The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-04-26
THREE DETECTIVES SHOT IN RAID
ON BANDIT SUSPECTS HIDE0UT
Suffer Severe Wounds in
Roundup; Nine Men
Held for Quizzing.
EX-POLICEMAN is SEIZED
Two State RobberieS Are
Charged to Prisoners
by Officers.

Severe bullet wounds were
incurred by three detectives
shortly b fore midnight
Tuesday as the climax of a
roundup by twenty-one Off
GERS, during which they ar
rested nine men, including a
former police sergeant. Four
of the suspects are said to
have been identified as bank
robbers.
The officers wounded are Detec-
tive Sergeants William Miller, Cliff
ford Becker and Jack Small At
city hospital today they were re-
ported in good condition.
Thomas Howard, "a, of 349 North
Holmes avenue shot the officers
when they appeared at his home to
serve a warrant on fugitive charge
for the purpose of holding Howard
pending outcome of an investiga-
ton of the robbery Of the Burling-
ton Qnd) bank April IL, when loot
of 81 $50 was obtained by three
bandits.
All Lights Extinguished
Howard also is suspected as one
of two men who obtained $4,000
Monday in a robbery of the Rose
dale Qnd) National bank.
The three officers who were
wounded arrived at the Howard
home few minutes before mid
night. There are no electric lights
in the house and oil lamps had
been extinguished. Accompanying
the three were Detective Sergeants
Benjamin Lansing and Arthur
Fields.
Small, Becker and Miller went to
the front door and the other off,
GERS to the back.
Empties Automatic Gun
After knocking at intervals for
ten minutes. brother of Thomas
Howard appeared at the front
door, and was informed of the
identity of the three. Immediately
Thomas, hidden in bedroom, be-
gan firing through a window at a
right angle from the spot where
the detectives stood.
Howard emptied .32-caliber
automatic pistol, reloaded and be-
gan firing again.
AS the second shower of lead sub
sided, Howard shouted:
IF you really are police, I'll come
out with my hands up"
Wounded in Chest
He kept his promise. When
Lansing and Fields, who had come
from the back door, entered at the
front, they found Miller and Becker
standing in the living room. Small
was lying on the floor and Howard
was seated on a davenport
Miller has wound in the upper
right chest. the bullet having
passed through his body. His left
thumb was broken by another bull
let, which also broke a bone in his
left hand.
A bullet passed through the back
portion of Beeker's neck, but struck
no bones. He also incurred a flesh
wound on the left side of his chest
but the second bullet did not enter
his body.
Bond Set at $4,000
Small was struck by one bullet
which remains in his body. He was
struck in the lower portion of the
left side of his chest and the bullet
was halted in his back.
Howard is held on fugitive and
vagrancy charges. His three broth
ers, Joseph, 81; Edwin, 10, and Ray
mond, 16, and brother-in-laW Mock
Montgomery, 80, all of the North
Holmes avenue address are held on
vagrancy charges. Bond of each is
$4,000.
Earlier tuesday night detectives
arrested three other men suspected
with Thomas Howard in the Bur
lington bank robbery. They are
Louis R. Reese, 26, of 1866 Chad
wick street; John Stroh, SO, Of 12l
South Sherman drive, former police
sergeant, and Harold E. Kiel, 18, Of
1909 North Mount street. They are
charged with vagrancy and bond of
each is $1,000.
Removed to Delphi
Kiel, Stroh and Reese were taken
to Delphi, Ind, today by Carroll
county officers, who had warrants
based on bank robbery charges in
the Burlington case. The officers
had similar warrant for Thomas
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