MOST AUDACIOUS ROBBERY.

Taihape Daily Times, 13 June 1919, Page 7

MOST AUDACIOUS ROBBERY.

.\ __._.___:_,_.___ : I FIERCE FIGJ-IT "IN A L"£F‘T_ . A revolver duel between three rob- ’ bers and two cashiers in a rapidly _ moving lift for the possession of £460 ilcontained in pay envelopes, took place jlin a “skyscraper” in Lafayette street, New York, says the “Manc‘:ies-‘.er ‘Weekly Times. Mr. Frederick Pebst, the cashier for Messrs. §roka.W B_ro.thers, a. famous New York clothing firm, entered the I sky-scraper just before 11 a.m., Mr. D Baffler carrying a, cardboard box wrapped in newspapers, to conceal a s‘heat‘ [of envelopes with the Weekly pay for 'the tailors in the building. The two men stepped into the front lift of the buildings, and the action lbegan with the entrance into the same lift, at the last moment, of three stocky gentlemen wearing caps. The lift door slammed and the ascent «be'Ban_ The stocky gentlemen edged inear Mr. Raffler and his box, and Mr Pebst, a man of 54, became un'e‘asy. | As the fifth floor was, being passed [the three, at a mutual signal drewt and levelled revolvers, at the two ‘cashiers, the leaders shouting, “Upl with your hands, or we’ll put a bullet [through you.'r‘ For answer Mr. Raffler crouched into a corner, and only hugged his precious box the tighter, shielding it with his boEly_ Mr. Pabst threw up his hand, but ,with the same motion pulled out an ‘automatic revolver and fired point blank at the nearest of the band. One of the robbers fired back, then, leaping on him, beat him into unconsciousness. '2 At the eighth floor Abe Blackberg, the liftman, took a hand in the game and during an especially sharp exchange of shots, gripped the control of the lift, stopped the cage, and flung open the doors_ The robbers, thoroughly alarmed, and surprised at the resistance offered, toe-1: ad'.'n,ntag'n of the opportunity tol dash out of the lift, and with their

“weapons forced an exit through the oflices of a printing firm, and so down 21 rear flight of stairs to the third flogr offices. of 3, patent coin-counting CO]lCel‘]l. There Miss Josephine Rhuby, a girl of 20, bravely, confronted the men. One of them picked her up and flung her aside. The robbers, however, were now faced by a locked fire escape door of steel, but at the point of their revolvers they forced tin em!Dloyec to open it, and dashed down ‘ the escauc to the street and freedom. , While the trio were going down the fire escapes, employees dropped ink bottles and several chairs, but the missiles missed their aim. Through the Whole affray Baffler tightly held to the payroll money,j which was found to be intact. J The attempted robbery took place! with in two blocks of police headquarters. and was the most. audacious reported in New York for many‘ months.