Evening star., 1933-10-26

Dy lIle ASSUCldleu fTeSS.
INDIANAPOLIS october 26.-Mobili-
men OF the Indiana National Guard to
aid civil authorities in apprehending a
bank robbing gang was ordered today
by Adjt. Gen. Elmer F. Straub.
Mobilization of the guardsmen was
ordered after State police received re-
ports indicating the bank robbing gang,
believed to include several Of the con-
victs who escaped September 26 from
the Michigan City Prison, was sti..
rowing the State.
The adjutant general directed 10
units of the Guard to designate an
officer and eight men to be deputized
by the sheriffs of their respective locali-
ties The Guardsmen will be located
at strategic points about the State and
will be ready to aid the civil authorities
on short notice They will be equipped
with machine guns. rifles and side arms
Marksmen Selected.
The adjutant general directed the
men picked fo- duty include the best
markSmen of the various units.
Plans for accepting the American
Legion's tender of shot gun" army
of its members were held in allegiance.
v. M Armstrong. Indiana depart
ment commander of the Legion, ap-
pointed committee to study the meth
ods whereby the LegionnaireS could give
effective assistance in the convict hunt.
State police continued to receive re-
ports from scattered points that the
convict gang had been sighted. Many
of these reports apparently had little
foundation, but authorities indicated
they were confident some members OF
the band were still within the State.
Glenn L. Weise of Indianapolis.
travelling salesman. reported to Kokomo
police that he was held up 10 miles
east of Kokomo just before noon today
and robbed of $40 by two men.
One of the men, Weise said, looked
like Joseph Burns. one of those who
escaped from State Prison on Sep
tember 26.
Two small bank robberies yesterday
at Fillmore and Modoc followed similar
hold-ups en- the two preceding days at
Greencastle and South Bend.
Oath Binds Convicts.
Bound by oath never to be captured
alive. at least 13 men. State Police
Capt Matt Leach believes, comprise
the bank -robbing gang.
Today. a month after 10 convicts
shot their way from State prison at
Michigan City. Leach told the story
of the gangs origin. He Is convinced
the eight fugitives have been joined
by other former prisoners in the bold
series of depredations.
To the gang he attributes bank rob-
berries with losses totaling more than
100000. and the looting of city police
stations at Auburn and Peru for arms
and ammunition. Several of the con-
victs face murder charges for the slay-
ing of Sheriff Jess Sarber at Lima, Ohio
during delivery from the Jail there Of
John Dillinger, one of their leaders.
Organized Last Summer.
Leach described formation of the
gang as follows:
Early last Summer five convicts. all
on parole from prison, decided to
organize and specialize in bank rob-
berry Dillinger. released after the min
imum of a 10-21-year term for rob-
berry, took the lead. Associates were
Homer Van Meter. Harry Copeland,
Sam Goldstein and Clifford Mohler.
Mohler, life termer, gained his parole
by drinking shellac in the prison paint
house to induce symptoms of a disease.
These five plotted and carried out 18
robberies in go days in Indiana, Ohio,
Michigan, Illinois and Kentucky. After
robbery of a bank at Gravel Switch.
KY, Mohler was arrested in East Chi
both were returned to prison.
Dillinger was arrested at Dayton,
Ohio. Letters. charts and correspond
ence showed plans for aiding in the
over to Lima authorities for trial for
Bluffton, Ohio, bank robbery.
Guns Struggled Into Prison.
The long-plotted break was carried
out September 26 with the aid of
guns smuggled to Walter Dietrich, con-
vict in the prison shirt factory. Dietrich
escaped with Harry Pierpont, Charles
Makley. Edward Shouse John Hamil-
ton. James Jenkins. James Clark, Rus
sell Clark. John Burns and Joseph Fox.
They kidnapped Sheriff Charles Neel
of Harrison County as they fed.
Neel was released three days later
near Gary, and the same day James
Clark was captured at Hammond. Six
fugitives made their way to Indian
apolis. Jenkins fled to Brown County
and was killed after he wounded a
villager
The remainder Of the gang has been
roaming Indiana and Ohio.
"Our investigations show" Capt.
Leach concluded, that these men have
81 connections in the Middle West.
mostly in Indiana.
'"They have at present II machine
guns, number Of revolvers, shotguns
and other weapons and Is bulletproof
vests"