OARING MOTOR THIEVES

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 2677, 13 January 1921, Page 3

OARING MOTOR THIEVES

CHASED HUNDREDS OE MILES

EXPLOITS OE TWO CONVICTS.

Nearly 200 armed police and citizens in motor-cars in a chase after tiro convicts, which led them over a round-about route of hundreds of miles through Lower New York State anti Connecticut towards Massachusetts.

In their flight the fugitives requisitioned two motor-cars, and, at the revolver point, obtained civilian clothes, money, food and gasolene. It is one of the most daring and exciting exploits of the kind that have occurred for manv years. The police in towns and villages everywhere in the three States are on the look-out, says the ‘ Daily Chronicle” correspondent, and farmers with shot-guns are ready for them, yet up to the time of cabling despite the trial of robberies the desperadoes have left behind, their whereabouts have not been ascertained.

Both convicts are young men. They were serving terms for larceny m Sing Sing prison not far from New lork. One of them is a notorious motor-car thief, who had killed a policeman while being arrested. They made their escape at 7.30 on a Saturday evening, after knocking three keepers insensible with blows from ’hcli i/nd with a bludgeon and robbing them of their money aryl revolvers.

'On «em«rging from the prison ■which is situated beside the Hudson River, they headed for ti- town of Ossining, half a mile away up a hill

Seeing a motor-car standing outside a shop in the first street they came to. they made off in it.

It- was a small machine, with little fuel left. Before lorg. however, tliev came upon another high-powered car .standing, with the chaffeur dozing in it, at the door of a private house.

Before he realised what had happened the chaffeur found Himself lying in the road, while liis car was turning the corner.

They next heard of the fugitives was when a garage-keeper in a small Connecticut town was compelled to fill the tank with gasolene while revolvers were pointed at his head. Shortly thereafter the robl>ers held up a car on the high road and deprived its occupants two men. of their clothes and money. At a lonely farm house they forced the farmer and his wife to cook a substantial breakfast. which they partook of leisurely. Then they cut the telephone receiver from the wire, snatched a. kiss from the lady of the house, and took their departure. Once more they replenished their store of gasolene at a garage, after frightening the owner with their pistols and disconnecting the telephone. From this point all trace of them was lost.