The Washington times., 1920-11-09
|HUNDREDSSEE
| DAYLIGHT Job
Seventeen Year Old Colored
Boy Prevents Escape Of
Negro Crook. ,
THRoNG WITNESSES ARREST.
Chase Leads Through Crowded
Streets, But Few Take
Up Pursuit. 4

While hundreds Of people were in
the neighborhood. a daring eolored
man entered the jewelry establish
ment at 933 Pennsylvania avenue ut
9:15 o'clock this morning, and, after
knocking q clerk unconscious by
striking him with part of buggy
shaft. which was wrapped in q
newspaper, and made off with jewell
~ valued at 81, 900.
Were it not for q plucky sixteen
year-old colored boy, who gave his
name as Jesse Augustus, of Airing
ton, Va, the thug would have
escaped.
OPTICIAN IS HURT.
Charles s. Frantz forty-nve years
old. of 1902 Georgia avenue north
west. an optician at the establish
ment, is at the Emergency Hospital
suffering from a badly lacerated
scalp. His condition Is not serious.
According to the colored boy. = nss'
gro. who gave his name At No. l pre-
einct as Albert L. Moss. OF ,Hickery.
N. c.. entered the place and asked to
be shown some watches
Frantz was arranging jewelry In
the window at the time and left his
work to attend to the supposedly
prospective purchaser.
As he was proceeding behind the
counter toward the showcase in which
the watches were being displayed the
thug suddenly struck him on the right
temple. causing the clerk to reel and
fall.
the window and snatched diamond
rings and platinum bracelet worth
81, 900.
Augustus ran to the sidewalk when
Moss struck down Frantz. He
searched for a policeman. but could
not fnd one. In the meantime the
thug had rushed from the tewslry
store and proceeded at a rapid rate
on Pennsylvania avenue toward Tenth
street. The colored boy followed
close at his heels.
ONE JOINS PURsUERs.
The chase then led from Tenth
street 10 T. street. thence to Twelfth
street. thence to G. street, thence to
Thirteenth street, to H street. to New
York avenue, through an alley near
the George Washington University
Hospital, to Franklin Park. where
William Jaeger, of No. 2, Engine
Company, whose aid Augustus had en-
listed during the chase.
strangely enough. although the
chase led through the busiest thor
cuEhfares of the city, NO one Joined
the pursuers.
The thug did not struggle when
Jaeger took him into custody and
acted quietly while being escorted to
No. Precinct At the police station
the seven rings and bracelet were
found in the negro's possession.
Taken to police headquarters, Moss
the same negro who broke into the
real estate office Of e. M. HODGES.
2206 Pennsylvania avenue northwest,
last week
When he robbed the real estate
office no threatened Mrs. Hodges and
her daughter, who were in the office.
with knife. It is said.
when questioned in regard to the
affair he was very reticent. but ad-
mitted that he had felled Frantz. He
would give no reason. other than to
say he wanted tho jewelry. He is
charged with assault and robbery.
When the thug entered the estab-
lishment Augustus was in the rear
cleaning the floor. He did not notice
anything wrong utnil he heard the
thud following Frantz's fall
when he saw the clerk prone upon
the floor he rushed to the street to
give tho alarm.
A trail of blood stains led from the
point where he was struck to the
curb, where the clerk was placed IN
an automobile and rushed to Emery
ency Hospital.
Detectives Sweeney and Morgan ars
investigating the case.