The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-11-24
ONE Thug
WOUNDED
In Fray!
Police Tipped Off in Advance
OF Attempted Burglary of
Ferry Boat Lincoln
ONE MAN PLAYS P0SSUM

One thug was shot and anoth- =
cr captured early Monday morn
ing. following q daring attempt
20 rob the King county ferry at
Kirkland.
George LapsIey, 25, received
six bucksbof. three In his arm
and three In his leg. from
sawedoff shotgun, fired almost
point-biank by one Of the Off
GERS. lie was rushed TO the city
hospital. He will recover.
The other burglar, Charles
Coleman. alias Christensen, 80.
was uninjured during the firing.
The arrest OF the two thugs nipped
IN the bud what the police declare
was 10 have been a wholesale chain
OF robberies on the Kirkland side.
The shooting of Ietsiey and the
capture OF Christlanson was due TO
their own loquacity. According to
Detectives Ernest Yoris. Ralph Coch-
ran and Ludwig Frank. who round
ed up the wouid.be burglars Mon
day morning. Letsley and Christian.
son are said TO have confided their
plans 10 rob the ferryboat Lincoln
safe to two women companions.
The news was reiayed TO Chief OF
Police Warren who. early Monday
morning. drove the detectives TO
Kirkland.
The detectives boarded the ferry
boat at 3 o'clock Monday morning.
Yoris and Cochran stationed them
selves in the pilot house while Frank
stayed on deck to await the approach
Of the burglars.
Submit to Gag
At 5:45 o'clock a rowboat. carrying
two men. approached the ferryboat-
After n shor. wait two forms clam
bered aboard and made their way to
the engine room, where the engineer.
by prearranged plans. submitted to
being bound and gagged by Letsley
and Christianson.
Selling an AK in the engine room.
Letsley and Christianson made their
way TO the purser's office. smashed
open the door with the ak and car
ried the safe to the main deck.
Unable to open the safe. Letsley
and Christianson returned 10 the en-
gine room to obtain a crowbar. They
were busily engaged in an attempt
to open the safe with the crowbar
when the detectives closed in on
them.
Throw up your handsr' shouted
the detectives.
Letsley and Christianson dropped
the crowbar and fled.
Yoris. armed with q shotgun. fired
at Letsley and the latter dropped
with three buckshot in his left arm
and two in his face.
Christianson fled down the deck,
pursued by Cochran and Frank. Two
shots from the detectives guns
caused Christianson to drop to the
deck. where he lay motionless.
Lived I'm Kirkland
With their guns trained on what
they believed to be a wounded man.
the detectives advanced. fearing
Christianson might be playing pos
sum.
Il am thrur' Christianson yelled
when the detectives turned him over
to look for wounds. An hour later
Christianson was in the city Jail and
Letsley was in the city hospital.
Christianson. who is 20 years old.
has been n resident of Houghton,
near Kirkland. for seven months. he
told the detectives. He says he is
married and the father of four chill
dren.
Letsley said he lived at the Parker
hotel and is IS years old.
Letsley and Christianson planned
to rob the bank at Kirkland after
looting the ferryboat safe. according
to the detectives.
When they boarded the ferryboat
both removed their shoes. They
moved so nervously up and down the
deck that Yoris and Cochran, sta.
toned in the pilot house. were un-
able TO distinguish Detective Frank
from the two would.be burglars. 1t
was this confusion that led the de-
tectives TO wait for more than half
an hour before closing in on Letsley
and Chrisianson.
Herbert Brooks, night watch
man, stationed in the engine room,
was in the confidence of the detec-
tives and docilely submitted to seiz-
ure when Christianson and Letsley
entered.