GREAT BANK ROBBERY

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1932, Page 9

GREAT BANK ROBBERY

THIEVES’ HAUL OF £200,000.

STORY OF CHICAGO CRIME.

Chicago, Sept. 5.

Master criminals, the Chicago police authorities declare, must have planned the £200,000 robbery at the Koch 'bank here.

The amount of loot, is almost .the largest in the history cf Chicago crime, having been exceeded only by the raid on tile warehouse of Werner Brothers, ten years ago, when valuables worth more than £200,000 were stolen. The police are convinced that, although only two bandits were seen by the tenants of the premises in which the bank is situated, probably ten. were engaged altogether, as the task of cutting through steel and bricks to the safe deposit vaults would require the services of a considerable gang.

The only two men seen worked cleverly and quickly, being successful in isolating 11 people on two floors of the building, to finable their confederates to work without interruption. The Chicago police at headquarters, though they did not know it, were in touch with the thieves all through the 14 hours during which the 'bandits were at work and the tenants were held captive in bathrooms.

The caretaker, Robert Kruse, who had admitted the two seen bandits on their production of supposed police badges, always kept his wireless set tuned in for calls from the police office. One of the robbers sat patiently listening in for the entire 14 hours.

Acetylene torches were used to cut a hole givinrr access to the strongroom, where 350°deposit boxes were rifled, a card index being used as a guide. Two of the boxes contained £lO,OOO each. Only money was taken; bonds and jewellery were thrown aside.