Evening star., 1949-03-31
BY the Associated Press

NEW YORK, Mar. 31.-Search
centered around Florida today for
a vanished bank executive and
$883, $50 in missing bank funds.
A chain of letters caused a
southwark shift in the manhunt
for Richard H. Grove, Al. who
disappeared Sunday before the
theft of the fortune in cash and
bonds was discovered.
Police revealed yesterday that
Groves wife had received a letter
from him postmarked in a South
ern city. They refused to identify
the city.
The FBI also is searching for
the looking and popular
banker, a country club member
and civic and charity worker.
District Attorney Frank S. Ho-
gan said the vault-stripplng at the
National City Banks branch at
195 Broadway, where Grove was
assistant manager, probably was
the biggest theft of its kind in
Manhattan's history.
Vault Lock damned.
Acting Police 1t. Grover c..
Brown said Grove walked off with
the loot late last Friday. leaving
the lock en- the bank vault
jammed. 1t required six hours Of
work on Monday before the vault
could be opened. 1t. Brown said.
The loot, police said, apparently
was tossed around unguarded in
q little leather bag while thes ac-
cuSed bank executive spent a
typical week end country-clubbing
and puttering around his home
before disappearing.
Police gave this account of the
haphazard handling of the for-iI
tune during the week end:
Money Left in Car.
Grove met his wife Honora Fri
day evening at a country club
near their home on Staten Island,
and left the bag in a family car
she drove to the club.
After dinner at the club. the
couple went home. On Saturday,
Grove puttered around his IL
room house and 6-acre grounds,
mending a concrete walk. On
Saturday night. the Groves visited
friends and watched a television
show.
Grove wakened at 7 am. Sum-
day. complaining of not sleeping
well. Gle recently had been treat
ed for a nervous breakdownD At
! pm, he left the house in one
of the two family cars and drove
to a Staten Island bar. He paid
an $11 bill he owed. and had a
drink and a meal.
Grove checked one of two bags
in a parking lot, and drove home.
About 4:30 pm, he told his wife
he was leaving for a few days
either for Buffalo or Poughkeep-
sic, N. Y, the wife wasn't sure
on business for the bank. He
left either in a taxicab or one of
cars.
Broke Window to Get Bag.
That Afternoon, he tried to get
his checked bag. but found the
parking lot Office had closed for
the day. He phoned the owner at
home and was instructed how to
open the door. Grove broke a
window in doing 1t. and phoned
back to say he would make good
for the damage.
That was the last seen Of Grove.
His wife said that on Monday
she received a letter from him,
postmarked in Manhattan and
containing $500 in cash tor the
children" The letter came from
the Southern city the next day.
It inquired tenderly about her and
their three children.
Friends of Grove received
letters with sums of money he
owed them.
Mrs. Grove reported her hus-
band missing on Tuesday. and
late that day the theft became
public and a widespread alarm
was sent out for Grove on a lar
ceny charge.
Total of Loot Raised.
The loot-on which a revised
upward figure was given yester-
day by the bank-now is listed as
$193, $50 in cash, ranging from 81
to 500 bills; $590,000 in nego-
table bonds and one 100000
non-negotiable bond.
When the vault-stripping was