Evening star., 1934-02-12
LINKED TO ROBBERY HERE.
Banghart Suspected of Being Mail
Theft Leader.

Basil Bankhart, lieutenant in crime
of the Terrible Touhy" and Detroit
Purple" gangs, captured with Isaac
Costner in Baltimore yesterday by
Federal and local officers, is the sus-
pected ringleader of group Of rob-
bers who held up a mail truck at the
Union Station here December 5 last,
it was disclosed today.
The local robbery occurred less than
a month after a more successful hold
up at Charlotte, N c., where the same
ring is alleged to have stolen $105 900
from the mails
Several witnesses to the local rob-
berry, which netted the bandits only
three sacks of revenue stamps, have
identified tentative photographs of
Banghart sS those of a man who shot
and seriously wounded postal en-
ploye during the daring raid, accord
ing to Federal Investigators.
There is some evidence also that
Banghart and two other men sought
to establish regional headquarters"
in this city just after the post Office
hold-up here.
connection IS INDEFINITE.
Reports that a man resembling
Banghart had been seen acting suS-
piciously at local national bank also
have been under investigation by Fed
eral officers, who posted a guard about
the bank for several weeks.
Chief Postal Inspector K. P Aldrich
indicated today that Banghart has
not been definitely connected" with
the local robbery, although he was a
suspect from the outset. in view of
his Identification in the Charlotte
case, by means of flngerprints.
Apparently the most damaging evi-
dence against him is the opinions of
several eye witnesses to the local rob-
berry that the leader of the bandits
looked like pictures of Banghart.
Before postal inspectors began look
ing for Banghart, known in under
world circles as THE Owl" alias
Kelly, Markey, Hart and Migill, spe-
cial agents Of the Justice Depart
ments division of investigation had
been securing the country for him in
connection with the Jake the Barber"
Factor kidnapping case.
Banghart and Charles c. ice
Wagon" ConnorS, were identified by
officers as the pair which made a
spectacular escape from a carefully
laid police trap at Chicago after at
tempting to collect additional ransom
money from Factor last August.
Robbery Here December 5.
Maryland police were asked by the
Department of Justice today to keep
sharp lookout for an automobile
carrying Ludwig Schmidt, alias John
Schlager, also wanted as a suspect in
the Charlotte and local mail robberies.
The local robbery was staged on
the night of December S, with six men
participating. A string of mail trucks
was. being ferried down the station
shed to Southern train bound for
Charlotte, when three men grabbed
as many pouches from the last truck,
and sped away. their retreat covered
| by three armed companions standing
in 4 darkened corner.
The two men in charge of the
trucks we're unaware of the robbery,
but Francis j. White, veteran guard,
saw it and shouting warning, started
to draw his own gun. Before he could
bring the weapon into play, however,
! he was shot down and the bandits
escaped over wall into First street
White was so seriously wounded
| that for a while his life was despaired
of. When an investigation was got
ten under way, pile of ammunition
was found at the scene. indicating
that the bandits were prepared to
put up bitter fight If necessary and
had equipped themselves with extra
supplies.
The Charlotte truck robbery took