Evening star., 1952-07-27
Fugitive Walks Into FBI Trap,
Kills Agent in Blazing Gun Duel
Long-Soueht Bandit
Is Shot and Captured
In New York Hotel
By the Associated Press

I BY the Associated Press
NEW YORK, July 26.-One OF
the Nations top criminals walked
into an FBI trap today, but killed
an FBI agent before being shot
and captured in a blazing gun
battle at Manhattan hotel.
The man, Gerhardt A. Puff, 80.
was listed among the top 10 GRIM
inals wanted by the FBI. He was
sought in a series of western bank
robberies and for questioning in
the Staying of a Massachusetts,
State trooper at Barre, Mass, last
August.
He battled it out with a dozen
FBI agents inside and outside the
Congress Hotel, just off Central
Park on West 69th street, before
he was wounded in the leg and
captured.
One of the agents, Joseph Brock,
38, died of bullet wounds within
40 minutes.
Police said Puff pumped several
bullets into Agent Brock. =
Confederate Caught.
Puff was the second of the
FB1'S 10 most wanted to be cap
tured in two days. An alleged
confederate. George Arthur He
roux, %, was seized yesterday in
Miami, Fla.
With Puff cut down, F,BI agents
dashed into the hotel and took
two women into custody.
The women said they are the
wives of Puff and Heroux, ac-
cording to the FBI.
Police and FBI officials said
the women, Puff and another
man still being sought registered
at the Congress last Sunday as
Hanson" and Burns.
Puff's wife identified herself as
Annie Laurie Moore, II. a native
of Bangor, Me. The FBI said she
has worked in night clubs under
the name of Honey Emerie
O'Brien.
She told authorities she mar
ried Puff-whom she knew then
as Richard E. Rogers-in Dar-
lington, S. c., last June 3.
The other woman, described
by the FBI as Mrs. Heroux, identi-
fled herself as Joan Evans, %,
born in Everett. Mass. She said
she also used the names of Ruth
Barrow and Joan Allen.
She said she married Heroux
as Robert Allen in Columbia, S. c.,
last February 18.
Both women said they had
never before been arrested.
Management Suspicious.
The hotel management became
suspicious and notified the FBI.
A dozen or more FBI agents stood
by in and around the hotel lobby.
Agent Brock was posted behind
"a partly frosted glass door which
looked out on the lobby elevator
entrance from a fire stair exit.
Early this afternoon the two
women entered the hotel and went
up to their room. A short time
later, PGf came in, telephoned
upstairs and then went up in the
elevator.
However, Puff's suspicious ap-
Iparently were aroused.
Stealthily he came back down
by way of the fire stairs and
opened fire with a .38 caliber auto
matte when he saw Agent Brock
from the rear.
After the agent slumped down
mortally wounded, Puff jumped
over his body and sprinted toward
the street door.
All the FBI agents opened fire
on him and staggered him with a
bullet in the left leg.
He collapsed upon the sidewalk
in front of the hotel and the
Iagents grabbed him.
Emptied Gun at Brock.
Edward Scheidt, in charge of
the New York F'BI Office, said Puff
apparently emptied his gun at
Agent Brock. In addition to sew
eral bullets which entered the
agents body, a number of slugs
were found in the wall nearby.
Less than a minute after Puff
was captured, agents raced up
stairs and took the two women
into custody.
The FB1 said Puff was believed
a native of Baltimore, but lived
in WoonSocket, r. l., as a boy
and attended high school in Wor-
cester, Mass.
Puff and Heroux, who were CELL
mates in the Milwaukee Jail in
May, 1851, had been sought in
New Hampshire and Vermont last
week after an automobile traced
to Puff was found abandoned and
burned in Hopkinton, N. H.
The bespectacled Puff was
neatly dressed and clean shaven.
He wore highly polished, expensive
shoes, sport shirt and slacks, and
carried a gold fountain pen in
a breast pocket.
But, like many a movie tough
guy, he refused to talk about his!
companions as he lay handcuffed
on the sidewalk.
"L was alone" he sneered in,
response to FBI mems questions.
II don't remember nothing. Why
don't you guys cut it out?"
Agent Was Wisconsin Man.
Mr.. Brock, the slain agent,
Joined the FBI in 1941, and had
been stationed here since 1943.
He was a graduate OF Marquette
University and a member of the