The Washington times., 1912-04-13
BULLETS Fly IN
! FIGHT BETWEEN
\ BOYS AND POLICE
Four Youthful Bandits Ar
/, rested After Battle
fa Early Today.

-Four youthful desreradoes, alleged
members of a gang that the police be-
lieve Is responsible for the robbery of
n number of business places In East
Washington during the last week, were
captured opposite Union Station plaza
early today by a squad of policemen
from the Ninth precinct. after a rum
ming fight. during which a number Of
shots were fired That no one was kill
ed or seriously wounded was due to
the poor aim of the boys, who opened
fire as soon as the police surrounded
them.
The police say that the youths admit
ted after their arrest that they had been
en- their way to hold up the night man.
ager OF Fishers lunch room. in First
street northeast. opposite Union Station.
The prisoners are Edward Mcdonald.
fifteen years old, COL Fourth street north
west; James Magruder, sixteen, of
Bladensburg, Md; Howard Kopp, six
teen, 419 I street northwest, and Bert
Thompson, sixteen, 110S Eighth street
northeast. So far as the police know, 1t
10 the first time any Of the boys have
been in trouble.
During the last week two or three
business places in the northeast or
southeast section of the city have been
broken into. Because of the number
of recent robberies, the proprietors OF
stores have been emptying the cash
drawers and the thieves have not OBJ
tained much money.
Last night Police Captain DAILY de-
tailed Sergeant Davis, Precinct Detec-
tive Smith, and Privates Williams, Hile.
and Anderson. on the robberies. Short
| ly before o'clock this morning, while
N E street, between Second and Third
streets northeast, the police saw two
young men near First and f streets.
engaged In conversation and because OF
their actions the police decided to close
in on them.
Boys Run.
Az the police ran up the boys
saw them and started to run. Mag
ruder ran down r street and Smith
easily overlook him. The others got
away. AS the police gained on them
one or two of the boys drew revolv-
ers and started firing. Ali of the
bullets went wild. The police drew
their revolvers and fired over the
boys heads, but this failed to stop
them.
In the Union Station plaza McDon-
aid and Thompson ran into the arms
of Policeman Ben Steele, who had
been attracted by the shots. Kopp
managed to elude his pursurers, but
was found a few minutes later by
Policemen williams, Anderson, and
Hiie hiding in clump OF bushes
. near the station, The boys threw the
revolvers away before the police go
them.
Taken to the station house, the boys
according to the police, made confes
sion, saying that they were on thei
way to hold up the lunchroom wheT
they were arrested. They told tn
police that earlier in the evening the,
street and Pennsylvania avenue south
east, but had been thwarted uninten
tionhlly by the policeman on the beat
Thompson had on Western Uniol
The boy had been watching the saloo
for a time before u o'clock and the,
saw the bartender count out a con
siderable sum of money,
Meant to Rob Saloon.
At o'clock they returned. according
to their story to the police. with a viey
Of robbing the bar room. Just as the
were crossing Pennsylvania avenue
policeman about block down tn
street, they said, saw Thompson's uni
form, and. evidently thinking the bo
was a fellow-officer, whistled to him
With a policeman so near by, the boy
decided that they had better .confin
their activities to another part sof tn
city.
1t was then, according to theirs DRY
they decided to hold up Fisher'sp lunc
room. The police say the boys tol
them that since Monday night hey ha
broken into the following Places
Edward l. Perkins, drug store. fFourt
and Stanton place northeast, VIII ere the
got $3.50 from the cash registerc Mat
rice ]. Sheehan, saloon, 1856 Secon
street northeast. whisky, gin. and bee
stolen; John S. Farrell grocery. ,Secon
and G street northeast, nothing lstoler
lunchroom, Second and Z streets soutf
east. foodstuffs taken, and McChesne
& Joachim, druggists, Second and
streets northeast.
The boys will probably be taken bt
fore Judge De Lacy in the Mveni
Court tomorrow.