RE: (erielack) Walnut Street station in Nutley (1936)

["Mac McMahon" <MacM677_@_aol.com>]

I wanted to thank Todd for the posting of the newsreel and Tommy for
some other insight provided around this incident.  The reason being was
that my grandmother and father (6-7 years old) had boarded that train at
the Nutley Walnut St. station that fateful day on their way to Newark
for a shopping trip.  The way my late grandmother tells the story it was
the most exciting thing that had happened to her in her lifetime.  The
funny thing about the story was that they did not know that the robbery
was taking place or had occurred until the police stopped the train in
North Newark.  The Erie knew how to keep a train on time no matter what
was thrown at them.  Every Thanksgiving the newspaper articles were
pulled out of the drawer and the story retold, but the newsreel made it
a living scene for me.  Thanks again,

Mac McMahon
Pittsburgh, PA
ELHS# 4236 

- -----Original Message-----
From: tommy meehan [mailto:tmeehan0421_@_gmail.com] 
Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2012 11:59 AM
To: erielack
Subject: (erielack) Walnut Street station in Nutley (1936)


Todd Hollritt posted what I found to be a thoroughly fascinating
newsreel about a train holdup on the Newark Branch back in 1936,

I researched this incident years ago and it was
quite an event. IIRC the train involved was called
"The Bank Train." An eastbound morning local
that originated at Waldwick and often picked up
cash from the Federal Reserve in Paterson,
sometimes very large amounts. Thus the nickname,
'The Bank Train.'

On the fateful morning a group of armed men were
waiting at Walnut Street. About seven I think. One or
two boarded the locomotive cab, one accosted the
conductor on the platform, one held the rear brakeman
at gunpoint, another held the station agent at gunpoint
and the others went to the combine to get the Reserve
shipment picked up at Paterson.

Adding to the notoriety, when the men got the bags and
left the scene the conductor insisted the train depart
rather than wait for police. His reasoning was, "We're
already late." LOL

The station agent called police and they met the train
at the 4th Avenue station in Newark. At first it was
believed the robbers had stolen over a million dollars
in cash. But they picked the wrong day! The day before
there had been a large cash shipment. But the following
day, the day of the robbery, the bags contained mostly cancelled checks
and some non-negotiable securities.

Newark police were involved from the start and detectives quickly zeroed
in on the thugs involved, all from north Newark and all career
criminals. The ring leader was quickly arrested and put on trial. It was
a federal crime and his trial was noteworthy- he was the first defendant
tried before a federal jury made up of men AND women.

News accounts state that the defendant cut quite a
dashing appearance. "Movie star looks," was how he
was described and his testimony seemed designed
to win over the women on the jury. He claimed he
had staged the robbery in order to provide for his
poor old mother. He even cried on the stand.

The women didn't buy it. He was convicted and got a
long sentence, twenty years I think.

The whole thing was like something out of a Damon
Runyon story. Too bad Jimmy Breslin wasn't around
yet!

tommy meehan

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675042782_suburban-train_train-pulls
- -up-at-the-station_people-board-the-train

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