MOTOR BANDITS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1932, Page 8

MOTOR BANDITS.

•A TRAFFIC RUSH HOLD-UP

FIVE GUNMEN IN SEDAN CAR

NEW YORK, November 11

Two messengers from the Chemical JJanfe ana Trust Company were held up atrd robbed of four payrolls totalling '13,600 dollars, by, %e unidentified men in an automobile.' .at the entrance to Pier 49, North River, at Bank Street, New York. Although scores of motor cars were speeding #6&os|f§ |West Street, and th e f i^^r|nged,' s 0 rapidly did the hold-up men work that neither their victims, libr i.anyone «1 e, cou’d furnish the police with an adequate description of them, v The messengers, Jac o b 'Holder and Henry Bond, were , head e d for the 'Southern Pacific Steamship 'Company pier to deliver a 9599 dollar payroll. Michael Nichell, the chauffeur,. was in f.'ie front seat' of their closed automobile, and the tw 0 messengers sat behind. The Southern Pacific payroll money was in a bag at their feet, and beside it were three other payrolls, also in bags, which were later to be delivered to the George W. 'Millar Paper Company,' the Sehbsser 'Paper Corporation,' and the Standard Envelope Company. Nichell was headed north, and was turned toward the pier entrance w’hen suddenly he saw a .sedan with five men' in it bearing down upon ihim. He Sought to avoid a collision, but the (southbound car hit him, although the impact was not heavy. One man remained at the wheel, and the other • four occupants leaped out. One liond’s revolver, while the others grabbed the bags containing the four payrolls from the rear of the messengers’ automobile'. Then they rushed back to their own machine, and in a few seconds were speeding southward. Holder also had a revolver, but said •that the ' robbery 'was over and the robbers gone before he could draw it. An alarm was at once telephoned to Police Headquarters from the Southern Pacific pier, and all police automobiles were ' notified by ■ radio. Detectives under Inspector Francis Rear, who commands the • division in .Manhattan, and Lieutenant Shevlin:, of „the Charles Street static a, joined in the hunt for the fleeing automobile.

Longshoremen who witnessed the robbery, as well as Nichell and the two miis'-enge'vs, said thev cou’d give no ■detailed description of the gunmen. A leather jacket, evidently discarded by (Lie of them, wa s found on the pavement near the ,sc©ne of the hold-up. After Holder, Bond, and Nichell had told their stories at the 'Charle s Street Station thy were taken to Police Headquarters to examine photographs in the rbgues’ gallery tlhere.