Evening star., 1950-02-18
Bank Robbers
Trail Cold as
dr|sChecked
sHumiIton Branch Loss
is Reduced to S28, ,351;
) Suspects Released

DioeA OSe dllQ lledlUy SUdUeS JOQd'
pressed the search for three banl
bandits who escaped with S28..
35l from the Shepherd Parl
branch of the Hamilton Nationa
Bank yesterday.
The robbers vanished with
hardly a trace. In spite of thu
usual volume of tips in such cases
authorities have few tangible
clues to go on.
One is a car which police be.
lleve may have been used by the
bandits in their getaway.
Reported stolen by it's owner
yesterday afternoon, the car later
was found abandoned at Thir.
teenth and Locust streets NV
An empty money bag was found
in it. Police, who towed the cal
to the headquarters lot, are
checking it for finger prints.
A partial description of the
three bandits was flashed on an
interstate police lookout.
Three Suspects Picked Up
Three men answering the gen.
eral description were picked ur
late yesterday after they were
seen in a car at Fourteenth and
Randolph streets NV. They were
taken to No. 10 precinct for ques-
tloning, but were released when
employees at the bank could not
identity them.
Metropolitan police, meanwhile
were reluctant to discuss the case,
They admitted they have received
several reports that the trio were
seen in different parts of town.
All the reports apparently were
false.
Shortly before midnight last
night a police lookout was flashed
for a dark green Chevrolet headed
toward Baltimore on route /. The
car, containing three men, had
stopped for gasoline at filling
station in Hyattsville. The report
said that when it drove off a Gov
ernment money bag was dropped.
Police today indicated the report
had no connection with the bank
robbery.
On the possibility that the ban
dts might still be in the District,
a close watch was being main
tained over bus and railroad ter
minals.
Loot Total Scaled Down.
Late yesterday, bank officials
scaled down an earlier estimate of
the loot, placed at $40, 900. In the
final tally the amount was S28,351.
Wilmer j. Waller. president of
the Hamilton National Bank, said
the loss was insured.
Authorities agreed the bandits
pulled the job smoothly and had
timed it well.
The branch, located at 7731
Alaska avenue NV, was not
equipped with a burglar alarm.
1t was several minutes after the
bandits fled before bank employees
were able to telephone for help.
Supt. of Police Robert ]. Bar
rett, who investigated the case
personally, commented that the
branch was "easier to rob than
most county banks"
Bank employees said the three
unmaSked bandits struck shortly
before noon, when the building
was empty of customers. Two of
them entered the bank, they said,
leaving the third at the wheel of
the getaway car parked outside.
One of the men who entered
remained standing near the door.
The other advanced on Manager
Hubert R. Bauckman with a
leveled automatic pistol, an
nouncing;
This is stickup. Let's have
it.'
The manager and a teller, Her.
man Slkorra, were then herded
into back room where George
w. Everdale, a janitor, was wrap
ping change. Another teller, Miss
Margaret A. Slifer, was in another
room. She was unaware of the
proceedings.
$500 in Dimes Taken.
The bandit who scooped up the
money loaded the bills, in de-
nominations of ST to S1OO, into a
tan suitcase. He also helped him
self to one sack of coins-S800 in
dimes.
Then with a warning to the
employees to stay here for five
minutes the pair walked non
chalantly out the door, summoned
their driver, whom they addressed
as Red" and drove off in the
direction of Silver Spring.
The lookout described the armed
man as feet tall, about 38 years
old, weighing $50 pounds. He hac
dark hair, ruddy complexion anc
sharp features. He spoke with
an Italian accent. He was re.
ported wearing a brown topcoat
white shirt, dark tie, brown ha
and gloves,
The second man was described
as 80 to 35 years old, 5 feet, II
inches, weighing ITO pounds, ane
wearing a light gray overcoat
There was no description of tn,
driver.
Theft of Car Quickly Reported
The car police think was uset
was reported stolen, shortly afte
the robbery, by A. L. Loffler of th'
S100 block of Fenton street, Sill
yer Spring.
He said the car belonged to tn
Capital Transit Co., by whom MI
Loffler is employed as a claim
adjuster. Mr.. Loff1er said the ca
was taken from Thirty sixth stree
and Prospect avenue NV. some