DARING RAID

Southland Times, Issue 25268, 24 April 1935, Page 7

DARING RAID

CINEMA THEATRE ROBBERY. MAN ESCAPES WITH £2500. Working with the smooth precision of a film burglar, a man gained admission to the cashier’s office at the Roxy Cinema, one of the largest in New York, recently. He made his entrance shortly after midnight, imprisoned three officials in the safe, and, after carefully packing notes worth £2500 into a paper bag, strolled into the street and escaped. Tire intruder preferred to leave behind him on a table £lOOO worth of silver which he evidently thought too bulky to carry away with safety. In the complete absence of clues as to his identity, it is feared that this theft, like one carried out in a similar manner at another big New York cinema, the Paramont, in December, 1930, may never result in an arrest. About 2600 people were wc. king the last showing of the principal film while the burglary was being carried out a few yards away, but they went home without the least idea of what * had happened. The thief gained admission to the usually well-guarded office by a ruse timed to follow the transfer to it of the sums paid by 35,000 people who had passed the box office during the day. Complaining that he bad been given incorrect change, he induced the attendant to take him to see the cashier. As he entered the room he drew a revolver and forced the atten - ant, the cashier and the assistant manager, who happened to be there, to stand against the wall. Taking wire from his pocket he made the assistant manarer bind the two other men and lead them into the large safe. He then pushed the assistant manager into the safe, after tying his hands and feet. The tiirec prisoner--heard the burglar packing the notes into a paper bag. He took 10 minutes to do it, and then slammed the office door behind him. The assistant manager, by rolling against the safe door, which had not been locked, forced it open, pushed over the telephone and shouted into the mouthpiece for help. The police arrived, but long after the thief had departed.