The Washington herald., 1912-06-12
CHASE
IN AUTOMOBILE
Police Capture Thief, Who Leads
Merry City Run in Big
Motor Car.

Capturing an alleged automobile thief
after a sensational chase Of ten miles in
automobiles, punctuated by revolver shots
in a Wild career through park roads and
streets, Detective Sergeant Richard Z.
Weldon. OF the Central once, would have
been cheated Of his prisoner and probably
mobbed by a crowd Of men yesterday af-
ternoon, II he had not drawn his revolver
and threatened to shoot the first man that
took a step toward him.
Standing in the automobile with the
prisoner beside him, Weldon levelled the
revolver at the mob. and cried:
The first man that takes a step toward
me will be shot through the heart"
Then Weldon ordered the chauffeur TO
start, and the automobile slowly drew
away from the crowd.
So ended probably the most exciting
chase in an automobile in the history
of the Police Department. II began with
the theft Of a car from the alley in the
rear Of the automobile firm Of Emerson
& Orme. 1907 H Street Northwest, about
l o'clock yesterday morning. As soon as
the theft was discovered, Edward H. Ha-
bersham, OF lis Q Street Northwest, a
sales manager, took immediate steps to
recover the machine.
Weldon Follows Thief.
About 10 o'clock in the morning Detec-
tive Weldon left Police Headquarters
in another roadster. driven by ]. L.
Aman. an expert chauffeur, in the EN-
pIoy of Mr.. Habersham. Weldon and
Aman drove several miles through the
streets. At Twenty-fifth and K Streets
Northwest, Aman sighted the stolen ma
chine going north in Twenty-fifth Street
The chase started.
For more than eight miles the detec-
tive and chauffeur followed the two
colored men in the stolen car Pedes-
trians stood on the, aidewaIks and
watched the hair-raising driving.
Gain on FuEitiyes.
Aman and Weedon gained on the fu-
gitives, and when the colored men
turned south in Twenty-fourth Street,
driving full speed toward the entrance
to the New Naval Hospital, which ends
the thoroughfare, Weldon drew his re-
volver and fired. without waiting to
stop the machine, both fugitives leaped
from the car at the same time, one
going from each side OF the machine
speeded full tilt down the center of
Twenty-fourth Street.
One colored man disappeared in a
house on Fletchers Hill and the other
started up steep clay embankment.
When he was half way to the ton
Weldon fired again, and the fugitive
tumbled headlong to the street, but
jumped up and sped away.
With Weldon in hot pursuit, the man
was caught in q house.
Weldon placed the man under arrest
and led him from the house into the
street. A crowd quickly gathered, at
tracted by the chase and revolver shots,
and in q few seconds several score Of
men. nearly all coIored, surrounded the
detective and his prisoner. They reached
the automobile and bundled the prisoner
in before the mob began to grow ugly
When the crowd closed in on the car, tell
ing the prisoner to jump out. and assur-
ing him there were enough men present
TO kill two measly white bluffs" Weed
on again drew his weapon
At police headquarters Weedon's pris-
oner gave the name Of Arthur Payne,
twenty-five years old, of Bo2s Z Street
Northwest. At o'clock last night
Mounted Bicycle omcer Patrick CreaEh.
Of the Third precinct. arrested the other
colored man alleged to have been in the
stolen car. The prisoner gave the name
Of John Briscoe, twenty years old, OF
24S5 Fletchers Hill Both are CHARGED
with taking property without the con-
sent OF the owner. Briscoe, who Is ac-
cused Of driving the Flanders, Is also
charged with being an unlicensed chauf-
teur.