough to fire
wildly at Matthews as he lodged be-
hind the counter, the bandits, with
tears rolling down their cheeks, scurried
from the building, leaped into waiting
automobile and sped away.
A taxicab driver-J. H. Bradley, 1919
G street-saw the robbers jump into
the car and followed them to Nine
teenth street and Park road, where
they managed to elude him. Meanwhile,
however several witnesses had Jotted
down the license numbers OF the
bandits machine and turned them over
to police.
Besides Matthews, the employees in
the bank at the time of the hold-up
attempt were William B. Mehler, jr.,
assistant cashier; Mrs. NJ H. Bucking-
ham. secretary, and Miss Margaret
Hayes, bookkeeper.
m, the counter which
announced the institution was protected
by tear gas, the robbers strobe toward
the counter. They paused about mid
way between the door and the counter.
and one of them drew revolver and
commanded.
Stick 'em up!"
Stepped on Lever.
"I knew something had to be done
quickly" Matthews said, so I stepped
on the tear-gaS lever, at the same time
throwing myself on the floor behind
the counter
The tear-gas device went of with a
bang, and the other employees also
dropped to the floor.
AS I went down, the man with the
gun let go with a shot-the bullet
whizzing over the counter and hitting
the wall"
Choking and gasping as the tear-gas
took effect, the bandits crouched low
and ran into the street, followed
moment or two later by Matthews, Mrs
Buckingham and Miss Hayes, who also
were affected Mehler. however, re-
mained in the bank long enough to
telephone police.
Bradley was driving past the bank,
he said. when he saw the bandits
emerge from the building.
Then saw one of the women come
out. wiping her eyes," he said, land
l knew something was wrong. I
whirled my cab around in time to see
the robbers automobile pull away"
In the excitement, Bradley declared,
one Of the bandits was left behind.
Ran After Auto.
He ran after the car, which was
gathering speed all the time" Bradley
said. II heard him yell, Don't leave
mel Just as 1 started out after the
machine, figuring on hitting it in the
rear and smashing it up. the man
clung there as we sped along, passing
traffic lights and everything else"
Several other persons saw the robbers
speed away from the bank, but opinions
as to the number of men in the auto
mobile differed. Bradley said he saw
only two men. the driver and the man
who hung on the side of the car, but
others asserted the machine contained
five or six men.
Bank officials refused to reveal how
much money was saved by Matthews
speed in using the tear-gas device,
which was installed in all the institu-
tion'S branches about two months ago.
Mehler lives at 6514 Ridgewood ave-
nue., Chevy Chase. Md: Mrs. Bucking-
ham at 19 T street northeast, and Miss
Hayes at "a street.