Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-06
OFFERED RESISTANCE
Colored Man Showed Fight
When Arrested.
MOVED FOR HIS GUN
he AND COMPANION HAD A LOT
OF CLOTHING.
They Robbed a Store at Laurel, Md,
and Made Their Way Here
on Hand Car.
MOVED FOR HIS GUN

Two colored men left Laurel. Md, be-
tween II o'clock last night and daybreak
this morning, after robbing the clothing
store of Harry Block OF as much clothing as
they could stuff into two sacks. The men
had a handcar in readiness, and upon this
vehicle they travelled until they got in
sight of this city. Then they abandoned
the car and tramped over the fields until
they reached the freight yard at lexington
About $50 o'clock this morning they en-
tered the city. 1t was then daylight, and
the men thought they would not attract
attention, but Policeman Garvey saw them
and started an investigation.
1--WE are from Baltimore one Of them
told him. I'VE worked for a man who paid
US off in clothing instead of money, and
that's how we happened to have these
clothes"
Explanation Not Accepted.
Policeman Garvey is too old an officer to
accept such an explanation. Johnson, as
the man afterward gave his name, made a
gun play on the officer, placing his hand on
his hip pocket. Garvey promptly closed in
upon him and placed him under arrest. He
took from the prisoners pocket a loaded
revolver. His companion succeeded in es-
Gaping.
Johnson was taken to the police station,
and he repeated the statement that he had
been paid off with clothing in Baltimore.
Three hours after his arrest message was
received from Laurel telling Of the robbery
at Blocks store. Although the clothing
taken from the prisoner Tailed with that
taken from the store at Laurel. the prisoner
denied that he was ever in Laurel.
Admitted Participation In Theft.
johnson was taken to police headquarters
about noon and while there being measured
and photographed he admitted to a Star
reporter that he was implicated in the
Laurel robbery, although he denied that he
had actually entered the store.
He gave his age as twenty-seven years
and said he was born in Atlanta Ga. He
left there when he was ten years old, he
said. and has lived in a number Of cities
since His last employment, he said, was
at coke oven in Baltimore. He left Bal
timore yesterday morning with a COM
panion. who was also from Atlanta and
rode on freight car as far as Laurel. The
man who was with him. Johnson said, told
him that he had been in Laurel before and
that he knew how to get into store there.
The meal sacks, the prisoner said, were
brought from Baltimore -
Abandoned Hand Car on Track.
II stood outside the store" said Johnson,
while my partner showed in the door with
his shoulder. He then went in and threw
the clothes out while 1 watched"
The prisoner told of how he and his part
ner boarded the handcar and hurried away
from the neighborhood in which they had
robbed the store. They had seen the car on
the platform before they went to the store
and had planned to come away on It..
He could not tell just how far they rode
on the car, but he said they abandoned it on
the Baltimore and Ohio track. Fortunately
the car was discovered on the track in time
to remove it before the arrival of a train
After being measured and photographed
the prisoner was returned to the station.
The Clothing Identified.
Mr.. Block and Officer Bryant reached
here this afternoon and the former 1denti-
fed the articles that were recovered by
Policeman Carney. 1t was stated that the
hardware store of George Waters in Laurel
was also burglarized. It Is believed that
the sacks in which the men had the plum
der had contained guano, and that they
had been taken from the store of Mr.. Wa
tiers. The prisoner was taken to Laurel
this afternoon. He will probably be re-
moved to Marlboro in time for trial at the
present term Of the county court which
convened this morning