Evening star., 1941-09-14
Matte Brown Freed
Under $4,000 Bond
In Pay Roll Robbery
ex-Distriet Champion
Says PhiIodeIphions
Trying to 'Frome' Him

Matte Brown, District heavy
weight who twice fought Joe Louis
was free under $4,000 bond today
on robbery charges-and facing the
greatest battle of his life.
Brown was charged late yester-
day with participation in the $4,000
payroll holdup here on August 2 ol
the Valley Forge Distributing Co
where the onetime heavyweight
contender had been working lately.
A diminutive Philadelphia police
character. known variously as Sam
uel Greenstein. Green and Allen
pointed out the hefty, SCARED
heavyweight as the man who put
the finger" on the cashier of the
Valley Forge beer company before
the holdup.
When Matte heard the under
sized Philadelphian identify him
and tell police that he received
$1,000 out of the loot, he went wild.
With a roar of anger. Matte dashed
across the squad room at police
headquarters, straight for Green
stein.
Quelled by Policemen.
He called the Philadelphian a
liar and offered to punch the truth
out of him. There were eight de-
tectives in the room and they
jumped Matte.
Matte, it has been reported re-
Gently has been training for come
back. He was in good shape. at any
rate. during the squad room battle.
He had made progress through
seven of the detectives and was near
his accuser when the eighth man
Jumped on his back and brought him
down.
Greenstein was visiblv pale when
the battle was over. but he never
theless stuck to the story he had
told Detective Sergts. Harry Brit
ton and z. E. Thompson when they
picked him up.
The Washington detectives had
gone to Philadelphia on 'informa-
ton" seeking Greenstein and one
Harry Roth. They arrested the pair
and informed them that they knew
all about their part in the Valley
Forge holdup.
Two Here Accused.
The Washington men involved In
the holdup. the detectives told the
Philadelphia pair. had given the
whole story. So they might as well
confess and make it easy on them
selves.
Thereupon. the detectives re-
ported. Greenstein and Roth made
complete confessions naming
Brown and another local man as
their co-plotters.
Greensten and Roth said that
Brown. who had been employed by
the brewing company distributors,
had sent for them and had pointed
out Mrs. Pearl Baum, the cashier of
the company, as she returned from
the bank with the payroll
The Philadelphians then pursued
her and robbed her of the So 200 pay
roll. One OF them was wearing q
hat which Brown gave them, they
said. After the robbery. they
abandoned the automobile and police
say hat which bore the initials
IN. B." was found in the car,
Afterithe robbery. the Philadelphia
pair allegedly confessed. they split
the loot. One of them said that he
owed Brown about 5000 and that
he paid that, in addition to $1,000
. Denies Entire Story.
Brown, questioned by police, de-
MED the entire story. He said that
he had never seen either of the
men before and that they apparently
were trying to frame him-although
he did not know why.
The other Washington man, an
automobile salesman, would not tell
police anything, it was said
Brown was once recognized as
District heavyweight champion, -
after defeating Marty Gallagher.
He fought Louis. before the latter
was champion, and stayed 10 rounds
with him.
Later, after Louis had won the
title. he fought Brown again and
knocked him out Brown battled
many Of the leading heavyweights
of recent years.
After retiring from the ring
Brown opened a restaurant at
Thirteenth and H streets NV. but
the venture failed. He closed the
place more than two years ago and
II has since been reopened under
different ownership.