Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-27
Man Who Terrorized Alex
andria Must Explain.
HE SHOT AT EVERYBODY
But Chief Goods Got Him at Last
It's Explained.
DECLARES HE IS NOT THE ONE
But Tells That His Name Is William
P. seaton of Washing
ton, d. C..

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
ALEXANDRIA, Va, December p. 1911.
After playing the role of the real bad
man OF the west last night during which
time he held up the cashier Of a lunch
room at the point of pistol and robbed
him and also attempted to hold up a
woman in a North Lee street resort and
nred several times at the chief of polfe e
and also fired at a cab driver a man Civ
Ing his name as William p. Seaton, about
twenty-five years old. Of Washington, was
arrafgned In the police court this morn
ing and held for the action of the grand
jury.
seaton when arraigned In court was told
that 1t was optional whether or not he
made a statement. He declined to make
any statement.
This morning the young man appeared
insolent and refused to answer any oues-
tions propounded to him. He also re-
fused to give his name and appeared ap-
prehensive lest his mother would learn Of
his predicament.
When asked his age he declared that he
was but sixteen years old
Flashed Pistol at Woman.
Seaton. the police say. came to this city
about o'clock last night, and. going into
the red light d1stict Of the city, entered
the house Of Grace Ferguson. 80 North
Lee street. and showed a pistol in her
face. demanding her money. The woman
ran into an adjoining room. crying for
help. Realizing that his capture was
imminent, Seaton made q hasty retreat
from the place. The youth, it seems,
was determined TO do things up" in true
western style. Next. it Is alleged. he
entered the Martha Washington cafe.
King and Washington streets. at 8 O'Clock
Here he took seat at table and or
dered pie. After eating he gave the
clerk. George Pappois, a dime. and the
latter gave him change. According to
Pappois he demanded. at the point Of a
pistol. all Of the money In the register
The clerk ran out, and Seaton emptied
the cash register of its contents. consist
ing OF 81. The alleged bandit then ran
from the place and fired a pistol as he
ran. An alarm was sounded and in a
few minutes a crowd Of 200 people col
lected around the lunchroom. Seaton
continued hts flight out Washington
street.
His robbery at the lunchroom is re-
garded as exceedingly bold. as at the time,
many people weaB pa6Sing and 1t is one
OF the most-frequented corners in the
city.
Cabman Tells Story.
Seaton in making his way out of the
city encountered M. A. Lynch a special
watchman for the Richmond, F'redericks-
burg and Potomac Railroad Company,
who was returning to the railway station
In a cab after having taken prisoner to
police headquarters.
According to the testimony of Lynch,
Seaton asked the cabbie what would be
the cost of conveying him to Washington.
He was informed it would be S. He de-
INJURED, and, seeing Lynch, with a uniform
in the cab, fired twice at him, and ran as
he did so. Lynch says he returned the
fire.
Chief Goods and Policeman Campbell
made hurried search around the city for
Seaton. The chief and Policeman Camp
bell then went to the chiefs home and
changed their clothing and rode out on
several outgoing electric trains.
Arriving on the fourth electric train at
st. Elmo, three miles north of here, they
saw Seaton crouching, near the little
wooden station, in clump of bushes
Seaton espied the officers and immediate
ly snapped his pistol three times at
them. Policeman Campbell fired twice at
the man and Seaton fell back, as II
struck, into a small ditch.
The officers waited few minutes to see
If Seaton was feigning. and then walked
to where he lay. When they reached
him he still had the pistol leveled at
them. after which he threw 1t beside the
bank.
When taken in custody he expressed
himself as sorry that he had not killed
both of the policemen. The police said
he also denied the robbery.
Chief Goods Alert.
Chief Goods, however. was on the look
out for the man who attempted to rob the
Ferguson woman and saw Seaton as he
ran out Washington street he said, just
after robbing the lunchroom.
One letter and d number of post cards
were found on SeatOn when searched at
police headquarters, together with sew
eral other papers One of the letters was
a recommendation from a foreman Of a
printing Office and the letter set forth
that the bearer was Betram Seaton and
that he had been employed in the COM
posing room of the Office.
All of the other cards, together with a
pass from Camp Ordway. .. N. G.. the
latter dated August Il, 1911, bore the
name Of w. and w. P. Seaton
There was also receipt for a revolver
from Rosenthal & Levy in his pocket.
This was dated November %, 1911, and
made out in the name of John Thomas
1t showed that the sum OF 81 was paid
for the revolver.
One Of the cards bearing the name OF
w. p Seaton was addressed to him at
the office of a Washington newspaper.
Seaton's bravado was not with him
when arraigned in court this morning.
He sat in the prisoners dock with his
head hung down. and he appears con-
siderably distressed over his predicament
large crowd gathered to get a glimpse
Of the boy bandit.
Attempts to Escape.
Seaton attempted to make his get
away at 3 o'clock this morning by dig
ging his way out of the cell where he
was kept. In some unexplained man.
ner he got possession of a large nail and
was digging the pastering from an iron
ventilator about foot square, directly
over the top OF his cell. Noise made by
the prisoner in his work attracted Lieut.
Bettis, who put a stop to the work
Only a small part Of the plastering had
been removed when he was detected.
Even should Seaton have been able to
get out Of the aperture which he would
have made by the removal of the iron
ventilator, he would have found 1t diff
cult to escape, inasmuch as he would
! have had two doors to go through
before he left the station proper. and in
doing SO would have passed directly in
front of where the lieutenant was sitting.
Della Fox Critically III.
NEW YORK, December N.-The condi-