Daring Jailbreak in Toledo: Million-Dollar Robbers Make Off with Guns

In a brazen escape, three convicted conspirators in the $1 million post office heist in Toledo, Ohio, walked out of the Lucas County Jail unscathed, leaving behind a trail of chaos and unanswered questions. On September 5, 1921, Joe Urbaytis, George Lewis (alias George Rogers), and Charles Schultz, all identified by post office authorities as actual participants in the February 17 robbery, slipped away from the jail while Sheriff Jack Taylor was attending the county fair. The trio, awaiting trial for their alleged roles in the crime, utilized a clever ruse to overpower two deputy sheriffs, Sam Zimmerman and George Szmetko, who were left in charge of the jail. Urbaytis allegedly used a buckle and strap from a jail cot to strike the deputies, rendering them ineffective. Meanwhile, Dr. William Sharp, the jail physician, narrowly escaped harm by locking himself in his cell.